1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L89 Convertible
- Engine
- 7.0L (427 cu in) V8, aluminum heads, tri-power intake with three carburetors, ~435 bhp
- Colour
- Cortez Silver with black soft-top
One of only 390 examples built, this 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible left the St. Louis factory on 10 April 1969 equipped with the rare L89 option — a 427 cubic-inch big-block V-8 producing 435 horsepower through lightweight aluminium cylinder heads and a tri-power carburettor intake. Originally delivered to a California dealership, the car later resided in Texas before a body-off restoration culminating in 2018. It subsequently earned both the Bloomington Gold certification and the NCRS Top Flight Award.
Ownership
- —Auction saleSold US$176,000
- 1969 → 1970Factory deliveryUS Air Force pilot, first ownerpartial documentation
Purchased new in California and soon relocated to Wichita Falls, Texas; traded the car in at a local Buick dealership in late 1970 or early 1971.
- 1970 → 1985Private saleWichita Falls, Texas Buick dealership second ownerpartial documentation
Acquired the car as a trade-in at a Wichita Falls Buick dealer; car likely changed hands again around 1985.
- 1985 → 1987Acquisition unknownTexas owner, third known private partypartial documentation
Car remained in Texas during this period; mileage at the time is documented by a notarized odometer statement from November 1987 showing 48,270 miles.
- 1987 →Acquisition unknownCurrent owner, Cleveland Ohiofull documentation
Had the car transported from Texas to Ohio; kept it in storage for an extended period before commissioning a full body-off restoration completed in 2018, with final work carried out by Bob Dombrowski of Koolcars in Columbia Station, Ohio. Car reportedly never driven under this ownership except for trailer loading and unloading.
Competition
- 2018-04-01National Corvette Restorers SocietyNCRS Top Flight AwardTop Flight Award winner
Award given following completion of the restoration; recognizes cars judged to meet NCRS standards for factory-correct presentation.
- 2018-06-01National Corvette Certification BoardBloomington Gold CertificationBloomington Gold certified
Certification awarded after restoration; requires the vehicle to present within 95–100% of typical factory production appearance for its era.
Maintenance & restoration
- 2018RestorationKoolcars
A body-off restoration was carried out over an extended period, with finishing work completed in 2018 by Bob Dombrowski at Koolcars. The work aimed to return the car to factory-correct appearance to a standard sufficient for NCRS and Bloomington Gold judging.
Receipts and invoices covering work performed throughout the refurbishment period are included in the documentation file. A partially mouse-damaged build sheet has been reassembled and retained.
Are you the owner of this car?
This car's public record is built from its auction and competition history. Register your ownership and privately add your own records to make it a verified Legacy Metrics passport — provenance that backs your car's value at sale and gives your insurer evidence to price against. Roy reviews and verifies every registration personally.