Only 390 examples of the 1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray rolled off the St. Louis, Missouri factory floor with the L89 engine option. The “big block” 427 cubic-inch L89 V-8 was rated at 435 horsepower and featured a four-bolt main block topped with a pair of high-flow, lightweight aluminum heads. Resting between the heads was an aluminum tri-power intake manifold with three Holley 2300 carburetors. While the L89 was rated at the same horsepower as the iron-head L71, the L89 was known to produce slightly more power, thanks to its larger exhaust valves (1.84 inches compared to 1.72 inches). It also weighed about 75 pounds less, thus enabling better driving dynamics.

This particular L89 convertible left the factory on April 10, 1969 and was delivered to Comanche Chevrolet of Santa Rosa, California, according to a National Corvette Restorers Society shipping data report included with the sale. The first owner, reportedly a U.S. Air Force pilot, is said to have moved to Wichita Falls, Texas shortly after purchasing the car in California and traded it in late 1970/early 1971 at a Wichita Falls Buick dealership, where the second owner acquired it. Records indicate that the car likely changed hands again in 1985 and remained in Texas until 1987, when the current owner took possession and had it shipped to Cleveland, Ohio. The car remained in storage for several years before undergoing what is said to be a body-off restoration culminating in 2018 with finishing touches performed by Bob Dombrowski of Koolcars in Columbia Station, Ohio.

The odometer shows 48,270 miles , which matches mileage recorded on a notarized odometer statement from the Texas Department of Highway and Public Transportation, dated September 1990 and included with the sale. A second mileage statement from the Texas Auto Dealers Association, dated November 1987, records the same odometer reading (48,270 miles). The car is said to have never been driven under current ownership, except to load or unload onto a trailer.

The car is finished in Cortez Silver over black vinyl with a black soft-top. A factory color-matched hardtop is included. An accompanying reproduction window sticker lists $1,650 in options, including the L89 engine with aluminum heads and full-transistor ignition system, as well as a four-speed close-ratio manual transmission, special-purpose suspension, Positraction 3.70:1 axle ratio, soft-ray tinted glass, auxiliary hardtop, audio alarm system, and AM/FM push-button radio.

In June 2018, following its restoration, this L89 Stingray convertible achieved the National Corvette Certification Board’s Bloomington Gold certification. To achieve this, a car must be “restored to or preserved within 95–100% of the appearance of a typical factory production Corvette of this era,” according to the certificate included with the sale. The car also won the National Corvette Restorers Society Top Flight Award in April 2018.

In addition to the awards and manuals with Protect-O-Plate, the file includes photos of the tank sticker, which is said to be still intact on the vehicle . Pieces of a build sheet that fell victim to mice have been reassembled and are also included, along with various receipts and invoices for work completed during the extended period of refurbishment.