1967 Corvette Coupe For Sale

'Barn Find' A9X Barnstorms to $149000!

MELBOURNE – July 25, 2011: A 1977 Torana A9X Hatchback that was stored under the house of its late collector owner for more than a decade produced the standout result of Shannons Collector and Muscle Car Auction at MotorEx on July 24 when it sold with no reserve for $149,000.

The unrestored Flamenco Red A9X that will require a restoration to realise its full potential was one of just 100 hatchbacks plus 33 lightweight body shells produced by Holden to homologate the model for the Bathurst 1000.

A unique floor pan, a Salisbury rear end with different final drive ratios, rear disc brakes, revised steering, a front spoiler with brake cooling ducts and a bonnet featuring a large reverse air scoop were amongst more than 100 differences that set an A9X apart from a standard LX Torana.

Purchased by its late third owner in 1998 after seeing it advertised for $19,000 in Unique Cars magazine with 99,000 indicated kilometres, the A9X was the centre of a bidding war witnessed by a crowd of nearly 600 at the Sydney Showgrounds auction, with an interstate collector in the room triumphing over more than a dozen phone and floor bidders.

Another benchmark sale saw a rare, one Japanese owner 1970 Mazda Familia R100 Coupe bring a world-standard $45,000. The time-warp 10A rotary-powered R100 in showroom original condition was discovered recently on display at a dealership in Japan with just 37,364km – understood genuine – on its odometer and was snapped by an Australian collector.

In other good results, a three-owner 1985 Formula Blue Holden VK Commodore Group A Group 3 sedan believed to have covered 33,851km since new brought $99,500 after another bidding duel, a 1969 Grecian Gold Falcon XW GT Sedan in very original condition and in the hands of its second owner for the past 32 years sold for $65,000 and a 1971 ‘Vitamin C’ 265-cid two-barrel six cylinder VH Charger R/T Coupe in excellent original condition sold for $47,000.

Meanwhile a time-warp, unrestored and very original 1967 Holden HR Special Sedan that had covered a claimed 13,700 miles from new brought $28,000.

American Muscle Cars were also in demand, with a left hand drive 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 big-block Coupe replica finished in arresting ‘Go Mango’ selling for $44,000, while a right hand drive 2003 Corvette ZO6 with just 24,851km on its odometer brought $60,000.

Amongst other notable results, a beautifully-kept and former concours-winning 1928 Stutz Model BB Wyman-type Sports Tourer sold for $120,000, and a three-owner 1970 Fiat Bambino 500F Sedan that had been in the vendor’s hands for 22 years achieved an excellent $17,200 after fierce floor and phone bidding.

Rare 1967 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe To Be Offered At Bloomington ...

This rare 1967 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe is considered extraordinary because its restoration was overseen by David Burroughs, who in 1993 completed a five-year restoration of the car for the current owner. Burroughs is best known as Bloomington Gold founder and Corvette expert extraordinaire.

The current owner of the rare 1967 Corvette Sting Ray Coupe is only its third – and he has owned it for more than 18 of its 44 years. The Silver Pearl coupe was sold new in Evansville, Ind., where it has resided ever since. It is equipped with the L68 427/400 HP Tri Power big block engine, transistorized ignition, a 4-speed manual transmission, telescopic steering column, air conditioning, power steering and brakes, power windows, headrests, AM/FM radio and tinted glass.

But according to Burroughs, the main story is "the insane detail that differentiates this from any other Corvette. The car showcases Burroughs' insistence on translating that philosophy into a finished piece whose minutest detail mimics true factory production.

For example, the Silver Pearl finish was applied by a painter specially trained by Burroughs in factory paint processes. The finished paint was lightly buffed out, but only above the beltline, the factory having decided that since the area below the sharp break was typically in shadow, it therefore did not require the extra attention.

Prior to 1978, judging at Bloomington Gold was based on "car vs. car" competition. There were class winners and best of show winners, and, of course, there were losers. All that changed for the Corvette and collector car hobby when, in 1978, Burroughs unveiled Gold Certification judging.

Burroughs' plan was to enable any Corvette to be a winner if it met high standards of authenticity. Gold Certification would require Corvettes to be judged not against one another, but as to the car's level of accuracy compared to the day it left the factory. A Corvette would earn a Gold Certification if its condition was within 95 to 100 percent of the way it rolled off the assembly line - no better, no worse.

Being 100 percent factory authentic, though, did not mean the car was 100 percent perfect, because Corvettes weren't perfect when new. A group of judges were assembled from the nation's most knowledgeable Corvette experts and the National Corvette Certification Board was born. The Gold Certification judging procedures thus established became the benchmark for judging of all types of automobiles.

Cars & parts

Road & track

Keith Martin on Collecting Porsche

Popular Mechanics

Sports Car Market magazine - August 2008