Will that be cash or check? This 1969 Chevrolet Corvette L88 sold for a cool $680,000 at Mecum’s Dallas auction. Of course, there’s quite a story behind the special ‘Vette.
At the start of 1967, head of GM Communications and  and SCCA racer Tony DeLorenzo began an impressive winning streak of 22 consecutive wins in a 1967 Corvette L88 along with his partner Jerry Thompson. The two would become one of the most successful Corvette teams in history. Needless to say, DeLorenzo had quite the attachment to the L88, so much so that he purchased a one-of-two L88 ’69 Corvette Convertible, pictured above.
The L88 RPO code meant no factory heat, no radio, no air conditioning and it even lacked a shroud fan, making an overheated 427 cubic-inch V8 engine commonplace. All of this minimization plus a price tag of $5,470 ($1,032 more than a normal Corvette convertible), made the L88 Corvette a selection for only the truly hardcore.
After parting ways with the vehicle in 1969, Curt Wetzel, a friend of DeLorenzo, toured Europe with the L88 Corvette. He was so victorious with the car, Porsche purchased the vehicle to remove it from the competition. Finally, the vehicle resurfaced in Switzerland before heading back stateside for a complete frame-off restoration in Texas.
Selling for $680,000 at the Mecum Dallas Auction, this isn’t the most expensive L88 Corvettes we’ve seen cross the block, but considering its history, and the fact that it has a rag top, it makes it one of the most unique.
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My father, Anthony G. DeLorenzo, was Vice President – Public Relations at GM for 22 years. Unfortunately, his job left him no time for racing cars. He left that up to me (his son) Anthony J. (Tony) DeLorenzo.