1968 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 Convertible

This 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible was the recipient of a frame-off restoration, a magazine feature, and an autograph by Corvette founding engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov. This C3 was built to detailed National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) standards, powered by a rebuilt numbers-matching 427ci V8 paired with a 3-speed automatic transmission. Awards have included a Mark of Excellence plaque and multiple blue-ribbon Top Flight awards. Finished in Safari Yellow over a reupholstered black vinyl interior, this first-year C3 Corvette is now offered with a hardtop, restoration documentation, a magazine feature, awards, and a clear Minnesota title in the seller’s name.

The Corvette received a complete redesign for 1968, offered in both coupe and convertible form with features including hideaway headlights, flush door handles, and functional fender-mounted cooling vents. This example from that year is painted Safari Yellow (984) and was subject to a frame-off restoration with a high attention to detail, receiving a complete respray, refinished brightwork, dual exhausts, and a reupholstered black cloth retractable top. In 2001, this C3 was awarded the Mark of Excellence through the NCRS and has also been the subject of a magazine spread. The seller states that the car has been garage-kept since the refurbishment, and the sale includes a black hardtop.

Factory 15” steel wheels wear special-option P02 turbine-style covers and are wrapped in redline tires. The chassis is based on a fully independent suspension with a four-wheel disc brake setup.

The interior has been reupholstered in black vinyl with bucket seats that are color-matched to door panels, a center console, dash, and carpeting. The wood-rimmed three-spoke steering wheel was signed by Zora Arkus-Duntov, a key development engineer in the original Corvette in the early 1950s. A push-button radio is installed in the dash.  

Instrumentation includes a round 160-mph speedometer and a 7k-rpm tachometer, along with additional gauges in the center stack for oil temperature, oil pressure, coolant temperature, voltage, and fuel level. The five-digit mechanical odometer reads 3k miles, which is representative of the miles driven since restoration was completed.

The numbers-matching L36 427ci V8 features chrome-finished valve covers and a chrome-finished air cleaner with Turbo-Jet decals, having been rated at 390 horsepower when new. The most recent service was in May 2021 per the seller, and power is directed to the rear wheels via a 3-speed automatic transmission and a console-mounted shift lever.

The sale includes the factory hardtop, awards, judging paperwork, and a portfolio documenting the restoration.