1968 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
Larry Shinoda’s 1965 Mako Shark II show car, developed under design chief Bill Mitchell, was the direct template for the C3. Henry Haga’s production studio softened the concept’s most extreme contours but kept the pronounced Coke-bottle waistline, broad fender haunches at each corner, and concealed vacuum-operated headlights.
Engines and chassis components were mostly carried over from the previous generation (the C2’s 98-inch wheelbase chassis continued underneath, with four-wheel independent suspension and disc brakes at all four corners).
Six engines were offered. The base 327 CI small-block produced 300 hp, or 350 hp with the L79 option.
Four 427 CI big-blocks covered the rest: the L36 (390 hp, single 4-barrel), the triple-carbureted L68 (400 hp), and the L71 (435 hp). Also available was the race-intended L88, developed under chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov and officially rated at 430 hp.
Actual L88 output was widely estimated at 540 to 580 hp, with Chevrolet deliberately understating the figure to keep the option in racing hands rather than on public roads.
Press coverage took particular aim at fit and finish, but the public responded differently. The model year set a new sales record at 28,566 units, with the convertible starting at $4,320. The C3 remained in production through 1982, a 15-year run no other Corvette generation has matched.
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