When Chevrolet introduced the 1975 Corvette Stingray, one was snatched up by an Illinois dentist. He had selected a silver car — also featuring silver-colored leather upholstery, carpeting, bumpers and wheels.

Records indicate the Stingray was always garaged and well maintained. For 22 years, the Corvette was babied with the original owner installing a secondary engine hood lock (just to be extra safe) to protect the 165-horsepower, 350-cubic-inch V-8 engine.

After all that time, the odometer had registered only 10,000 miles. Then the dentist, who enjoyed looking at his car more than driving it, sold his pristine car to a fellow dentist. The second owner only ran the recorded mileage up another 2,600 miles to a total of 12,600 miles within a couple of years. He eventually developed interest in another project that necessitated selling the Corvette.

Les Larson had previously owned a 1964 Corvette, but sold it to help pay his college bills. Later, he owned a 1978 Corvette, which he also sold to pay college bills for his children. But in the spring of 2002, it was time to go Corvette-hunting once more.

Larson mentioned to a co-worker that he was searching for a Corvette. “He surprised me with the statement that his brother-in-law had a Corvette and was contemplating selling it. He also mentioned that it only had 12,600 miles.”

“I secured the telephone and made arrangements to see the car,” Larson says.

“He wasn’t there when I got there,” Larson recalls, “but his wife was.” She didn’t know anything about the Stingray or even where the key was located. All Larson could do was look at the silver Corvette and he liked what he saw. A second visit proved to be fruitful. The owner was present and explained facts about the car, which Larson was glad to hear. The seller and buyer took a quick spin around the block. Larson returned wearing a big grin.

Larson made him an offer. “After minor negotiations, I drove the car home,” he says.

The base price of a 1975 Corvette Stingray coupe was $6,797. Larson’s 3,433-pound fiberglass coupe rides on a 98-inch wheelbase and is equipped with removable T-top roof panels, AM/FM radio, factory air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, power windows, telescopic steering wheel, and a four-speed manual transmission.

“I store the car in the winter and keep it covered in the garage,” Larson says. Excursions are taken only on nice weather days, primarily to keep the Corvette exercised. “The fun part is actually shopping for it,” Larson says. “Once you buy the car, it just sits.”