Looking back on the 1950s and 1960s, it seems that ‘Win on Sunday, Sell On Monday’ was as much a liability as a call to action. It seems that every time factions within General Motors built a bit of momentum with factory-backed racing efforts, a new wave of management would come along and cite some crazy circumstance as a reason to ban those efforts. This proved especially frustrating for Zora Arkus-Duntov and his beloved Corvette. Duntov had recently endured the unceremonious cancellation of his Grand Sport racing program because the American government feared GM’s power and influence. So, what did he do? Like always, he innovated a solution.

Enter the L88 Corvette. Available from 1967 to 1969, the L88, much like its famous ZL-1 Camaro cousin, was a simple workaround for asinine corporate policy. In short, buyers could walk into the Chevrolet dealership and, through a Corporate Office Production Order (COPO), purchase a Corvette with an iron 427 and aluminum Winters heads. On paper, the L88 V8 was rated five horsepower below the more prevalent, and all-iron, L71 V8. However, pretty much anyone who raced knew the car could, with headers and a bit of tuning, easily hit the race track with over 500 horsepower. 

This exclusive 1968 Chevrolet Corvette, presently offered on Bring a Trailer, is one of three L88-equipped drop-tops ordered new through a Central Office Production Order (COPO) at Fred Gledhill Chevrolet of Wilmington, California. Who submitted that COPO order, you ask? None other than the American International Racing Team.

American International Racing was an outfit formed in the late 1960s by actor James Garner, racer Bob Bondurant, and racer Dick Guldstrand. While the team was formed to compete in a variety of sports car racing, its best-known effort was built around two of the three L88 Corvettes. When this Corvette and its sister cars rolled off the truck, they were delivered to Guldstrand and two of his employees, who promptly drove them to Guldstrand’s shop in sunny Culver City, California. Once there, two of the cars were prepped for the 24 Hours of Daytona – a process that included full engine rebuilds by Jim Travers and Frank Coon, proprietors of today’s TRA-CO Racing Engines. In case you’re wondering, the third L88 Corvette wound up being an AIR promo car.  

For this Corvette, the metamorphosis from street car to track car kicked off a long and storied history of competition. Making its debut at the 1968 24 Hours of Daytona, the Chevy started on the front row alongside the second AIR Corvette, but would ultimately finish 29th after suffering differential trouble in the hands of drivers Dick Guldstrand and Ed Leslie. While Guldstrand’s shop was in the process of preparing this Vette for the 12 Hours of Sebring, the car was sold to a former fighter pilot who campaigned it at Riverside Raceway. After that, the car was campaigned in SCCA competition by the family that owned the Zollner Corporation. Finally, after more new ownership, a fresh 454 V8, and some time in IMSA, the car was officially retired from competition.

Sometime in the mid-1970s, one of the car’s former stewards thankfully realized its historical significance and began restoring the car to its original LeMans Blue AIR livery. That restoration, completed in the late 1990s, kicked off a roster of historic racing appearances that included a trip to Laguna Seca with Dick Guldstrand behind the wheel. 

While the original, 427 cubic inch TRA-CO block is included with this Corvette’s sale, the car is now powered by a 454 cubic inch Chevrolet LS7 big-block that, naturally, features aluminum cylinder heads. That engine twists torque through a Muncie M22 4-speed manual transmission and a 3.90 posi-traction rearend. Other mechanical highlights include Koni shocks, a 5-link leaf spring, manual disc brakes, staggered alloy wheels, and glorious side-pipe exhaust.

More than just a beautifully brash race car, this 1968 L88 Corvette is a rolling chapter of American motorsports history. Born from a rebellion against GM’s corporate red tape and fueled by the determination of legends like Zora Arkus-Duntov, James Garner, and Dick Guldstrand, this COPO-ordered gem represents the spirit of innovation, endurance, and performance. Whether it’s parked at a show or roaring down a vintage track, it’s a rare reminder of an era when racers bent the rules to keep their dreams alive. The question is: Who will write the next chapter in its story?