1974 Corvette Stingray Coupe L48 man 4spd

This stunning and eye-catching example hails from the 37,502 Corvettes that were built in 1974. Of that 37,502 just 3,494 were supplied with option M21, the four speed close ratio transmission, and this example is one of them. Other key options specified were air conditioning ($467), power brakes ($49), power steering ($117), tilt-telescopic steering column ($82), luggage rack ($78), stereo FM/AM radio ($276) and others. A sign of the times, of course, is that a stereo radio was over twice as expensive as power steering in 1974!

This remarkable C3 was bought new in 1974 from Jim Quinlan Chevrolet “just south of Clearwater” in Florida. The first and only American owner was the late Max Kaufman. Mr Kaufman ran Max Marine Boat Repair in Sarasota, Florida for over 30 years and was very much part of the town’s history and character. Mr Kaufman retained the Corvette right up until 2019 covering no more than 80,000 miles during his impressive 45-year tenure - just 1,800 miles a year on average. Mr Kaufman was known to like to use his motorhome and, inevitably, boat more regularly helping to explain this modest use.

In 2019 this one owner, sensible mileage C3 was acquired by a UK based specialist dealer who imported the car to Great Britain. On its arrival here in July 2019 it was registered with the DVLA and a full schedule of works was undertaken, more of which later. The Corvette was granted an advisory free MoT in August 2019 at 80,300 miles. The current owner had been diligently searching for the “right” C3 when he happened across this one, and became the Stingray’s first non-trade UK registered keeper on 15th August 2019. Since then, only around 1,200 miles have been covered. This is a matching number, manual car, with a strong provenance and a high degree of originality.

This example presents in vivid “Bright Yellow” livery and is in exceptionally good, unblemished condition. Whilst the supplying dealer’s snagging was mainly of the mechanical kind, a few exterior tweaks were made. Weather seals were replaced. A new lip spoiler was fitted as was a new, period correct rear luggage rack. The signature pop-up, quad headlamps were converted to an H4 specification.

The current owner replaced all five tyres upon his acquisition to the current set of Galaxy R1’s complete with their period-appropriate white side-wall lettering. These 70-profile beasts are fitted to an original set of 15-inch slotted steel wheels finished in silver. The familiar “roulette wheel” chromed centres and deep beauty rings are fitted to deliver a deep-dish alloy look. In the “flesh” it’s a stunning looking car that’s hard to take your eyes off.

The Saddle hued sporting, but well-appointed cabin is very much the equal of that captivating exterior, too. The condition, also, is just as hard to fault visually. On its arrival to the UK in 2019 the dealer replaced the seat foam and covers with original specification items. The carpets were replaced, together with the door cards, parking brake and shift console and upper dash pad. The result is authentic 1970’s period charm.

. As in virtually all C3 Corvettes, the clock has never worked during his tenure, so it guaranteed to be pinpoint accurate twice a day! The speedometer currently doesn’t function, but the odometer does. There is a useful engine revs to road speed conversion table applied to the speedo face, but the photographer removed it to capture the current mileage. A digital speedometer on a smart phone is also a good fall back.

Lastly the air-conditioning is out of action as it is believed the compressor may have seized. In the “pros” column there is a discrete electrical cutoff switch present……..in a currently undisclosed location for added peace of mind & security.

This is a cabin awash with detail and a fine place in which to spend time. From the “Astro Ventilation” window decals, to the impressive central bank of auxiliary gauges and the engine specification plaque behind the gear lever, there is much to admire and enjoy here.

This Corvette is fitted with 1974’s torquey “entry-level” engine which is the 5,737cc (350 cu in) L48 small block Chevy V8. By 1974 US car manufactures had switched from quoting gross outputs to net figures and this one was originally quoted at 195bhp. This was the optimum year, for this engine as in 1975 catalytic convertors were unceremoniously “plonked” on stifling this figure down to about 165 bhp. This is mated to a four-speed close ratio manual gear box and the optional 3.36 axle ratio is fitted, a good compromise for acceleration and easy cruising. A high capacity cooling fan has been fitted and attests to the temperature always remaining at the lower end of the acceptable range. The L48 engine fires up immediately, ticks over, revs sweetly and is free from any unwanted smoke. The importing dealer’s recommissioning included the fitting of a new Hei distributor and a full rebuild of the carburettor. The power steering was thoroughly refurbished, too.

The engine bay of this example looks highly original even down to the factory chalked date of production inscription on the bonnet’s underside. The underside appears very impressive indeed for a 51 year old car. No surprise, then, that a good deal of recommissioning work was expended under here in 2019. The front and rear suspension systems were disassembled with many components replaced including shock absorbers, bushes, track rod ends and the like. New road springs were fitted and parts not for replacement were cleaned and dressed. The brake callipers were rebuilt and a new, full exhaust system fitted. A new fuel tank was fitted at the same time.

There is an instructive paperwork archive. Of course the V5 Registration Document is on hand detailing the current owner as only the second UK keeper to date. [ including the importing dealer] The earlier 2019, advisory free MoT is on hand in hard copy form, too.

The really interesting parts of the archive are the original paperwork dating from the car’s purchase by Max Kaufman in 1974. These include the original bill of sale, factory build sheet, warranty booklet, registration documents and insurance paperwork. There is even an original sales brochure which features a model in the identical colourway of Bright Yellow over Saddle. The invoices from the car’s Floridian life show that Max Kaufman was still maintaining and caring for the car right up until 2018. The invoices from Stuart’s tenure are moderate in number but of high values detailing the purchase of the five Galaxy tyres in 2020, some maintenance in 2022 and a window winder in 2023. A Haynes manual is also helpfully included.

Less than 10% of 1974’s C3s were manual, which will explain why it took the current owner some while to find this car. The single American owner and sensible original mileage speak to how well loved and treasured this car was for the first 45 years of its life. Then there’s the condition. It is very hard to highlight this car’s flaws due to their innate scarcity. Lastly, it’s a highly original Corvette. It has clearly benefited from replacement parts in its recent past, but these have all adhered faithfully to the original specification. What a car!