Highlights 

• Coupé considered to be part of just 749 examples produced in 1965 with the big-block 396 ci engine 
• Matching numbers recorded for the engine, chassis and gearbox 
• Thorough restoration with around €40,000 invested, backed up by a complete file of invoices and photographs, we are told 
• Valid MOT until February 2028, with no defects reported 
• Registered on a French collector’s registration certificate 
  
  

The appeal

 
The 1965 model year holds a special place in Corvette history. It’s the only year in which Chevrolet offered the powerful big-block 396 ci on the C2 Sting Ray, and it’s estimated that only 749 coupés left the factory with this engine. A genuine favourite vehicle of NASA’s astronaut corps during the Space Race, the C2 Big Block Corvette is today among the most sought-after American sports cars. Surviving examples are rare, and those retaining their matching numbers are particularly prized.
 
This 1965 Corvette Sting Ray C2 is precisely one of those cars. According to the seller, it retains its original engine, chassis and gearbox. He also states that it has undergone a meticulous restoration representing around €40,000, documented by a substantial file of invoices and photographs. Still according to him, the engine has been fully rebuilt, the entire interior restored and numerous parts replaced, including a Holley carburettor, an MSD ignition, the fuel tank, wiring looms, gaskets and tyres. The Muncie four-speed manual with close-ratio gearing, paired with a Hurst Competition shifter, is said to provide crisp, positive gear changes, while the Hooker Super Competition side-exit exhaust delivers sound to match its performance.
 
Kept in a garage in France for at least twenty years, this Corvette is offered with an MOT valid until February 2028 and with no defects reported. Repainted black in 2021, however, its paintwork has developed a few cracks—an issue that’s quite common on fibreglass bodywork. The cabin, meanwhile, appears to be in excellent condition following its restoration.
 

History and documents

• Registered in 1965; French collector’s registration certificate 
• Considered to be part of just 749 coupés built in 1965 with the big-block 396 ci engine 
• Matching numbers recorded for the engine, chassis and gearbox 
• Owned by the current seller since April 2020; he knows the two previous registered owners 
• The vehicle has been in France for at least twenty years and has always been stored indoors in a garage, we are told 
• Restoration claimed to be documented with invoices and photographs, to a figure of around €40,000 
• The seller notes the replacement of many parts, including the tyres, Holley carburettor, MSD ignition, battery, headlamp motors, wiring looms, fuel tank, interior, trim/seat upholstery, door and window seals, rubber body mounts (silentblocs), and the handbrake mechanism 
• Valid MOT until February 2028, with no defects reported 
• The odometer reads 35,844 km

  

Condition

• The seller says the chassis is in very good condition 
• Fibreglass bodywork described as in very good condition 
• Paintwork redone in black in 2021; the original colour was Milano Maroon 
• A few cracks have appeared since the respray, which is a common occurrence on fibreglass body panels; a future owner may want to redo the paintwork 
• Fully restored cabin: new leather trim, carpets, headlining, door panels, floor mats and seatbelts fitted; dashboard retrimmed by an upholsterer 
• A pop-up headlamp rubs slightly against the bodywork when opened and requires adjustment
  
  

According to the seller, this Corvette benefits from a very sound chassis and well-presented fibreglass bodywork. Initially delivered in Milano Maroon, it was repainted black in 2021. A few cracks have, however, appeared since then—an issue commonly seen on this type of body panel—which may lead a future owner to consider having the paintwork redone. The cabin has been fully restored with new leather trim, carpets, headlining, door panels, floor mats and seatbelts, while the dashboard has been professionally refurbished. The only defect reported concerns a pop-up headlamp that rubs slightly against the bodywork when opened and simply needs adjustment.
 

Mechanical

• V8 big-block Turbo-Jet 396 cubic inches (6.5 litres) producing 425 hp 
• Muncie four-speed close-ratio manual gearbox with Hurst Competition shifter 
• Engine said to have been fully rebuilt 
• The seller says the gears engage precisely 
• Boxer side-exit exhaust with a Hooker Super Competition system 
• Brakes and handbrake said to be in good working order
  
  

The legendary V8 big-block Turbo-Jet 396 cubic inches (6.5 litres), producing 425 hp, is paired with a Muncie four-speed close-ratio manual gearbox fitted with a Hurst Competition shifter. The seller states that the engine has been fully rebuilt and that the transmission works perfectly, with crisp and precise gear changes. The Boxer side-exit exhausts, combined with a Hooker Super Competition system, further underline the character of this Corvette, while the brakes and handbrake are said to be in good working order.
 

BEFORE YOU BUY