Chevrolet turned the Corvette into a proper American sports car when the second generation debuted in 1963. Dubbed the “Sting Ray” thanks to its flashy, more angular appearance, the Corvette was available for the first time as both a convertible and as a coupe. Only a handful of subtle changes were made during the second generation’s five-year run, most notably the big-block engine and upsized brake options added in 1965.

Enthusiasts consider the second generation’s last year, 1967, to be especially emblematic of Detroit’s performance halcyon days. Of the 22,940 1967 Corvettes built that year, over half were convertibles but only a handful were fitted with the most powerful engine on offer, the L71-code 427 cubic-inch V-8.

The Sunfire Yellow convertible offered here was among those. It’s one of just 3,754 built with the triple Holley carburetor-fed L71-code Turbo-Jet V-8 rated at a hefty 435 horsepower. For mere mortals, the Tri-Power V-8 was the top of the lineup; the L88-code V-8 was rated at 100 horsepower more but was intended for competition use.

This well-optioned car rolled off of General Motors’ St. Louis, Missouri, assembly line on April 4, 1967 with a four-speed Muncie gearbox, Posi-traction rear end, AM/FM radio, redline tires, and transistorized ignition. It was delivered new to Benson Chevrolet in Roswell, Georgia.

Today, it retains all of those original features plus desirable side exhaust and has been treated to an extensive, award-winning restoration. This well-documented car will be presented to its next owner with a binder containing its Protect-O-Plate, its original build sheet, and a copy of the original MSO that confirm its numbers-matching components.

That high degree of authenticity, combined with an extensive frame-off restoration, helped this Corvette earn the Tom Thompson Timeless Design award at the 2017 Cobble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Ontario, Canada. This spectacular, well-documented example is ready to be both enjoyed and shown.