1971 Chevrolet Corvette Coupe

Bloomington Gold Certified®, Gold Survivor® and Benchmark® Certified
Original judging sheets included for both Bloomington Gold and NCRS
Complete ownership history included and well-documented
Highly original condition with numbers-matching 350/270-HP V-8 engine and Turbo 400 automatic transmission
Includes Protect-O-Plate, window sticker, tank sticker, build sheet and more
Original paint code 979 Bridgehampton Blue with matching vinyl interior
Recipient of NCRS Top Flight, Zora Arkus-Duntov Mark of Excellence and 5-Star Bowtie awards
Includes shipper's report from St. Louis Assembly Plant to Scheer Motors in Grayling, Michigan

VIN: 194371S115186

Corvette is truly the American sports car. When these cars were new, they were not sold to be collector items, they were sold with the intention that they would be used for exciting road-hugging adventures, even if it were for the day-to-day drive to work or the country club. And customers responded, sometimes using them hard, very hard. Most owners of new Corvettes could describe their purchase as being the start of a love affair and create memorable motoring memories. But then there were a few, so very few, where the owners treasured their magnificent rolling treasures so much that they were barely used.

One such owner was Ernest A. Spring Jr., who just a few days before his 49th birthday, on July 14, 1971, took delivery of this beautiful 1971 Corvette coupe. Though he had purchased this new Corvette from Scheer Motors in Grayling, Michigan, he took delivery from Alcona Motors in nearby Lincoln. Everything had been checked out, under the hood, the body and chassis and the undersides of the car. It had been given a brief road test during which a dozen features were tested. It had been washed and detailed and was ready to hit the road with just three miles showing on the odometer. Ernest loved the car and unlike those who chose to drive the wheels off of their cars, he used it very sparingly. After his passing, the car was sold in 2003 to an avid Corvette enthusiast, Tony Woodward. At that time, the odometer showed just 4,326 miles. Woodward recognized the importance of this well-preserved coupe and relished the chance to show it off. Shortly after acquiring this rolling time capsule, he campaigned it at numerous NCRS judging events where it would go on to win every major award possible from Top Flight to the Zora Arkus-Duntov Mark of Excellence. Around 2008, the car would change hands and was acquired by another collector wanting the ultimate in preservation, Peter Hendricks from Georgia. He would continue to show this stunning example of Chevrolet's masterpiece at numerous Bloomington Gold judging events where it again scored top honors being certified as a true "Survivor." Later it was acquired by Brady Como and he displayed this coupe at the NCRS Deep South Regional meet in 2013. It was later acquired by our consignor who has gone to great lengths to preserve this car's originality and authenticity.

Today, the odometer reads just over 7,360 miles and is in outstanding original condition. It is riding on its original Firestone F70X15 whitewall tires and is very well-documented from the day it left the St. Louis assembly plant to be delivered at Scheer Motors. Two notebooks are presented in a neatly arranged format with all the original documentation from the owner's manual, warranty cards, Protect-O-Plate and more. The original window sticker shows this Corvette was fitted with the 350-cid, 270-HP V-8 engine backed by the Turbo Hydra-Matic transmission. It is fitted with important options such as tilt-telescopic steering wheel, power brakes, power steering, AM-FM radio, and as the window sticker described them, "F70X15 White Strip Tires." Our inspection found this car to be exceptional with the Bridgehampton Blue metallic paint retaining all of its original luster and depth, wonderfully preserved chrome trim, and under the hood is just as you would expect it to be. The matching blue vinyl seats are soft and supple.

For those who are looking to restore a similar Corvette back to its original condition, this is the car that will set the standard. We believe that this wonderful Corvette is ready for the judging circuit, and today, as a 54-year-old survivor, it deserves to be loved, preserved, exhibited, so that others can see what it was like to own a new Corvette 54 years ago. This outstanding example represents a unique opportunity to enter into ownership of one of the rarest and most important, award winning, original Survivor C3 Corvettes known to exist.