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1972 Corvette With 24k Gold-Plated Engine Accents

For today’s Matchbox-car-made-real, check out this 1972 Chevrolet Corvette with its flashy, proudly protruding powerplant.

This Stingray has the 502 cubic-inch “big block” motor, plus a supercharger. But you won’t find the motor/supercharger combo under the hood – and indeed, why should you? The mill has genuine 24k gold accents, courtesy of Advanced Auto Plating of Tennessee. The result is a glistening, almost museum-worthy GM V8 towering over the rest of the car, casting a shadow on its occupants.

The car is the property (and creation) of one Joe Barra of Fishkill, NY. Says our source the Times Hearld-Record, he reportedly changed the color of the car three different times, and had it converted from a convertible to a coupe. “He really didn’t have a gameplan to how the car looks today,” said Joe’s son Andrew, 19. “He just kept adding to it and it turned out to be what it is today. He got the idea to add the blower after seeing a muscle car model.”

Finally Joe got the car to a state that he and his son are happy with. Despite its obvious value, and claimed 2 miles-per-gallon, the car is not consigned to the garage; father and son go cruising whenever they have occasion to.

Aaron Brzozowski is a writer and motoring enthusiast from Detroit with an affinity for '80s German steel. He is not active on the Twitter these days, but you may send him a courier pigeon.

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