1965 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Coupe

This very special Corvette was built March 9, 1965 by the AO Smith Company in Livonia, MI and shipped by rail to the Corvette plant in St. Louis, MO where the body was mated to the chassis. On March 17, 1965 it was delivered to Mahlon Maxton Chevrolet in Worthington, OH. According to the original Protecto Plate for the car, it was delivered to its first owner on June 10, 1965 (all five owners are known and alive). The car was stored for decades in a barn with a cement floor and, until I bought it, had spent its entire life within less than 100 miles of the selling dealership. The drivetrain and other parts appear to be those it had when it left the factory and match the numbers in the Warranty Booklet with the Protecto Plate. The odometer shows 53,255 miles and there are less than 500 miles on it since the updating. The car is amazingly clean underneath and still has its “Production Number” written in grease pencil on the passenger’s side firewall. It has not been off the frame and thus still has its factory "feel". A prior owner had the car professionally stripped to bare fiberglass (photos of the stripped body appear to show it to be undamaged) and repainted in May of 2021 and the paint is as close to a perfect "10" as is possible - it is beautiful. Since purchasing the car, I have had the engine and transmission rebuilt and all the hoses and fluids have been changed. The AO Smith bodies are reputed to be of better quality than those built at the St. Louis Plant. The car is an absolute pleasure to drive, and I am confident it could be driven cross-country and back.

The car has the following options: Coupe (8187 built); 407-A Red Vinyl Trim (has red leather trim); C-C = Ermine White paint ( 2,216 built); A01 = Soft Ray Tinted Glass (8,752 built); G81 = Posi-traction Rear Axle (7,066 built  - AM = 3.36:1 Ratio); J50 = Power Brakes (4.044 built); L75 = 300 HP 327 Cubic Inch Engine (8,358 built); M35 = Powerglide with 300HP Engine (1,358) built); N14 = Side Mounted Exhaust (759 built – added); N32 = Teakwood Steering Wheel (2,259 built); N40 = Power Steering (3,236 built); P48 = Aluminum Knock-Off Wheels (1,116 built – added direct bolt-on wheels with knock-off cone and spinner - all 5 wheels); T01 = 7.75 – 15’ Nylon Goldwall Tires   (989 built – has 5 P205/75R15” Radial BF Goodrich Silvertown tires); U69 = AM-FM Radio (22,113 built); and Z01 = Comfort and Convenience Equip (15,397 built). 

It comes with a complete Owner’s Packet including an Owner’s Manual with the card intact, correct coded keys, radio instructions, plastic envelope, etc. It also comes with the 1963 Shop Manual and the 1964 and 1965 Shop Manual Supplements; an advertising brochure; the 1965 Assembly Manual; the 1965 Dealer Showroom Album (very hard to find); the 7th Edition of the 1965 Corvette Technical Information Manual and Judging Guide; and the NCRS Shipping Report. The jack and knock-off hammer are in the well behind the driver’s seat and the rear blower motor works. It has great paint and eye appeal, is virtually unknown to the Corvette Community and ready to be shown and judged. Everything works - including the clock!