10. 1969 Corvette ZL1
The new, third generation of the Corvette debuted in 1968. Interestingly, it brought a new, sleek design, or the so-called “Coke bottle” look. The mechanics, chassis, and drivetrain were much the same. But the car was still a great value for the money. The C3 generation included some of the most powerful Corvettes. However, none was more powerful than the ultra-rare and legendary ZL1.
The heart of the ZL1 was the fantastic and racing-spec fully aluminum 427 V8 with up to 550 HP in mild tune. This monster of an engine was far more powerful than anything Mopar or Ford had in production at the time. Chevrolet produced around 200 of those engines, but most of them went to Can-Am racing teams.
Chevrolet also made around 12 test Corvettes with that engine in late 1968. The performance potential was unbelievable so Chevrolet didn’t want to offer this wild racing engine to the public. And for that reason, they never mentioned the ZL-1 option to the press or in their official brochures. However, wealthy individuals close to the factory knew about its existence and could purchase the ZL-1.