Though Sarasota, Florida is most renowned as a gorgeous coastal town with immaculate beaches and a vibrant arts scene, tucked among the palm palms and golf courses is a real automotive gem: a magnificent 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.
Considered as one of the most attractive and famous sports cars ever built, the second-generation Corvette, or “C2, Particularly beloved by aficionados is the 1966 model year for its elegant fastback form, robust V8 engines, and honed driving qualities.
John Sinclair, a local citizen, owns this specific Corvette Stingray and has had it for more than ten years. “I’ve always been a Corvette nut,” Sinclair replies grinningly. “But these mid-60s Stingrays have a particular unique quality. They’re a complete blast to drive, and the look is ageless.
Complementing a black interior and chrome elements, Sinclair’s 1966 Corvette is painted in the magnificent Sunfire Yellow shade. Benevolent under the long, sculpted hood is a 327 cubic inch V8 with coupled smooth-shifting 4-speed manual transmission and 300 horsepower. “This car merely radiates pure driving passion,” Sinclair says. “The throttle reaction, the handling, the sound of that small-block – it’s a true American icon.”
Always attracting a throng of fans, the Corvette has become a mainstay at neighborhood car displays and cruise evenings around Sarasota. “People just cannot help but stop and stare when they see this Vette,” notes Sinclair. “Even fifty plus years after it rolled off the assembly line, it’s a real head-turner.”
Actually, many people agree that the 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is among the most elegant and appealing sports vehicles of the 1960s. And in Sarasota, Florida, a city bathed in sunlight, this specific example has found th