Who remembers June of 1967?

[Mike E.]

What was the "Corvette climate" like? Were sales slow because of the promise of the "all new" Corvette that was coming? Or were 67's desirable because prospective owners wanted to grab the old body style? Were 67's being more heavily discounted at that point in time?
I'm curious, because I'm trying to take myself back in time nearly 40 years and understand the thinking of the individual who purchased my late-May built 67, sold new at Jack Head Chevrolet in Alhambra, CA.
And why would someone buy, in Southern California, a dark green car with black vinyl soft top and black vinyl hardtop? I remember how hot the sun can be there! Would he buy it for the looks? Would the dealer have ordered it that way? (Saddle interior, fortunately)
Thanks for your input!
Mike Ernst

[Joseph T.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

Mike

My father said (there is an ass for every seat)

I have been in retail for 46 years having started in my parents neighborhood grocery store..and over the years I have found that everything sells eventually.

Lots of green cars out there. I even bought a brown 74..however beautiful it was..who would order a brown car? Probably was not a customer order but some time of fleet shipment. Remember those ugly two tone beige/brown jobs on the early eighties. Ugh!

Maybe the availabilty of that green 67 was all it took for the buyer at that moment in time.

Also..was it customer ordered or dealer ordered.

Sometimes you forgive the color when your emotions are running to buy now!

Joe

[Stephen L.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

Could be the original owner was in/getting out of the service and his home was elsewhere where it was cooler......

He didn't know hot warm a Corvette was....

He liked the color combination.....

He planned on riding with the top down in the warm weather......

[Wayne W.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

I was a poor college student, just trying to figure out how I was going to stay in school. I wasn`t conscious of the new car market at all. I can tell you that you could buy a running 54 Ford for $50 and drive it to school for two years.

[Terry M.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

Green was very popular in the late 60's -- early '70s automobiles. I'm not sure why now, but it WAS the in thing back then.

[Jay G.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

Most likely was a sit car. Green not the most sought after. Rumours of the NEW 68 comming, it may have languished on the lot. Buyer may have got a deal. I know my 67 Chevelle SS 396 Convertible 138 was an odd color. Built 4/67 Sat on Dealers lot till Aug 67. Butternut Yellow on Black. Back then Y2 cars turned into black or red cars within a few mos. No PS or PB, 4-speed, Buckets. NOT desirable in 67. Most wanted auto in a ragtop. Org owner was 17 at time wanted to pull hole-shots. Less ammenities the better. Got it for $2800.00 discounted. He kept for 36 yrs. But today, Yellow on black 4-speed ragtops are looked more favorably. So are green cars.

[Jim W.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

I was in the AF and on my way to Southeast Asia by late Summer but had a friend scrambling to find a leftover '67 once the '68's were introduced. We loved the midyears from the time the first '63 hit the streets. I remember geen with saddle being a popular combination but not the black tops at least here in South Florida. Jim Weeks - Member #2978

[Chuck R.]

Re: That's and intersting observation Jay

When I first acquired my British green trash barrel bomber, I was told by one of the learned individuals on our tech board that green was a "bottom feeder color"

As much as I want to lean towards red (all Corvettes are red don't you know) the flame of love for green is starting to burn a little brighter the closer I move towards a new finish.

Oh what the h_ ll, guess I'll just go black!

Chuckster

[Wayne K.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

I was living in LA in 67 and as I recall dark green was very popular and so were the Beatles. Having an english car in British Racing Green was very cool. If memory serves me I think Goodwood Green was one of if not the most popular color for 67 Corvettes and the saddle interior even made it more Brit like. I know my sister bought a new Mustang that year and she had to have the darkest green available.

[William C.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

Mike, I remember Green as being an "in" color into the late 60's and early 70's, I remember when I had my '72 I was surprised to find that Green was the second most popular color in '72. I also remember a real rush for owners on the 63-67 cars to get into the "new" body style, one friend traded in a '63 Fueler, and another a '66 427/390, so the new cars were definately 'HOT" when they came out.

[G B.]

I remember it well.

I was shopping for a new car, too. Everything left over from '67 was discounted. However, there weren't many '67 Corvettes sitting on dealer lots to be discounted. Not many small dealers bought them on spec. The new '68 Corvettes were getting good press, and were going to be quite popular.

There was a used car lot right next to the Burger-Doodle where I worked the night shift. They specialized in near-new Corvettes. They had plenty of full-pimp '67 big blocks with a.c. to sell that summer.

The most popular colors for all makes in the mid to late sixties were dark green, gold, and light yellow. The least popular was probably black.

I eventually bought a used Corvette because of cost. There were no discounts on the new '68 models.

Buy a particular Corvette because it might be cooler in the hot summer sun? You're kidding, right? We had a lot on our minds, but the "practicality" of our car color wasn't one of them.

[G B.]

Correction

I bought a used '65 GTO in 1968. I sold it and bought a used Corvette the next year.

[John D.]

Re: Who remembers June of 1967?

Rev. Mike, Remember the summer of 67 quite well. In fact remember a lot about the 67 era as my friends and I were upset with GM for not releasing the C3 as promised. We boy cotted the 67's. I remember keeping my 66 BB and not trading it in until the 68BB came out. The old gang that used to buy a new Vet every year boycotted the 67's completely. Dealers couldn't give them away around here. Course now they are the craze and big buck cars but back then they were disliked. Clem may be able to verify this thought. John

[Jay G.]

Re: That's and intersting observation Jay

Even a few yrs ago the dealers felt a green car was death. Now to me, green (even like fathom green on Z's) looking very cool. But Black on Tan can't go wrong.

[Chuck R.]

Re: I had a british green and saddle TR-7

The girls just loved to ride in that toy. Awful hard to make out in though. The passenger compartment of my 69 Vette seemed like a Holiday Inn in comparison