Vehicle Description
1965 Corvette 396/425HP Coupe, finished in Rally Red with a Red and
White Leather Interior, was built on May 21, 1965, according to its
NCRS Shipping Data Report. The Corvette was sold new at Guaranty
Chevrolet, a Chevrolet dealer located in San Diego, California,
known for its high-performance Corvettes and Muscle Cars division.
The first owner was a serviceman stationed in San Diego,
California. This Corvette was ordered with performance in mind.
Factory-ordered options include:
Code 900UU Rally Red Exterior
444 White and Red Leather Trim
L78 396/425HP Engine
M20 4-Speed Manual Transmission
G81 Posi-traction Rear Axle with 4:56 Gear Ratio
N11 Off-Road Service Exhaust System
K66 Transistorized Ignition
P91 Black Sidewall Tires
After the first owner completed his service in California, he
returned home to Pennsylvania with the Corvette, where he would
soon trade it in at the world-famous Don Yenko Chevrolet, located
in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania. The Corvette was sold and changed
hands once more before spending a long period in hibernation in the
back of the owner's machine shop.
An NCRS judge, Bill C., caught wind of the old Corvette in 2002 and
was able to convince the owner to sell it to him. However, once the
deal was made and Bill returned to pick up the Corvette, the owner
began to have seller's remorse and almost reneged on the deal. Bill
was ultimately able to secure the car in his trailer and take it
home.
The Corvette soon changed hands again shortly after Bill took
possession of it. This time, it was off to Boonville, NY, to Al
Greening's garage. Al, an NCRS and Bloomington Gold Judge, is known
for his extensive Corvette Engine, VIN Tag, and Trim Tag Library,
as well as his business, CCAS (Classic Car Affirmation Service),
where he provides Corvette owners with authentication services for
engine pads, trim tags, and VIN plate authenticity. He carefully
examined the Corvette and confirmed that it was, in fact, the "REAL
DEAL."
After Al's short ownership, the car was purchased by Bruce in
Indiana, who prepared the Corvette for Top Flight Judging in 2006.
That year, he received an NCRS Top Flight Award. Bruce kept the
Corvette as part of his collection of special mid-year Corvettes
for another 16 years before deciding to let it go.
At this point, the current owner, Joe Verrillo, purchased the
Corvette after hearing about the 396 through another Corvette
enthusiast. Upon receiving it, Joe realized that he had something
very special-retaining all of its original components, including
the engine, transmission, and rear axle, in a rare 1-of-1 (possibly
1-of-2) color combination, in unrestored condition, with complete
owner history and a remarkable story.
Joe decided to take this Corvette to national judging events
because it simply had to be seen. In 2019, Joe and the team at
Verrillo Motor Car Co. prepared the Corvette for NCRS Top Flight
Judging, where he achieved an NCRS Top Flight Award. Encouraged by
some top NCRS judges and 396 specialists at the judging event, Joe
decided to take the car to the Bloomington Gold event in January
2021. There, it earned Bloomington Gold OEM, Bloomington Gold
Benchmark, and Bloomington Gold Survivor-three prestigious
awards.
Joe has now decided it is time to pass this special Corvette on to
its next caretaker. Many Corvettes are on the market, but the
opportunity to own a car with not only the current awards this one
possesses but also its incredible ownership history and pedigree is
rare. Some collector cars have a history and story that money
simply can't buy, setting them apart from the rest.
Included in the sale are the original Owner's Protection Plan
booklet and Protect-O-Plate, original keys, all owner's manuals,
and a binder containing awards and owner history research.
