Author: John L. Stein

John L. Stein has been an automotive journalist since 1986, including stints at Automobile, Corvette Quarterly and Maximum Drive. He has been an SCM Contributor since 2008.

1973 Chevrolet Corvette Motion Performance Manta Ray GT

One of three Motion Performance Corvettes built in 1973 Custom bodywork and numerous special Motion Performance features 350-ci engine with 425 dyno-tested horsepower Reworked Turbo 400 transmission Center console, T-tops and letter of authenticity signed by Joel Rosen, aka “Mr. Motion” The only 1973 Motion Performance Corvette Manta Ray GT […]

To Use It, Improve It

Classic Corvettes are happy to be driven really hard. So there’s no reason why they should ever sit out a season of driving — or even year-round use in non-blizzardy climates. Of course, while a 1956, 1966 or 1976 Corvette was contemporary in its time, the technology of 40 to […]

Plastic Fantastic

For an English major, I sure did lousy in Ye Olde English Literature. Byron, Keats, Milton and the rest seemed unbearably stuffy compared to my favorite authors of the period — the editors of Hot Rod, Road & Track and Car and Driver — in particular, Brock Yates. But one […]

Courtesy of Mecum Auctions

2009 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

638-hp supercharged LS9 engine 6-speed transmission, twin-disc clutch Selective Magnetic Ride Control Aluminum chassis, 3,324-lb curb weight Carbon-fiber hood, front fenders, roof panel, rocker moldings and front splitter Brembo four-wheel disc brakes Chrome 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels Blade Silver with black leather interior Bose seven-speaker sound system Keyless […]

Courtesy of Worldwide Auctioneers

1960 Chevrolet Corvette 283/290 Big-Brake convertible

One of 119 RPO 687 “Big-Brake” 1960 Corvettes One of 759 1960 Corvettes built with the 283-ci/290-hp fuel-injected engine BorgWarner T-10 4-speed manual transmission Temperature-controlled radiator fan Positraction rear axle (4.11:1 ratio) Heavy-duty brake and steering package Wide wheels (15 by 5.5 inches) 6.70-by-15 blackwall tires Auxiliary hard top Wonder […]

Old Money

Our beautiful minds are badly illogical sometimes. We buy three cases of Cactus Cooler we don’t need because it’s on sale. We remit tax dollars instead of redlining our IRAs. And we miss owning the classic Corvette of our dreams because it “costs too much.” Say what? There’s really no […]

Hold on, Hold Out

Recently, I drove down to the harbor to watch a neighbor launch his wood sloop, at last finished after 28 years under construction in his shed. I wasn’t in a Corvette, but rather a 1967 Mustang that I recently adopted. The little Ivy Green coupe exerted a magnetic pull on […]

Anna Taylor, courtesy of Gooding & Company

1967 Chevrolet Corvette 427/390 coupe

Highly original example of the final C2 Sting Ray coupe Handsome original color combination with black stinger hood 427-ci V8 engine Single Holley 4-bbl carburetor 390 hp at 5,400 rpm 4-speed manual Displays less than 50,000 original miles 2007 Bloomington Gold Survivor Award 2015 NCRS Second Flight Award Accompanied by […]

The Best Deals in the Desert

With crude-oil prices tanking, election rhetoric soaring, the stock market teetering and certain collector-car segments already correcting, Scottsdale 2016 was among the most keenly watched auctions since 2009. As described in Publisher Keith Martin’s column on p. 16, in aggregate, though, the effect was neither terrible nor terrific. Certain 1950s […]

Courtesy of Barrett-Jackson

1970 Chevrolet Corvette LT-1

This 1970 Corvette LT-1 coupe was bought new off the showroom floor at Backhus-Ebert Chevy-Olds in Fowlerville, MI, in May 1970. Options included the 350-ci 370-hp solid-lifter engine, close-ratio 4-speed M21 transmission, 4.11 axle, power brakes, Firestone F70 white-letter tires, AM/FM radio, alarm system, and a dealer-added luggage rack. The […]