Byline: H. Lee Murphy
Talk about inflation protection. Steve Bramati, a bond trader from suburban Deer Park, spent $155,000 for a rare 1969 Corvette L88 just five years ago. Today it's worth more than $400,000.
Among Corvette fans, the L88 is the holy grail of car collecting. There were only 216 special-order L88s made between 1967 and 1969, and they were juiced with an unprecedented 565 horsepower that enabled them to go well over 200 mph. Owners in that lead-rich gasoline era would drive them on the streets Monday through Friday, then race them on weekends with little or no alterations to the engine.
This Thursday through Sunday, the nation's biggest annual ...