The Chevrolet Corvette (C2) is a sports car produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1963 through 1967 model years. Virtually all-new, the Sting Ray stunned the automotive world in 1963, blending world-class handling with unmistakable all-American style and performance. Bill Mitchell revisited the Super Sport racer and would subsequently reinvent the Corvette with radical new styling, high performance, and a first-ever coupe. It would become an instant classic, setting sales records and remains one of the most coveted of collectors' cars. With a winning attitude on the track that would benefit from each successive engineering innovation, the car's competitive spirit would culminate with one of the best Corvette racers ever, the Grand Sport. The C2 would have a great five-year run that many regard as the high point of Corvette history.

For the 1966 Corvette, the big-block V-8 came in two forms: 390 bhp on 10.25:1 compression, and 425 bhp via 11:1 compression, larger intake valves, a bigger Holley four-barrel carburetor on an aluminum manifold, mechanical lifters, and four- instead of two-hole main bearing caps. Though it had no more horsepower than the previous high-compression 396, the 427 in (7 L), 430 hp (321 kW V8 packed a lot more torque - 460 pound/feet vs. 415. Of course, engine outputs were sometimes deliberately understated in the Sixties. Here, 420 and 450 bhp would be closer to the truth. With big-block V-8s being the order of the day, there was less demand for the 327, so small-block offerings were cut from five to two for 1966, and only the basic 300- and 350-bhp versions were retained. Both required premium fuel on compression ratios well over 10.0:1, and they didn't have the rocket-like thrust of the 427s, but their performance was impressive all the same. As before, both could be teamed with the Powerglide automatic, the standard three-speed manual, or either four-speed option.

The 1966 model's Its frontal appearance was mildly altered with an eggcrate grille insert to replace the previous horizontal bars, and the coupe lost its roof-mounted extractor vents, which had proven inefficient. Head rests were a new option. This relative lack of change reflected plans to bring out an all-new Corvette for 1967. It certainly did not reflect a fall-off in the car's popularity, however. In fact, 1966 would prove another record-busting year, with volume rising to 27,720 units, up some 4200 over 1965's sales.