Built at the St. Louis factory in May 1967, this 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray big-block convertible was purchased by its first owner, Keith Frye, from Dave McIntire Chevrolet in Bloomington, Indiana. Amazingly, he cared for it for the next 29 years. The NASCAR-derived Mark IV big-block engine found a good home in the 1965 Corvette, where it displaced 396 CI and was rated at 425 HP. In 1966, Chevrolet bumped the big-block to 427 CI and offered it in two flavors: a hydraulic-cam version rated at 390 HP and a solid-lifter version rated at 425, although not until its original 450 HP rating was revised by wobbly Chevrolet executives who feared it would rouse attention from insurance companies. The Corvette engineering team, however, did not share management’s hesitation to go the big-block route, and neither did the buying public, who feasted on no fewer than four production versions of the 427 in 1967, including two tri-power versions rated at 400 and 435 HP. Cosmetically, the 1967 Corvette was the cleanest ever, with much of the bright trim removed. Only the hood badge and rear deck script remained, along with “427” badges on the big-block models, which also received the now-famous striped Stinger hood. A single center-mounted reverse light was added above the rear license plate, smoothed sill trim plates replaced the earlier ribbed units, and new five-slot fender vents appeared. Inside, the seats were redesigned for more comfort and the parking brake handle was moved to the center console. This would be the final year for the optional Kelsey Hayes finned aluminum wheels. Safety regulations mandated that the old—and apparently dangerous—knock-off fasteners give way to bolt-on units that featured a hexagonal center cap. Just five years after the launch of the new Sting Ray, an all-new Corvette was just over the horizon, which most likely explains the drop in sales from 27,720 in 1966 to 22,940 in 1967. Nonetheless, more than 14,000 of those were convertibles, proving that fans still loved open-air motoring, Corvette-style. Boasting the L68 400 HP tri-power version of the Mark IV big-block V-8, this unrestored 1967 Corvette convertible rolled off the St. Louis assembly line with the full complement of big-block-related features including a 4-speed manual transmission, factory side exhaust and bolt-on finned aluminum wheels with redline tires. Also equipped with Soft Ray-tinted glass, an auxiliary hardtop, Delco AM/FM radio and telescopic steering column, it is documented with the original title and Protect-O-Plate. Its Ermine White paint and black Stinger stripe exhibit all the characteristics of factory original application, as detailed by David Burroughs, and the black interior and soft top also remain in unspoiled original condition. Indeed, at a mere 3,757 original miles, this final-year midyear Corvette convertible is champion thoroughbred fare, as evidenced by its enviable list of awards. In 2010, it stacked up Bloomington Gold Benchmark, Survivor and Gold Certification, as well as NCRS Regional Top Flight honors—with an impressive score of 97.2—and an NCRS 2-Star Preservation Excellence Award. This 1967 big-block convertible is almost without peer as a reference-caliber example of the breed.
