One of the most historically significant competition Corvettes ever built is set to cross the block at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction next month, where the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette L88 RED/NART Le Mans racer is expected to fetch between $900,000 and $1.1 million.
Constructed by Toye English’s Race Engineering & Development (RED) team, the car was purpose-built as the successor to the famed “Rebel Corvette” after the original machine proved ineligible for FIA GT regulations. Starting with a wrecked 1968 Corvette, the team created an endurance racer around Chevrolet’s legendary L88 427-cubic-inch V8, reinforcing the chassis and fitting race-spec suspension, brakes, and drivetrain components. Although the L88 was renowned for its immense power, the engine was carefully detuned to prioritize reliability over outright performance for endurance racing.
The project gained an unexpected lifeline through Luigi Chinetti, founder of the North American Racing Team (NART), who secured the RED squad an invitation to the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans on the condition that the Corvette competed in NART colors alongside Ferrari’s factory-supported entries.
Driven by Dave Heinz and Robert “Marietta Bob” Johnson, the No. 4 Corvette overcame extraordinary adversity before and during the race. Following a high-speed practice crash, the team rebuilt the damaged nose using aluminum sheet metal, wooden braces from a shipping crate, and duct tape—an improvised repair that passed FIA inspection. Despite additional setbacks, including fuel system issues and heavy rain, the Corvette climbed through the field to finish 15th overall while capturing victory in the Group 4 GT Special over 5.0-liter class, becoming just t the fourth Corvette ever to finish Le Man.
The Corvette continued its success back in the United States, recording an outstanding third-place overall finish at the 1973 Rolex 24 at Daytona, then the highest overall placing ever achieved by a Corvette in international endurance racing and a benchmark that stood until 2001. It also competed at Sebring and throughout IMSA competition before retiring from frontline racing.
Expertly restored by Corvette specialist Kevin Mackay to its exact 1972 Le Mans specification, the car retains exceptional historical authenticity, supported by extensive documentation, original correspondence, and testimony from RED team members. Its distinguished post-racing career includes induction into the Bloomington Gold Corvette Hall of Fame, multiple appearances at The Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance, the Grand Sport Trophy presented by General Motors President Mark Reuss in 2018, participation in the Rolex Monterey Motorsport Reunion’s 70th Corvette anniversary celebration, and display at the National Corvette Museum since March 2025.
Representing one of the defining chapters in Corvette endurance racing history, this remarkable RED/NART machine stands as a testament to American ingenuity, privateer determination, and one of the marque’s greatest achievements on the world’s most demanding racing stage.
Source: RM Sotheby’s
