Makes › Chevrolet › Corvette › C3 › Corvette L88 (C3) · Factory competition · 1968–1969 Extremely Rare
Chevrolet
Corvette L88 (C3)
L88 427/430 racing engine package on the C3 Corvette (heater delete, heavy-duty brakes); the 1967 C2 L88 is a separate existing entry
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 216 Built
- Years
- 1968–1969
- Engine
- V8, overhead valve · 7,000 cc / 7.0 LFactory: 427 cu in · converted
- Power
- 321 kW / 436 PSFactory: 430 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Zora Arkus-Duntov (Corvette chief engineer); engine designed by Denny Davis
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- Not yet verified
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The L88 was a racing engine package sold through the Corvette order list so that the car qualified for SCCA and FIA classes. Rated at 430 hp but estimated at 500-560 hp in practice, it was the strongest factory Corvette engine of the period. Only 216 were built across 1967-69.
How rare is it?
Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.
Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.
02Production & history
Production
Every figure says what it counts.
| What is counted | Figure | Basis | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total model productionall L88 Corvettes built 1967-69 (20 in 1967, 80 in 1968, 116 in 1969); the C3 years 1968-69 account for 196 | 2161,2 | Factory production | Registry reported |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Corvette-based L88 prototypes ran at Daytona and Sebring in 1966, and a near-stock L88 led the 1967 Le Mans race for almost twelve hours before throwing a rod. To make the cars eligible for SCCA A-Production and FIA GT, RPO L88 was added to the option list and the cars were built on the St. Louis line.
Chevrolet built 20 in 1967, 80 in 1968 and 116 in 1969. One auction catalogue counts 20 convertibles among the 1968 cars. The option cost $947.94 in 1967 and $1,032.15 in 1969. The rating was kept at 430 hp, five below the 435 hp Tri-Power L71, so that customers would not order it by mistake.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Corvette L88 (C3).
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | V8, overhead valve3 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 7,000 cc / 7.0 LFactory: 427 cu in · converted3 Independently researched |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 12.5:14 Independently researched |
| Valvetrain | Aluminium heads, solid-lifter camshaft, 2.19 in intake and 1.84 in exhaust valves4 Independently researched |
| Fuel system | Single Holley four-barrel carburetor, 850 cfm4 Independently researchedS4 writes 850-cm; S1 gives 850-cfm. |
| Power | 321 kW / 436 PSFactory: 430 hp · converted5Rating: manufacturerConflict: sources estimate real output at 500-560 hp (S3 550, S4 500-550, S2 text 560 and header 540 hp, S1 about 550). The 430 hp figure was a deliberately low rating. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | M22 four-speed manual (close-ratio)4 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | 43 Independently researched |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | F41 special-purpose suspension4 Independently researched |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | J56 heavy-duty power-assisted four-wheel disc brakes3 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,490 mmFactory: 98 in · converted3 Independently researched |
| Length | Not yet verified |
| Width | Not yet verified |
| Height | Not yet verified |
| Front track | Not yet verified |
| Rear track | Not yet verified |
| Kerb weight | Not yet verified |
| Dry weight | Not yet verified |
Performance
| Maximum speed | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| 0–100 km/h | Not yet verified |
| 0–60 mph | 4.2 s3 Independently researchedContemporary road test quoted by the auction house for the L88. |
| Fuel tank | Not yet verified |
“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.
04Colours & options
Factory colours & interiors
Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Factory options & codes
Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
05Individual cars
Chassis register
Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Competition history
Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
Auction & sale history
Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.
Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.
See one in person
Museums where an example of this car can be seen.
No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
06Reference
Identification guide
How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.
Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.
Sources
Each number links to the exact facts it supports.
-
1
C3 Corvette generation research hub Level B CorvSport
- Only 216 L88 Corvettes were built, 20 in 1967, 80 in 1968 and 116 in 1969
-
2
Corvette Action Center – 1967–1969 L88 Corvette Options and Production Numbers Level C
- 116 L88 Corvettes built in 1969 (80 in 1968, 20 in 1967; total 216)
-
3
1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe, Arizona 2013 Level C RM Sotheby's
- 427 cu. in. OHV L88 V-8 engine
- four-speed manual transmission
- J50/J56 heavy-duty power four-wheel disc brakes
- Wheelbase: 98 in.
- 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds
-
4
1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray L88 Convertible, Santa Monica 2016 Level C RM Sotheby's
- Compression was 12.5:1
- 2.19-inch intake and 1.84-inch exhaust valves
- 850-cm Holley
- M22 Rock Crusher close-ratio heavy-duty transmission
- F41 special front and rear suspension
-
5
1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Convertible, Arizona 2025 Level C RM Sotheby's
- Sold with a power rating of only 430 horsepower
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