A list of desirable options including a matching-numbers 425 HP L78 big-block V-8, 4-speed manual transmission and rare factory-installed side exhaust would be enough to get a Corvette collector’s heart jumping. However, this particular Goldwood Yellow 1965 convertible has an interesting and well documented history as well. A late-production car built on July 9, 1965, the Corvette was sold new at Red River Motor Company in Bossier City, Louisiana, to Marcella Liddell of nearby Shreveport, who kept the car just a year before returning it to the dealership. The Corvette was then purchased by an employee of the dealership, Gene Alleman, who drag raced it. Alleman was a strong enough competitor to earn an invitation to the 1967 NHRA Nationals in Indianapolis, where time slips show he ran in the low 11s at more than 118 MPH and set the mark for the quickest ET in the C/Sports class. He was ultimately disqualified, though, for removing his spare tire carrier. Years after its racing days were behind it, the Corvette went through a meticulous frame-off restoration, with the car finished in its factory combination of Goldwood Yellow paint, black upholstery and a black convertible top. Historically, the 1965 Corvette represents a lot of firsts for America’s sports car. It was the first year 4-wheel disc brakes were standard Corvette equipment and it was also the first year the side-mounted exhaust pipes, RPO N14, were offered. This is one of just 759 1965 Corvettes with that factory-installed option. Styling revisions included new vertical front fender louvers and a new hood without the twin longitudinal indentations that, two years before, were home to non-functional vents. This car’s hood did have a new feature: a prominent, vented bulge to make room for a brand-new engine. RPO L78 was a 396 CI V-8 that was a direct descendant of the NASCAR-bred “porcupine” big-block. The nickname came from the seemingly random placement of the valves in the head, though their location optimized airflow in and out of the cylinders. With 4-bolt main caps, a forged-steel crankshaft, mechanical-lifter cam, transistorized ignition and a Holley 4-barrel carburetor on an aluminum intake manifold, the 396 was rated by Chevrolet as making 425 HP and 415 lb-ft of torque. The matching-numbers powerplant in this Corvette is backed by a 4-speed manual. Inside the cockpit are supportive bucket seats, full instrumentation and a radio mounted vertically ahead of the center console. Extensive documentation accompanies the Corvette, including a copy of its manufacturer’s statement of origin, a copy of the original dealership invoice (showing the big-block and side exhaust options), an owner’s manual, NCRS Shipping Data report, a copy of Alleman’s timeslips from the 1967 NHRA Nationals and a photo of Alleman with the car and a trophy, while Louisiana title searches document the car’s ownership history from 1965-1989.
