Variety is the spice of life,” it’s said, and in the late 1960s Chevrolet gave us the entire rack. From mild oregano to screaming hot curry and jalapeño, the 1969 Corvette could match any taste.

First choice was the body: convertible or the hot new T-top that acted like a convertible when the panels and rear window were removed. Either way, the C3 Corvette was a stunning car in its day. Said Car and Driver magazine: “It’s a brutal, masculine looking machine with a shape that suggests a slightly overweight Group 7 sports racer or one of the Le Mans Ferraris when they were winning…”

Other options could dress the Corvette in many distinctive ways, from chrome trim for the fender louvers to side pipes and the gorgeous but heavy alloy wheels. Inside, there were plenty of choices, too, from the standard vinyl interior to the Deluxe option with leather surfaces. But the real decisions came when ordering the Corvette’s power, with no less than seven distinct options:

1. Base 350-ci 300-hp. Nothing to apologize for here, the standard small block could move the ’69 Corvette with authority, or idle in traffic with no problem.

2. L78 350-ci 350-hp. While not in the same league as the late lamented Fuelies, the L78 was a joy to drive, with better balance than the big-block cars.

3. L36 427-ci 390-hp. Chief engineer Zora Duntov intended the L36 to offer effortless cruising, with automatic transmission and air conditioning options not hurting the car’s performance one iota.

4. L68 427-ci 400-hp tri-carb. The three deuce setup, similar to the one Pontiac used on the GTO for years, gave the 427 better driveability and fuel economy. Unlike the higher horsepower cars, you could still get automatic transmission and air conditioning with the L68. A true Grand Tourer.

5. L71 427-ci 435-hp tri-carb. The legendary L71 was the top street performer of the bunch, but with its wild cam and high compression, hardly a refined driving experience, as Car and Driver found: “Despite any efforts to soften its latent toughness with such niceties as power windows and an AM/FM radio, our Corvette came across as one thundering, hammering brute of an automobile. Its giant exhaust pipes, its fat, blackwall tires, and its disheveled surface gave it a fierce countenance indeed, but the incredible power of the beast didn’t become apparent until its giant engine began to thump away and its wheels began to roll. Then it became a truly visceral experience to motor along in the Corvette—at any speed. Tires whining, the awesome rumble of the exhaust sweeping through the cockpit, the emission pump pulley screeching, the fiberglass body creaking; sounds of a genuinely exciting vehicle.”

6. L89 427-ci 435-hp tri-carb. Take the classic muscle of the L71 and add aluminum cylinder heads, and it came back: balance. The alloy heads shaved 200 lbs off the weight of the engine. The average motorist would not notice the transformation, but someone driving an L89 would—quicker turn-in, better braking, that satisfying feel of balance. Road & Track magazine commented: “No question about it, the Corvette is one of the best handling front-engined production cars in the world, under the specialized conditions for which it was designed. What the car is designed for is going fast on a smooth track, and for this it can be bettered only by cars with less polar inertia (mid-engine cars). ”

7. L88 427-ci 430-hp. A factory race car, and nothing less, its hand-built engine was rated a laughable 430-hp to discourage buyers from using it on the street. The L88’s element was places like Daytona, Le Mans, and Elkhart Lake, propelled with over 500-plus raw horsepower. In 1986, Road & Track took an original 1968 L88 to Willow Springs International Raceway and discovered “the thin-rim steering wheel extends back to the driver’s chest, the controls are heavy if quick, and the idling is something the radical cam doesn’t allow. There’s no shroud for the radiator and traffic must be driven around, while summer heat comes pouring in. On the open road the car is warm and noisy and leaves no road irregularity undetected. None of this is a surprise, indeed it mostly serves to remind us that when Duntov told the public not to buy the L88 for use on public roads, he was giving good advice.”

Quite simply, all seven Corvettes have a purpose; it depends on how the owner intended to use the car. Corvette enthusiasts could easily call them The Magnificent Seven. The Corvette marketplace, however, tends to ignore anything with less than 435 hp. Owners of documented, above-average L71, L89, and L88 Corvettes can just about write a six-figure meal ticket. Own one of the other fine Corvettes from this era and the expectations are much lower. That’s great for buyers who appreciate what these cars were intended for and are looking for a fine vintage driving experience. But for those trying to sell one of these cars, well, it’s more like The Magnificent Three.