1968 Corvette C3 Le Mans Racer

7YEL

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A 1968 Corvette C3 Le Mans Racer

It may be a surprise to some people, but Corvettes were racing at Le Mans well before the 1998 Corvette C5.R made its legendary first appearance.
In those days, when privateer teams were much more in vogue, you could buy a Corvette ready-to-race with some specific body and engine order codes.
Of course, the most famous of those codes is what this 1968 Corvette C3 Le Mans car is carrying: L88



427 cubic inches of American iron. 435 HP “from the factory,” but almost all Le Mans-bound Corvettes were tuned to over 500 HP. 4 barrel Holley carb, slamming 103 octane racing fuel into 8 cylinders for the forged pistons to get very angry with it and make it explode.

1968 L88 Corvette C3 Le Mans
How they can hear each other over the engine and exhaust…
The result is a rumbling, barking, snarling beast of a car, with side port exhausts and barely any baffles. At idle, it sounds like it wants to bite your head off for standing too close.

1968 L88 Corvette C3 Le Mans
Chasing a natural enemy, an AC Cobra 427
However, when under wide-open throttle, it howls like a wild animal, unleashed to chase down its competition.
1968 L88 Corvette C3 Le Mans
Chasing a McLaren M1B Can-Am, being followed by a Lola T70 LM Prototype, and an ultra-rare Ferrari 250 LM in the background
Even more impressive, in this video from the Zandvoort track in the Netherlands, is that despite being around things such as a Lola T70, a McLaren M1B Can-Am racer, and even a Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Competizione, it howls louder than any of them. And McLaren’s of that age are not known for being quiet or reserved!
 

Roscobbc

Moderator
Whist I don't have side pipes on my '68 driving the car over the 20 miles or so to Basildon to have a custom stainless header- back exhaust system on open Hooker Super Comps was a very 'aural' experience.......
 

kentvette

CCCUK Member
Good stuff!

Corvette's early days at Le Mans are being remembered and referenced more now than say, 15 years ago. But I believe I am right in saying that one of the C3 Corvettes driven by the great Henri Greder still holds the record for the most appearances at the Le Mans 24 Hours by a single chassis. Greder drove a number of Corvettes at Le Mans through the 60s and 70s and one or two of them appeared in various liveries, making tracking them now a bit tricky, but they are still around!

We got to know Henri during his later years through friends in Corvette Club France and he's seen here at The Le Mans Classic back in 2008.

Later in the day he took the wheel of one of of his old cars and we were lucky enough to slot in behind him for a few track laps...
 

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Roscobbc

Moderator
Some of the 200mph+ top end speeds achieved by C3's on the Mulsanne Straight were phenomenal even by todays expectations and current 'Aero' designs. Made even more incredible considering the relatively crude engine technology of the day!
 

kentvette

CCCUK Member
Some of the 200mph+ top end speeds achieved by C3's on the Mulsanne Straight were phenomenal even by todays expectations and current 'Aero' designs. Made even more incredible considering the relatively crude engine technology of the day!

Some of us of "a certain age" still miss the 70's era racing! I recently watched film about JW Automotive's 1970, which included Rodrigue'z wet weather win at Brands, in a Porsche 917, which I was fortunate to witness first hand, torrential rain and all. Quite phenomenal! And the speeds achieved by 917s at Le Mans is frightening, even more so when you see how flimsy the cars were!
 

GCorvette

CCCUK Member
Fabulous, I think this is the Corvette my brother sent me video of from the Le Mans Classic a couple of years back and based on that, I was due to go with him this year. Hopefully work schedules will allow me to make it in 2021.

The 70's were indeed fabulous racing, insane machines from super saloons to sports cars, the noise and speed were phenomenal.
Willie Green in a Ferrari or McLaren, Leo Kinnunen's flying 917, Tony Hazlewood in his bonkers DAF, Rhoddy Harvey-Bailey in his C3, Stuart Graham's Brut Force Camaro and of course, the incomparable Gerry Marshall in anything he could fit in!

I wrote a piece about this, growing up around these cars and how I got into Corvette.
Maybe I should finish it and send it in one day. :unsure:
 

Oneball

CCCUK Member
Good stuff!

Corvette's early days at Le Mans are being remembered and referenced more now than say, 15 years ago. But I believe I am right in saying that one of the C3 Corvettes driven by the great Henri Greder still holds the record for the most appearances at the Le Mans 24 Hours by a single chassis. Greder drove a number of Corvettes at Le Mans through the 60s and 70s and one or two of them appeared in various liveries, making tracking them now a bit tricky, but they are still around!

We got to know Henri during his later years through friends in Corvette Club France and he's seen here at The Le Mans Classic back in 2008.

Later in the day he took the wheel of one of of his old cars and we were lucky enough to slot in behind him for a few track laps...

I think that car is in the Le Mans museum, there’s a car with a replica paint scheme racing too.
 
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