VIN 001 of the highly anticipated Chevy Corvette Z06 went under the hammer at the Barrett-Jackson auction event in Scottsdale, Arizona, raising a record $3.6 million for charity. As expected, the car was scooped up by Rick Hendrick, who also won the bid for the first-ever Stingray two years ago.
We don’t know what Rick Hendrick does with all these VIN 001 vehicles he keeps buying at auctions in the past years, but he sure is a charitable person. The man also bought the first-ever Acura NSX from the second generation, the C7 Corvette Z06, and a Toyota GR Supra, before shelling out a record $3 million for the first retail Chevrolet Corvette Stingray in 2020.
Mr. Hendrick broke his record when he placed the winning bid for the “VIN 001” C8 Corvette Z06, at $3.6 million. The price also represents a record sale for a charity vehicle donated by a manufacturer at Barrett-Jackson. The car was driven onto the block by retired Corvette Racing legend Oliver Gavin, so Mr. Hendrick was not the first gentleman who sat behind the wheel.
The car auctioned in Scottsdale is twice as special as the Stingray Rick Hendrick bought in 2020, being both the coveted VIN 001 and a special edition “70th Anniversary” model. On top of having the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 in a production car, the first Corvette Z06 sports a comprehensive visual package and its own set of matching luggage.
All the proceeds from the auction go to charity, in this case to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit focused on building strong, stable, and secure military families. Chevrolet has been a long-time supporter of Operation Homefront. Starting with 2017, Chevrolet has provided seven Silverado full-size trucks to the organization’s headquarters and six regional offices and donated funding for services, but the money from the Barrett-Jackson auction significantly raises the funding support Chevrolet has been able to provide to Operation Homefront.
For the rest of the mortals out there, regular production of the most powerful C8 Corvette will start in May, although it is unclear when the first customers will get their cars. Right now, the waiting time for a C8 Corvette Stingray stretches three to four years and Chevrolet will surely have a hard time finding the slots on the production line for the Z06.
Mr. Hendrick broke his record when he placed the winning bid for the “VIN 001” C8 Corvette Z06, at $3.6 million. The price also represents a record sale for a charity vehicle donated by a manufacturer at Barrett-Jackson. The car was driven onto the block by retired Corvette Racing legend Oliver Gavin, so Mr. Hendrick was not the first gentleman who sat behind the wheel.
The car auctioned in Scottsdale is twice as special as the Stingray Rick Hendrick bought in 2020, being both the coveted VIN 001 and a special edition “70th Anniversary” model. On top of having the most powerful naturally-aspirated V8 in a production car, the first Corvette Z06 sports a comprehensive visual package and its own set of matching luggage.
All the proceeds from the auction go to charity, in this case to Operation Homefront, a national nonprofit focused on building strong, stable, and secure military families. Chevrolet has been a long-time supporter of Operation Homefront. Starting with 2017, Chevrolet has provided seven Silverado full-size trucks to the organization’s headquarters and six regional offices and donated funding for services, but the money from the Barrett-Jackson auction significantly raises the funding support Chevrolet has been able to provide to Operation Homefront.
For the rest of the mortals out there, regular production of the most powerful C8 Corvette will start in May, although it is unclear when the first customers will get their cars. Right now, the waiting time for a C8 Corvette Stingray stretches three to four years and Chevrolet will surely have a hard time finding the slots on the production line for the Z06.