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1964 Chevrolet Corvette N03 Big Tanker Heading to Auction

When it comes to rare Corvette breeds, what we're dealing with on this occasion is a one-in-38 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Tanker. This example of a rarefied lineage is set to go under the hammer at Mecum Auctions' Houston 2015 sale, slated for April 9th.

Equipped with a 327-cu.in. (5.4-liter) small-block V8 engine and a close-ratio gearing Borg-Warner four-speed manual transmission, this C2 Corvette also boasts with Rochester fuel injection. Thanks to the latter, this second-generation Corvette produced a meaty 375 HP when it was brand spanking new.

The white exterior may complement the black interior nicely, but this old school bruiser's ace isn't its oomph nor its pristine condition. What differentiates it from other C2 Corvette variants is a bit of kit known as the N03 Big Tanker fuel tank. No points will be awarded to those who guess what the N03 option is all about.

Compared to the standard 20-gallon (75.7 liters) tank of the C2, the N03 Big Tanker can take in a whopping 36.5 gallons (138.1 liters) of fuel. To put that figure into perspective, the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 has a fuel tank capacity of 18.5 gallons, a figure that roughly translates to 70 liters for our European readers.

For the C2 Corvette Sting Ray, records show that 63 customers got it through the N03 option and that 199 customers got it by opting for the race-bred Z06 package. As such, it's believed that only 262 'Vettes have been factory equipped with the large fuel tanks. The bidding war on this historical C2 Corvette Sting Ray should be intense once it crosses the auction block at Mecum Houston.

1964 Chevrolet Corvette N03 Big Tanker - photo gallery