Franklin Mint 1:12 1967 Corvette L88 "Connoisseur's Series" - Ltd Ed

Considered the Holy Grail of Corvettes, the L88 is highly sought after by ‘Vette aficionados. The very thought of owning one transforms their thoughts into those of a kid dreaming of Christmas morning. A friend of mine actually bought one in 1967 (he wanted a ’68 L88 but couldn’t meet the dealer’s price and “settled” (!) for an end-of-year ’67 for $500 less). He still has the car, which is completely original and in great shape, and he still takes it out for a spin from time to time (oh, the humanity!). The thing that slays me is that he has no excitement about owning a legendary L88! Huh? I recently saw a blurb in Hemmings Muscle Machines that showed a ’67 L88 (in Rally Red) that went for auction at Mecum’s Bloomington Gold for the incredible price of $615, 000! Needless to say, I won’t be seeing check stubs of that denomination in my account – EVER. But it goes to show what a rare gem such a car is. So, why isn’t my friend more excited? Search me.

Is the 1:12 scale Connoisseur’s Series version of this glamour ‘Vette worth $495? Well, first and foremost, it’s really BIG, so all the fine details (buttons, locks, switches, etc.) show up wonderfully in the larger scale. The “fit and finish” is also up to par, with an appropriately glossy paint job (in Rally Red) on the real fiberglass body and removable hardtop. The seats, with tilting backs, are done in genuine black leather. Then, there’s the raft of features: A push of a button on the dash turns on the gauge lights (which look great!), the headlights (which manually rotate to the open position) and the taillights. A second push of that button brings up the high beams! When you (gently!) press the brake pedal, the brake lights operate. Push in the horn button and the horn actually beeps. Turn the window cranks on each door and the side windows go up and down. Even the vent windows angle out, as in the real car. The rear cowl lifts to reveal the folded convertible top (in rubberized fabric – I don’t think the actual 1:1 top was rubberized, though.). The hand-brake lever “sets” and the ashtray lid slides open. The glove compartment opens and the visors swivel up and down. Turn your head to look over the rear deck and note that the gas cap opens as well. In addition, FM used the rear license plate to indicate the edition number of the image – a nice touch. FM also provides a wood base, with nameplate, to display the image. They also, along with the collector’s booklet, enclose a large poster (suitable for framing) of the image’s features.

Looking at the undercarriage (FM actually provides a nifty shell to support the car when upside down for battery installation), aside from the exquisite details, there’s a fully operational suspension front-and-rear. It doesn’t move a lot and is quite firm – much like the 1:1 version. The driveshaft rotates when you turn the rear wheels. When you unscrew and remove the center quick-release hub on each wheel, it comes off to reveal, in intricate detail, the rotors and disk calipers. Back topside, lift the hood (which has a to-scale prop), and view the superb detailing on the ultra-rare (20 made) L88 engine. The fan rotates and the air cleaner removes to show the 4-barrel carburetor and upper engine details. All decals are fully legible. Features like these, by the way, are where the large, 1:12 scale really shines.[Note on undocumented feature: Pore over the literature and you won’t find this one. If you move the tiny shift lever (careful!) to the left and up, you’ll discover that the backup lights (as well as the license plate light) come on! I have no idea why FM doesn’t mention this feature.] I saved the best for last. How many times have we enthused over a beautifully detailed image and wished we had a key to turn the engine over? Well, if you push in the tiny key hanging from the ignition, you activate the recorded sounds of the L88 engine starting, idling, and revving twice! Talk about realism!

*** WARNING! The following paragraph contains less-than-positive comments. If you just LOVE this image, omit reading this section. *** In the interest of unbiased reviewing, here are a couple of nits I will pick. One, the doors aren’t exactly doglegs – they employ clips that snap them firmly shut, which is good – but why, in this scale and price, don’t they have hinges like the 1:1 car? On a model of this caliber, the doors shouldn’t stand out from the body when open. And why, after going through so much effort to make the convertible top look real when stowed, didn’t they simply craft it to fully open, as well? Also, since the wheels can be removed, a 1:12 jack stand would have been a nice little extra for display purposes. I also think the recording of the engine could have gone a bit longer. The standard hangtag could have been a bit more deluxe as well, both in size and graphics. While these are minor issues, I don’t think they’re unreasonable, considering this Connoisseur’s Series’ asking price. But don’t get me wrong, this is a well-above-average salute to a great car. To me, however, the above minor flaws make an otherwise slam-dunk, 5-star rating into a 4-and-a-half star rating. Sorry.

[NOTE: A reader, who read my review, asked if he had missed the issue number. I checked all the literature, and there doesn't seem to be any information anywhere to indicate the issue number. Since mine was #4464, I assume they made at least 5,000. FM will probably just make them until they decide to officially retire the image. They must have spent a "mint" on the dies, so I can see this one being around for a long time. They may pull them off the shelves, then revive them again (perhaps in different colors) from time to time. This seems to be the policy FM has adopted – repaint after repaint. After all, some folks may jump on a Nassau Blue version, where they’d let the Rally Red pass on by.]

Were I to actually acquire a 1:1 ’67 L88, I would think I’d died and gone to heaven. But this gorgeous image is literally the next best thing. I considered buying it for a long time and I’m now very happy that I did. I mean, most of us have plopped down the same kind of coin for a desirable 1:24 image, haven’t we? And just think – I can now invite my friends over to “check out my ’67 L88” and even have them listen while I start the massive 427. Kewl! The issue price is $495.

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