Over the decades, Corvette Mike has sold vehicles to folks in just about every walk of life. From farmers to corporate businesspeople. And being in Southern California, it isn’t unusual for actors, musicians and the like to walk through our doors to purchase the Corvette or muscle car of their dreams. But even with “celebrities” of every industry coming in from time to time, there are occasions when even we are surprised by who contacts us. And recently was just one of those occasions, the Plant Manager, Corvette Assembly Plant at General Motors, Kai Spande. So, who does the Corvette Plant Manager call when he gets the urge to buy a mid-year Corvette? Well, Corvette Mike of course! Kai expressed an interest in a beautiful Milano Maroon L72 big block Coupe that we had for sale. Mike shared the details of the car (frame-off restored, factory side exhaust system, factory K-H knock off wheels with Gold line tires and a Bloomington Gold Award winner!) with Kai and it was decided that a trip from Bowling Green to Anaheim was in order. So, the following week, Kai arrived with his wife Kaci and sister Kris (who’s a local O.C. resident) at our shop to meet Mike and check it out. After an inspection, Kai and Mike took the ’66 for a spin [...]

During the major magazine reviews, the only major complaint reviewers had was that the new eight-speed Tremec Dual-Clutch automatic was a bit clumsy and not as responsive as it could be. In road and track’s Performance Car of the Year testing, they wrote that “the gearbox was the weakest component in the pre-production C8 Stingray we had on hand” and “part of why the Corvette didn't win.” Most of the complaints were not in automatic mode, but rather in the paddle shift mode, where too often testers found themselves running into the rev limiter, or having downshifts denied after a paddle pull. The good news for us consumers is that, the C8 they had to test was not a finished product. There's been development work since reviewers got the car, and that work will continue for the foreseeable future to get it just right. According to Glen Hoeflinn, controls program manager for the DCT, the humpy-bumpy shifts reviewers got here and there all got refined out. "It's in final refinement, and then it's in final checks and looking what we're doing and making sure that it's behaving exactly we want." Refining and programming is not as simple as it may sound, as the new C8 is not a track only car with just one mode. The transmissi [...]

Although all Corvettes are dear to me, L88's hold a special place in my heart and mind. Consider the tale of a 1968 black L88. Key to my business--and keeping my passion for Corvettes alive--has been staying current with my client base, which continues to be my most valuable resource. Knowing precisely where each L88 is at any given time makes possible deals that otherwise would not have transacted. I recall a few years back getting a phone call from a friend looking for a particular black L88. Because I had sold the car years previously, all it took in this instance was a simple phone call to touch base with the owner. Would he consider cutting it loose? No pressure, just plant the idea in his head. He entertained the thought for a while and soon enough invited me to visit him. I always have a bag packed for such occasions so I quickly jumped on a plane. In a rental, after a brief drive I was standing in his driveway. Warmly greeted, we talked about many things before I was led into his garage, a shrine to four-wheeled Americana, full of rare and desirable Corvettes and muscle cars. But I was on a mission to buy back my old convertible L88. After careful inspection--since I hadn’t seen it in many years--and browsing through a [...]

Colby Webb’s dad Larry was diagnosed in May with bile duct cancer and is being cared for by hospice in the Phoenix Valley. “Watching your dad fade away sucks,” Colby Webb said.

“My dad will tell you: The Corvette, that’s the heart of America,” the Colby said. “It’s American muscle, Americans want a Corvette.”

Larry passed along his love for the Vette to his son and constantly brought up the car’s new C8 design, asking “When is this C [...]

Pace car replicas are always a challenge in the collector car world because sometimes they can be hard to authenticate, but what you’re looking at here is a legit, real-deal 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Pace Car. Reported production numbers are mixed, but it’s believed that a total of 103 of these Camaros were created including the three actual pace cars used during the race. This particular being sold by Corvette Mike is an extremely rare example due to its unique build combinations, recent rotisserie restoration, and one very special modification, and it can be yours for $99,000.

 

Right from the start, this Camaro is a rare piece being just one of four pace cars built with the 325-horsepower, 396 CID V8, and this is still the car’s original, numbers-matching engine with its tried-and-true four-speed manual gearbox. But that’s not all that makes