The Corvette Sting Ray hit the American sports car market in 1963 like a bolt of lightning, reminiscent of the unveiling of the ‘ knock’em out of their socks’ debut of the Jaguar E-Type two years earlier; comparisons were not slow to materialize. For the first time in its history, the Corvette was a sellout success – so much so that the St. Louis factory had to hire a second shift, and it still couldn’t begin to supply cars rapidly enough for the demand being generated by the buying public. So began the acknowledged “golden age” of 1963-1967 Corvette design and popularity.

With only subtle refinements from the 1963 introduction of the C2 platform, the style and performance of the 1966 Corvette continued to gain in popularity and stature. A Corvette script was now found on the hood, while the roof vents on the coupe, previously both functional and non-functional, were deleted completely. A total of 27,720 Corvettes were built in the 1966 model year. Of this figure, 17,762 were the convertible version, and only 3,366 examples (in both body styles) came finished in Code 974 Rally Red, such as this eye-catching car.

The accompanying trim tag confirms this as the cars original color, which is beautifully complemented by its black convertible top and black leather interior. The car is reported as being a desirable one-owner example that has experienced one repaint in its correct color, a new soft-top, outstanding chromed elements, plus the engine bay is clean and well-kept.

This Corvette is driven by the always reliable and desirable 327-cid, 300-hp V-8 engine – in this case, backed by a four-speed manual transmission. This Corvette also features factory air conditioning (of 3,520), teakwood steering wheel (of 3,941), power windows, wheel covers with spinners, tastefully-sized whitewall tires, AM radio and four-wheel disc brakes. The car is accompanied by the original sales documents, owner’s manual, radio instruction guide and Protect-O-Plate.