Tag: Auctions

  • 1 of 2 surviving 1988 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 prototypes sold for $75,000

    One of two surviving 1988 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 prototypes sold for $75,000 Tuesday in a Cars & Bids online auction.

    As a refresher, the C4-generation Corvette ZR-1 started production in 1990, and became the ultimate General Motors performance car of the early 1990s. Dubbed “King of the Hill” during development, the production version was powered by the 32-valve, DOHC LT5 5.7-liter V-8, which made 380 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque. Modified cylinder heads, a new exhaust system, and valve rain changes bumped output to 405 hp in 1993.

    Chevy farmed out some of the development work to Lotus (which was owned by GM at the time). That’s where this prototype comes into the picture. It was used by Lotus for calibration of the LT5 engine, according to the listing. The seller wrote that it was rescued from a United Kingdom junkyard in the 1990s by one of the Lotus engineers involved in the development program. The seller bought the car from that engineer in 2010.

    1988 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 prototype (Photo by Cars & Bids)

    1988 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 prototype (Photo by Cars & Bids)

    According to the seller, 25 ZR-1 prototypes were built beginning in July 1987,and Mecum Auctions says only two survive. Mecum listed this same car for sale in 2018 and expected the car to sell for $190,000 to $225,000.

    The car was recently restored by the seller, who is the owner of Blue Flame Restorations, which specializes in C1-generation Corvettes. The odometer currently shows 59,200 miles, but actual mileage is unknown, the seller noted.

    C4 ZR-1 production ended in 1995, but the name would live on (minus the hyphen) in the C6 Corvette ZR1 and C7 Corvette ZR1. The latter boasted 755 hp, making it the most powerful production Corvette to date. It was Motor Authority’s Best Car To Buy 2019. A new ZR1 is reportedly on the way, this time with upward of 850 hp.

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  • The last Pontiac Fiero GT sold for $90,000 at auction

    Back in early October, we reported on the consignment to GAA Classic Cars auction of the last 1988 Pontiac Fiero GT produced, and still in its pre-delivery plastic seat covers and driven only 582 miles.

    Auction completed, GAA reports the historic rear-engine two-seater sold for $90,000.

    GAA does not report overall sales total, but did say that 84 percent of the lots offered went away with new owners.

    Ford Mustang Boss 429 on the block

    Ford Mustang Boss 429 on the block

    The top sale of the auction was $285,000 for a 2005 Ford GT in black. A 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, one of 238 produced in candy-apple red, was next at $190,000.

    Among other top sales were a 1967 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 for $147,500 (in a post-block transaction), a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle for $132,500, a 2020 Ford Mustang for $130,000, a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro for $100,000, and a 1970 Dodge Challenger in Plum Crazy purple for $100,000.

    Chevrolet SSR selling for charity

    Chevrolet SSR selling for charity

    Proceeds from a 2004 Chevrolet SSR benefited the Samaritan’s Purse and from a 2018 Can Am Spyder F3-T went to the Road Warrior Foundation.

    The next GAA Classic Car auction is scheduled for February 25-27, 2021 in Greensboro, North Carolina.

    For more information, visit the GAA website.

    This article, written by Larry Edsall, was originally published on ClassicCars.com, an editorial partner of Motor Authority.

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  • Driveable F1 car raced by Takuma Sato up for auction

    About a month after Takuma Sato’s 2020 Indianapolis 500 win, one of his old Formula 1 rides will head to auction. The car in question is a 2002 Jordan Honda EJ12, which auction house The Market claims is fully drivable. The auction runs Sept. 22-29.

    The Jordan team (predecessor of today’s Racing Point squad) had some flashes of competitiveness, but 2002 was a poor season for the team. Sato only managed to score two points (at the Japanese Grand Prix), while teammate Giancarlo Fisichella fared slightly better, with two fifth-place finishes.

    The car going up for auction was used in pre-season testing at Silverstone in January 2002, and was displayed at Jordan’s season launch event the following month, but the listing doesn’t say whether it was actually raced.

    2002 Jordan Honda EJ12 driven by Takuma Sato (photo by The Market)

    2002 Jordan Honda EJ12 driven by Takuma Sato (photo by The Market)

    Of the five EJ12 chassis (the letters are the initials of team owner Eddie Jordan) built, only two are known to survive, according to the seller. The only other known surviving EJ12 is part of Honda’s heritage collection.

    While this car is listed as drivable, it does not have its original Honda V-10 engine. Instead, it has a Judd KV8 Zytec S3000 engine from a Formula 3000 car, coupled to a 5-speed Lola/Hewland paddle-shifted gearbox. This setup is cheaper to run and more usable, according to the seller. The engine was rebuilt sometime in 2016 or 2017, and has only accumulated 500 kilometers (310 miles) out of a 5,000-kilometer (3,106-mile) lifespan since then.

    Multiple sets of spare tires, as well as some spare parts and tools, are included with the sale. The Market expects this car to fetch between $190,000 and $320,000 at current exchange rates.

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