This sensational 1966 Chevrolet Corvette convertible’s exceptional preservation has been rewarded with two of the Corvette hobby’s most prestigious awards. After receiving Al Grenning Classic Car Affirmation in 2018, in 2021 it received the Bloomington Gold Survivor® Award. Trademarked by Bloomington Gold founder David Burroughs, the Bloomington Gold Survivor® Award is designed to recognize those Corvettes that are “worn in, but not worn out.” A Survivor Corvette is “significantly unrestored, unrepaired, or unmodified and meets the following requirements: the car must be over 20 years old, able to pass a 10-mile road test, remains over 50 percent unrestored” and, finally, “retains finishes good enough to use as a color guide for restoration of a car just like it.” Bloomington Gold certified judges inspect four components of each candidate Corvette: exterior, interior, under the hood and the chassis. Each car must pass at least three of those four categories in order to qualify for Survivor Certification. In 2022 that remarkable achievement was followed by NCRS Top Flight certification, which requires the car being judged to score “a minimum 94 percent of 4500 possible points in a rigorous judging process of Operations Check, Exterior, Interior, Mechanical and Chassis Judging.” Carrying an odometer reading of just 29,978 miles, this unrestored 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible meets all the above criteria in high style, combining Rally Red paint with a black leather interior, white soft top and matching red hardtop. Purchased new from Jim White Chevrolet in Toledo, Ohio, on March 24, 1966, it incorporates a 427/425 HP big-block V-8 backed by a 4-speed manual transmission. Its generous list of options includes special front and rear suspension, power disc brakes, transistorized ignition, off-road exhaust, power windows and antenna, a teakwood steering wheel, an AM/FM radio, Soft Ray tinted glass and all five original Kelsey-Hayes finned aluminum knock-off wheels. Offered with comprehensive documentation that includes the original order form dated December 29, 1965 and invoice dated March 24, 1966, an owner’s manual, the AM/FM radio operating instructions, an NCRS Shipping Data Report and the all-important Protect-O-Plate, this is a truly extraordinary midyear Corvette of impeccable quality and collectability.
