Modern Cars No Comparison for a ’67 ‘Vette

Owner: Steve Lanson

Year, Make, and Model: 1967 Chevrolet Corvette

Location: Moorestown, New Jersey, USA

Photographer: Michael Mauro

I’ve been a car guy ever since I was a teenager. My father used to take me to all types of car shows, and he too always had an interest in cars. I remember looking at all of the amazing classic cars, photographing them, and wishing that someday I might have a beautiful classic myself. Well, I finally got to realize my dream.

My search for a classic car began in 2012. I figured the time was right, both for me and the classic car market. The year had to be 1967, since that’s my birth year. I’ve always wanted to own a car the same age as me. So then I began thinking about what classic car from ’67 I’d want to own. I thought about different muscle cars like the Mustang, Camaro, and then, the ultimate of all 1967 classic cars…the Corvette Sting Ray! Coincidentally, the 1967 Corvette is one of the most sought after collector cars of all time. I originally wanted a big block, because as everyone knows, they are the most valuable of the ’67s. But after talking with many Corvette experts, they all told me that the small block Vettes make better drivers and have less mechanical problems.

After many months of searching for a ’67 small block Corvette, I found one on the Internet, a beautiful silver coupe that looked better than the day it rolled off of the assembly line. This particular car was being sold in California, by a classic car restoration specialist who had initially wanted to keep the car for himself. The car had just gone through a meticulous eighteen month, frame-off restoration, with no expense spared. It was completely restored, both mechanically and cosmetically. The official GM production date of this car was June 1967. Since the 1967 Corvette production ran through July 1967, this was one of the last ‘67 coupes to be built. When I saw the pictures of this gorgeous American classic, I knew I had to have it. I had found the car of my dreams.

Since buying the car, I’ve started taking it to local Cars & Coffee meets, which is where I met the fantastic group of guys known as High Octane South Jersey. At these Saturday morning gatherings, we stand around and drool oer each other’s cars, while sharing stories about the acquisition of such cars, and the stories behind them.

The nostalgic feeling one gets from driving such an old car is quite amazing. Most people are used to the comforts of today’s cars, but once you get behind the wheel of a 1967 Corvette, with no air bag or heated steering wheel, and look around the interior, all you see are a few gauges and a radio. The creature comforts we are all used to just aren’t there. Turn the key, and hear the roar from the side mounted exhaust pipes, and there’s nothing more beautiful.

I enjoy the satisfaction and happiness others get when seeing and asking questions about the car. I routinely get a “thumbs up” from other drivers on the road and many want me to roll down the window, just to ask about the car. When I drive the car, I feel like I’m back in time, to the year 1967. It’s a feeling one just can’t get driving a modern day car.

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