After all, even though its seller (identified by the phantomcaddy username on eBay) mentions “it’s a 20-footer with plenty of patina,” we can see this original-colored Marina Blue has magically survived the test of time. More than half a century after it left the assembly line, the original, matching numbers car still has rather low mileage (for its age) of 89,333 miles (143,768 km).
Unsurprisingly, the Marina Blue with matching blue interior and crimson L71 engine block has caught the eye of many Corvette aficionados. So much so that with another eleven hours left on the auction clock there are already 98 bids. And plenty of watchers ready to pull the trigger during the last minutes of the auction.
They better prepare the big checkbooks, though, because this “true survivor” has already reached the highest bid of no less than $137,600 but at the moment of writing, it still hasn’t met the reserve! Of course, the seller knows very well this is an almost invaluable piece of automotive memorabilia, judging by his thorough 14-point list of documentation.
Naturally, it could be said the papers, patina, or the originality aren’t the only points of attraction. There’s also the 427ci V8 engine with 435 horsepower, which are still very impressive figures by today’s standards. Just consider the fact that back in the day, aided only by the big block, the four-speed manual transmission, those rather skinny tires, and a lot of driver skill, this ‘Vette was capable of posting a 13.4s ET on the quarter-mile.