1965 Chevrolet Corvette

Description

When going classic Corvette shopping, the first thing you look for is originality. So you'll be happy to read that this 1965 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray coupe that caught your eye with its beautiful paint is also a numbers-matching, four-speed car that keeps its factory specs inside and out.

Milano Maroon is the perfect color for the right sort of vintage 'Vette buyer. It keeps the same attention grabbing attitude of the red cars that the Corvette community loves, but the darker finish gives it a level of sophistication that makes this Sting Ray easy to park next to European classics, too. Of course, both crowds will love that this is the factory-color presented on a stunningly pristine fiberglass body. 1965 was the first year of the completely smooth hood. It left the Corvette free from a lot of ornamentation, and the result is an elegantly restrained use of chrome for '60s standards. The sparing use of brightwork also means it's important that it looks especially nice in places like the two-piece font and rear bumpers.

It's hard to attract more attention in the interior of a maroon car than with a maroon interior. This festival of red looks great thanks to the carpets, door panels, and dashboard all looking exceptionally clean. But as the driver, you'll really enjoy the well-maintained bucket seats. Your left hand grabs the three-spoke wood rim sports steering wheel, and beyond that is the full gauge set with large speedometer and very useful tachometer. But your right hand gets the real treat. The four-speed manual transmission was the correct choice for your Corvette if you love to drive. Plus, there's just something cool about grabbing the big chrome leaver housed in the original chrome console. Above that are the original heat/defrost controls and newer digital AM/FM tuner so you you'll have no trouble finding your favorite 60s music.

Lift the hood, and you'll find a beautifully honest 327 cubic-inch V8. This is the numbers-matching unit of the Sting Ray's upgraded L75 motor with an advertised 300 hp rating. It looks just as fresh as the day it left the St. Louis factory 50 years ago with features like the correct Chevy orange on the block, callout stickers, and a pie dish air cleaner adding a touch of chrome. On the road this motor has the right amount of snarl through the dual exhaust pipes as you row through all four forward speeds. It's the kind of sound that's perfect for a little Saturday night intimidation, but it never gets old when spending all-day Sunday driving the backroads. This great driving attitude is backed up by the four-wheel disc brakes – 1965 was the first year they were standard, and a big reason why these are the superior driving C2s.

You're looking at a Corvette that's original in all the right places, has a great factory color combination, and averaged less than 1,700 miles a year during its lifetime. Yep, you heard that right: the 81,784 miles on this car are thought to be original but cannot be documented. It might be an investment-grade coupe, but we know you'll love driving it, too.