Random Car Wednesday: 1968 Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette is an undeniable icon, but among sports cars they are a bit commonplace. Perhaps it's just a Texas thing, but Corvettes are certainly not endangered around here. This one, however, stands out. Today's RCW is a 1968 Chevrolet Corvette convertible. 1968 was the first year for the C3 generation, which was derived from the Mako Shark II concept. It was swoopy and well-proportioned, and to this day is one of the better automobile designs ever put into production. This particular example is especially nice. The convertible option is desirable, but the 427 badging on the hood is a bit more special. There were a number of 427 variants available in the 'Vette, such as the L36 or L89. This car is probably one of the more tame examples, but even the base 427 had 390 horsepower, which does a lot for a car that only weighs about 3,500 pounds. The biggest 427 could deliver 430 horsepower, if you really needed an adrenaline rush. This car also has the old factory-installed sidepipes, a signature part of the C3 generation. To top it all off, the color is a decidedly 1960's touch, with its somewhat metallic hue. This was a cool car in 1968, but I suspect it's still just as cool by today's standards.

1968 Chevrolet Corvette 427