Mille Miglia Red or Not

[Monte M.]

I am at the point of picking the paint for my 72. It is a factory Mille Miglia Red car.

I have seen a lot of different colored red 1972 Corvette's that the owners tell me are the factory.

I posted an example of one of the cars. I know it is impossible to tell over the internet, but does this red look close.

Can a handful of you post a picture of your Mille Miglia red cars.

I really like the color of the car in the picture. I have hit a few get togethers to see if I can find one and the owner knows the actual brand and code they used.

No luck so far.

Again, the color in this photo is exactly what my dream result would be.

What are you views on this red and others.

I am trying to reach the actual owners of these cars in the pictures so I can see the car in many different situations of shade, sun, or a combination. You get the idea.

Thanks for the input and the pictures.

Monte

The bottom car is a different car.

[Terry M.]

[Dick W.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Porsche Guards Red

[Monte M.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Thanks for the input guys,

The truth is, yes I want to do both. Today on e-bay I found one of the few parts the car is missing from original.

I enjoy the NCRS, But, I want to enjoy my car too. I was hoping to find a red from say 67 to 72 that I liked a lot. I cannot.

The car is a survivor in almost every way, BUT, it is my car and I want it a really nice red. So, that is what it will be.

What I have learned here is that you guys think the same thing I do about the stock red colors.

Both colors of red have been drought up along with a few others. It is really hard to not like the Ferrari red, but when I saw a Red Porshe plying by the other day, it sure caught my eye.

The next owner can put it back to it original color.

Thanks for the conformation that there is no way I can manipulate a Corvette red to try to accommodate both wishes.

Corvette red is now out for sure.

Thanks for the great advice. Sometimes we get a little too serious about these toys of ours.

Monte

[Warren F.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Monte,
I always thought that the '71, '72 Mille Miglia red was the best color of all the reds that were used on the Corvette. Just a gorgeous shade! You're very fortunate have a factory optioned Corvette in that color in my opinion.

[Terry M.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Warren,
There must be a lot of people who think like you do. I see so many "resale red" Corvettes.

[Monte M.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

When I first learned about corvettes in the early 80's, the guy who taught me the basics of buying them fixing them up a bit and turning them over. gave me a few rules of thumb.

Red car with black interior are the two premium choices. He tried to explain how the colors affected the value of the car.
For example: we were looking for a 70 -72 roadster with A/C and a 4-speed.

He went on to tell me to always try to buy a car with black interior and a 4-speed.
It was a pretty basic list he tought me.

Most desirable; Red, black interior, 4-speed, A/C. Also, that is the highest priced car.
If any one of those was not there, the price should reflect it.

The color of the car is the one thing that might not matter quit as much. The black interior could go with just about any color.

We found our roadster, but it had red interior. For resale purposes only, the car was pass by .

I guess what I am trying to say is, as long as I have been buying and selling Corvettes, red was the best seller and most desirable car to have.
Way back then when the car was $10,000, you might have to drop it $1,500 if it had a red interior versus black. I am just using red as an example.

There were other cars that just sat there forever because of the color combination.

Having said all that about the color red, I am fully aware the engine was a huge issue as well.
A big block with a 4-speed and A/C is not nearly worth the same as a car with an automatic, or no A/C.
Each desirable option not just added to the cars value, but as you added more desirable options the price multiplied and red was one of the key multipliers from what I was tought.

I am sure this is all common knowledge for those of us who have been in the hobby for a long time. Especially those of us the were buying and selling the cars through the 70's and 80's.

Highlighted= edited

[Monte M.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Warren,
You mention I am "very fortunate have a factory optioned Corvette in that color" "In your opinion."

It was not luck that I own a red car with black interior, 4-speed, and A/C.
My first 1972 was a red base engine automatic, no A/C or anything else except power brakes.
My second 72 was very similar to the 72 I have now with the exception it did not have power windows or tilt-tele, but it did have power brakes. It turned out to be a non-matching numbers car.

My next 72 was a different beast all together. It was not red,but did have black interior and A/C.
By now, I knew exactly what I wanted. I got the cash and put it under my pillow. If one came up at a fair price, it would be gone before you could get to the bank and back.

It turned out if I did not have the cash at home that weekend, I would have missed the car. I was looking for a 70-72 , LS-5, 4-speed, black interior, A/C car. Ant other options were just a plus.

Of course I wish it were a 70 or 71. I am a realist and know the 72 is not nearly as desirable as the 70 or 71. A lot of 72 owners seem to miss this key factor. The fact that the car was a 72 most likely helped in me ending up owning it. There might have been some hard core guys out there that passed on it because it is a 72.

Having said that. It might have been passe one for being a 72 like other car are passed on for being automatics, or not having A/C, or even being a color other than red.

As I have mentioned before: a lot of people joke about what we are over compensating for by needing to own a red Corvette. Whatever I was overcompensating for no longer matters. I am too old to care.

Monte

RED POWER lol

[Reba W.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

I had owned two other Corvettes (one a '72) before I set out to find a good driver. Like you, Monte, I had certain requirements--AC, power steering/brakes and 4-speed. The only thing I specified to the dealer was NO red and no white car. It took over a year to locate Kermit. I have been told many times that green cannot be an original Corvette color. (But it does have black leather interior.) I prefer the 1972s: retractable seatbelts, no fiber optics, and the last year with two chrome bumpers.

[Edward J.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Monte, I had my 72 judged a the regional here in Mass. just about 6 or 8 weeks ago and next to me was a red 72. and the John Ballard a well known paint judge said that this cars paint color was dead on, I believe he had something, paint chip?? Anyway if you want to go to the New England chapter website there is some photos posted there of the cars. It was hard to believe but only a hand full of C3 cars there.

[Patrick H.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Monte,
I always thought that the '71, '72 Mille Miglia red was the best color of all the reds that were used on the Corvette. Just a gorgeous shade! You're very fortunate have a factory optioned Corvette in that color in my opinion.

Agreed.
I'd paint it the original red, and I think you'll be thrilled.

[Don G.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

MVC-003F.jpg Original Mille Miglia Red paint on my wife's 1975 9000 mile car ( except facia)

[Monte M.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

This is what she used to look like over ten years ago.

Not quite enough blue for the color I am dreaming about.

The side pipes are gone needless to say.

Monte

[Don L.]

Re: Mille Miglia Red or Not

Monte, my unsolicited $0.02 says stick with the original color. Value of the car in its original color comments notwithstanding, it's a very nice shade, and to me, it couldn't be better. Other reds are nice, but if not MM Red, I'd be afraid that it would be seen as "different" by others and down the road, you would regret not keeping it original color.

FWIW, I've attached a few photos of my MM Red '72 convertible in different lights. It received full flight judging points for "Body Color" at the 2011 National Convention. BTW, I had "THE TOUGH ONE" paint judge then.

I had the hard top painted last winter (the car's body repaint is 22 years old) and it matched perfectly. The paint supply shop matched the top's paint with a color match tool that "read" the body color. I have the remaining paint from that project in a can, however, my painter spilled paint down the can's label so I can't share the color mix info here. If you are interested, PM me and I'lll call the paint shop and see if they have my mixture info on file.

Good luck with your project.