1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible (RHD)

The Corvette Stingray announced in 1968, has been tagged the C3 model in deference to its position as the third generation of America's only sports car. Drawing inspiration from the Mako Shark II show car, the C3 Stingray had pronounced 'Coke-bottle' lines that still manage to look beautiful and aggressive in equal measure. The styling was largely left untouched for the first few years of production and this was no bad thing, as the Stingray's original shape was always going to be hard to better. By 1971, the interior had come in for some revision, the bodywork was made by a new resin process and some minor changes to the mechanical specification (mainly a small reduction in the compression ratio to allow for lower octane fuels). The Corvette was sold in either of two body styles, namely a full convertible or the coupe, the latter actually featuring a targa-type roof arrangement with a pair of removable panels and removable rear window. The 1971 Corvette came with a 350-cid L-48 V8 developing 270 hp at 4800 rpm and a choice of either the Turbo-Hydra-Matic or four-speed manual gearbox. Included in the standard equipment list were vinyl upholstery, centre console and full instrumentation including tacho and an electric clock, disc brakes front and rear, a dual exhaust and tinted glass. Optional engines included the 330 hp LT1 or the various 427-cid big-blocks in various levels of tune, along with various heavy-duty manual transmissions to cope with the extra grunt. By 1971, the production of convertibles was down to 7,121 units and these early C3 'Vettes are becoming better appreciated as the years go by.