GOLD COLLECTION 2026:
Celebrating 250 Years of America!
The 2026 Gold Collection Goes Red, White & Blue!
Celebrate America’s 250th Anniversary with Bloomington Gold
In honor of America’s 250th anniversary, the 2026 Gold Collection will showcase a spectacular patriotic display. Experience a stunning gathering of some of the finest and rarest red, white, and blue Corvettes from across the country—brought together for a one-of-a-kind celebration you won’t want to miss.
Admission to the Gold Collection on Friday and Saturday is included with your regular admission ticket.
Bloomington Gold is open to the public.
The ONLY Red/Red 1967 L88 Corvette will be at Bloomington Gold this June!
2026 Gold Gala
Buy Gala Tickets Here!
Entry Map for Gold Gala
Story 1971 LS6 Coupe
15065
The 1971 425 HP LS6 engine was the last high performance big block engine installed in any Chevrolet vehicle and was only available in the Corvette. It is a high revving solid lifter engine with aluminum heads and a big Holly 4 barrel carburetor. There were a total of 188 Corvettes built with this engine.
This car was sold new at Holsapple Chevrolet-Buick in Salem Illinois on 4/26/71. It is equipped with LS6 engine, M22 transmission, power brakes, power steering, rear window defroster, tilt-tele steering, stereo radio, & 3.70 axle ratio.
Documentation includes window sticker, Protect-O-Plate, tank sticker, and dealer sales invoice. This car retains it’s original (though tired) paint, interior, and drive-line. Mileage is 41,732.
1971 Corvette LS6 Convertible
s/n 13525
Dianne Wilson worked at Harvey Lane Chevrolet in Pascagoula, MS. They were unloading a red 1971 Corvette convertible in front of the dealership when Dianne and a couple of other employees walked outside to watch. One of the service representatives was inspecting the Corvette and Dianne said “that is a beautiful car” and he asked if she would like to go for a ride. They went for a short ride, then the car was serviced and placed on the show room floor where it remained for nine months until sold to a man whose wife did not like the car because it had no a/c. Two weeks and 600 miles later, Dianne saw the Corvette being traded in and told the used car manager that she wanted to buy it. A few days later we were proud owners of a 1971 LS-6 Corvette.
Ron & Dianne Wilson owned the car until sold in 2014. It currently has 13,222 miles and is equipped with the LS6 engine, M22 transmission, power steering, power brakes, 4.11 axle ratio, radio, and the factory system. Awards include NCRS Top Flight, Bloomington Gold Certified, Silver Survivor, & Benchmark
Zora Arkus-Duntov's Big Plans for 1971 Corvette
Chevrolet engineers led by Zora Arkus-Duntov had big plans for the 1971 Corvette: developing a successor to the all-conquering L88. Dubbed LS7, it was essentially the L88 bored out to 454 CI and used the same basic internals and aluminum heads. Sadly, the LS7 was suddenly dropped before production, the result of Chevrolet executives bent on keeping a lid on performance, even in the Corvette. The LS7 and the L46 350/350 HP small-block were also victims of the GM-wide “deproliferation” program designed to simplify assembly line production and reduce costly or redundant options. Fortunately, Arkus-Duntov had an answer to the LS7’s demise: the LS6, which had just been dropped from the Chevelle lineup. In comparison to the 1970 SS454 Chevelle at 450 HP and 500 lb-ft of torque, the LS6 received a cut in compression, as did all other Corvette engines, specifically from 11.25:1 to 9.0:1. Yet, the LS6 still packed a serious punch with 425 HP at 5,600 RPM and 475 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 RPM, interesting numbers given the LS6’s 6,500 RPM redline and the switch to SAE net-horsepower figures.
