Makes › Chevrolet › Corvette › C3 › Corvette ZL1 · Rare specification · 1969 Ultra Rare
Chevrolet
Corvette ZL1
RPO ZL1 all-aluminium 427 big-block option on the C3 Corvette
Still being researched: full specifications. Everything shown is checked against the cited sources. Know more? Send us a source.
Contents
01Overview
At a glance
- Built
- 2 Built
- Years
- 1969
- Engine
- All-aluminium V8 (427 big-block) · 7,000 cc / 7.0 LFactory: 427 cu in · converted
- Power
- 418 kW / 568 PSFactory: 560 hp · converted
- Top speed
- Not yet verified
- Body
- Not yet verified
- Designer
- Larry Shinoda and Bill Mitchell (Mako Shark II-based C3 body); production body under David Holls
- In this archive
- Not yet verified
- Surviving
- 2 (independently researched)
Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.
Why it matters
The ZL1 was a 1969-only Corvette option that installed an all-aluminium 427 V8 derived from the L88 racing engine. It is described as the rarest and most expensive engine option in GM history, and only two Corvettes are recorded as built with it.
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 productionTwo factory 1969 ZL-1 Corvettes (a Can-Am White convertible and a Monaco Orange coupe per the hub; the RM lot describes the convertible as the first) | 22,3 | Surviving examples | Independently researched |
| Factory package productionCorvettes built with RPO ZL1 per Chevrolet production records (additional pilot/development cars existed) | 21 | Factory production | Independently researched |
Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.
History
Chevrolet developed the all-aluminium ZL1 427 for racing, and Zora Arkus-Duntov's backing helped it reach the Corvette option list. In 1969 the ZL1 cost $3,010 on top of the L88 package, adding more than $4,700 to a car's price once the required options were included. Only two Corvettes were sold with the option, while 69 Camaros received the engine through COPO orders. Chevrolet engineer Gib Hufstader credited Tom Langdon with building the engine.
Variants
How each version differs from the standard Corvette ZL1.
No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.
03Specifications
Technical specifications
Engine
| Engine family | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Engine code | Not yet verified |
| Layout | All-aluminium V8 (427 big-block)4 Independently researched |
| Cylinders | 83 Independently researched |
| Displacement | 7,000 cc / 7.0 LFactory: 427 cu in · converted4 |
| Bore | Not yet verified |
| Stroke | Not yet verified |
| Compression ratio | 12.5:14 |
| Fuel system | Not yet verified |
| Power | 418 kW / 568 PSFactory: 560 hp · converted3 Independently researchedAuction house statement ("560-horsepower derivative of the all-aluminum CanAm racing engine"); rating standard not stated. The Greenwood race car (S3) with a Traco ZL-1 is estimated at over 750 hp, a race-tuned figure. |
| Power at | Not yet verified |
| Torque | Not yet verified |
Transmission & drivetrain
| Gearbox | M40 automatic (fitted to convertible 194679S710209)3 Independently researched |
|---|---|
| Gears | Not yet verified |
| Driven wheels | Not yet verified |
Chassis, body & dimensions
| Chassis | Not yet verified |
|---|---|
| Front suspension | Not yet verified |
| Rear suspension | Not yet verified |
| Brakes | Power-assisted heavy-duty brakes standard with the ZL-1 package3 Independently researched |
| Steering | Not yet verified |
| Body construction | Not yet verified |
| Wheelbase | 2,490 mmFactory: 98 in · converted2 Independently researchedC3 generation base figure. |
| 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 |
| 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
The 1969 ZL-1 Corvettes (Greg Wapling) Level C
- 2 Corvettes built with RPO ZL1 per Chevrolet production records (additional pilot/development cars existed)
-
2
C3 Corvette generation hub (variants, options, production notes) Level B CorvSport
- Only two 1969 ZL-1 Corvettes exist
- 1963 Sting Ray's ladder frame and 98-in wheelbase
-
3
1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZL-1 Convertible (lot 144, Arizona 2023) Level C RM Sotheby's
- GM documents on file verify that only two so-equipped cars were produced
- all-aluminum 427-cu. in. V-8
- 560-horsepower derivative of the all-aluminum CanAm racing engine
- ZL-1/M40 powertrain configuration was approved for production
- power-assisted, heavy-duty brakes came standard
-
4
Corvette Special: ZL-1 Level C Greg Wapling (quoting Corvette Fever)
- all-aluminum 427 V8, patterned after the cast-iron 427 L88
- all-aluminum 427
- yielding a compression ratio of 12.5:1
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