Vehicle Description
1968 Corvette T-Top Pilot Line Car (#15), "the First T-Top" 327-300
hp, automatic, numbers match, (appears to be "The Real Deal"),
58,480 actual miles. Body-off restored with newer paint, interior,
exhaust, brakes, and tires. This preproduction/Pilot "escapee" car
was built in 1967 with many early (April/May 1967) major components
as the launch of the coupe was delayed until February 1968 (around
VIN #10,000) GM production date of December 29th, 1967 (possible
error) & delivered new to the Buffalo Zone Office in Buffalo, NY
(dealer code 0 in zone 12) per the official NCRS/GM shipping data
records (SDR). Full of handmade parts and probably spent the first
six months of its life at the Milford proving grounds doing
engineering body development duty (author: John Hinckley). We
believe our car was used by GM photographic/PR to produce the
following advertisements, A) the car that talks back B) 10 seconds
to lift-off C) the "convertible" coupe D) sports class winner of
the Motor Trend 1968 Achievement award. Optioned with factory side
exhaust, power steering & brakes, telescopic, shoulder harness,
posi, SS brakes, tinted windshield, rallys, and raised white
lettered radials. Most all factory correct type components
including the spare, seat belts, washer system, shifter, shielding,
and air cleaner. Documented with restoration photos from past owner
of 24 years. This super rare early preproduction pilot line car is
the fifteenth C-3 (1968 to 1982) ever built! This is the first
t-top ever built and is very important as the t-top launch in model
year 1968 proved so successful that it finally replaced the
convertible by 1976. 427,275 t-tops were produced from 1968 to
1982.
