This is the latest, and perhaps greatest, of Franklin’s fiberglass edition Corvettes. It’s also their first issue as a 1966 model year. They’ve outfitted the roadster as a drop-top with a naturally aspirated small block, four-speed tranny and equipped it in Mosport Green with auxiliary hard top and green interior.
Franklin is up to speed with the high tech goodies we like on our models – internal door hinges, the hood’s telescoping prop rod, working suspension that doesn’t cannibalize the stance and ride height of the model and current-technology detailing. Those details include opening headlamp pods, opening tonneau deck hiding a simulated down-top, operational fuel filler door and sunvisors and richly detailed emblems and, “Corvette Sting Ray” foiled-appliqué scripts, forward and aft. I like their understated choice of wheels and thin-line whitewalls and applaud their efforts in ‘colorizing’ the exhaust and contrasting engine parts to offer even more realism with the Vette.
The interior features nice appointments and finely crafted-to-scale touches on dash, console and door trim. The wood wheel comes off very authentically. FM also gives us the option to display the light-weight Vette three ways. They provide a seamless fitting white ‘soft’ top, body color-matching auxiliary hard top and, my favorite method of displaying the car, au natural – topless.
I like the fiberglass versions; I hope FM does all previously issued Corvettes this way and fills in the blanks of the missing years, like this version; very nicely done!
-Tony F Perrone