I’m not gonna lie, I’m a self proclaimed Corvette Nut. If you were to ask my wife or three little children what daddy’s favorite car was, they would all say “Corvette.” I don’t currently own a one, but it is on my short list of cars to buy.

My order of favorite generations is this: C2, C1, and then C3. The rest are fine, and I never really saw one I didn’t like. But the rest of the generations are equal in my eyes. The Generation 2 is where it’s at for me, however, starting with model year 1967.

The 67 Corvette wasn’t even supposed to look how it did. The last year of the C2 was supposed to be 1966, a gorgeous body style with a tremendous amount of sex appeal. 1967 was a big year for Chevrolet as a whole. The C10 pickup trucks changed, the Camaro was introduced, and the next generation Corvette was due.

Something happened and the C3 was delayed until 1968, causing 1967 to be rolled out similar to years prior. But, it was somehow different. It was more refined and really badass. Under the hood of few select models was a stout 435 horsepower big block 427 that was actually underrated and built for one purpose: To go fast.

This beauty would eventually turn into one of the most sought after rides in Corvette history, and is actually one of the most faked Corvettes, ever. A true, numbers matching 427/435 is a unicorn, and can be worth an absolute fortune. After all, it’s the Vette that wasn’t supposed to be.

This generation Corvette, of course, started with the famous Split Window Coupe in 1963 which is also a highly sought after car, and easily one of the top 5 years of production across the entire Corvette lineup.

Original power offerings of the 1963 Corvette were a few 327 small block Chevy’s. The more potent of them made an impressive 360 horsepower, with the weakest one making a paltry 250 hp.

One thing about the 1963 and 1964 Corvettes some folks are still unaware of, is the absolute prowess on the track when it comes to cars like the very limited edition Grand Sport. If you take a look at the Grand Sport from those years, they’re absolute monsters on the track and were dubbed “Cobra Killers.”

There were only a total of five Grand Sport “Cobra Killers” made and originally sported a 377 cubic inch V8 that produced more than 550 horsepower. They were built for racing, but before they left General Motors, those engines were pulled.

Most of the five Grand Sport Corvettes were ran with 427 big block engines, and they performed well and were driven by racing greats like Roger Penske. The original 377 cubes were produced with a much lighter aluminum block. So, even though they dominated on the track with the big block setup, the engines, and therefore cars, were much heavier. They likely would have done better with the lighter small block.

Even seeing replicas of these cars is a rarity, which is why I took these pictures.

Then of course we’ve got the other year C2 Corvettes and telling them apart can be a bit difficult if you don’t know what you’re looking for. While the 1963 has tell tale signs like the split window on the hard top model, the other years can be more difficult to guess.

There are a few things I look for when determining what year I’m looking at. First, I look at the vents behind the front wheel. After that, I look at the grill and hood. After using some deduction, I can usually correctly guess which year I’m looking at, unless parts were changed.

I don’t have good pictures of everything, but feel as though I can talk you through it:

1963 Corvettes are usually easy to tell by the split window. If it’s a convertible, ’63 is the only year with hood grills. They also have scoops behind the front wheel.

1964 Corvettes don’t have the split window and the hood grills are missing but the indentations for them are STILL there. They also have scoops behind the front wheel.

1965 Corvettes have had the scoops removed, and replaced with three vents behind the front wheel AND a slatted front grille that is blacked out. The hood is also flat for ’65 with the hood grill indents completely removed.

1966 Corvettes still have three vents behind the front wheel, but the grill no longer has slats, but is grated.

1967 Corvettes have five vents behind the front wheel (like the orange and black one above).

Now knowing what you do, take a look at the following beautiful convertible. What year do you think it is? My answer is at the bottom of this article:

The Corvette is an American icon. Whether they were built for the track or the street, the C2 Corvette remains a crowd pleaser and an eye catcher every time they’re spotted. Which is your favorite year? Let us know in the comments below.

My answer:

I believe that to be a 1966 Corvette Convertible based on the three vents on the side, and the grill.