VIDEO: First Corvette ZR1 delivered to proud papa
Click above for high-res gallery of the Corvette ZR1 at Barrett-Jackson
The very first Corvette ZR1 has rolled off the assembly line at General Motors' assembly plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and the proud owner of the 638-horsepower hellraiser was there in person to claim his prize. Chevy dealer and Corvette aficionado Dave Ressler won his supercharged Vette at the Barrett Jackson auction back in January for the astronomical sum of $1 million dollars, which equals about 10 times the ZR1's base price of $103,300. Ressler was allowed to sit behind the wheel of his rarified Vette as it completed its assembly run and exited the factory, and let his granddaughter, Ayden Lynn, ride along shotgun. The special ZR1 is set apart from other Blue Devlis with a unique VIN number and a LeMans Blue paint job that will appear on no other car. After being performance tested, the ZR1 was put in a trailer and carted back to Montana where it will be put in a museum with Ressler's 45 other Vettes, including his #003 1953 Corvette. We know, that's no way to treat a thoroughbred like the ZR1, but at least Ressler's million bucks went to a good cause.
Check out a local news report of the occasion after the jump.
[Source: Corvette Blogger]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Allan 3:39PM (7/23/2008)
For that price, he should have gotten 2 of them. The first one to put in his "museum" and store forever... and the second to beat the crap out of on the track.
Such a car to sit in a museum. I don't even like the ZR1, but what a waste of fun.
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Artie Lange 3:50PM (7/23/2008)
Then go out, earn more money, and buy it yourself.
Carlos 3:56PM (7/23/2008)
That is exactly what I was thinking a great car like that should never be relegated to a museum.
Torrent 3:59PM (7/23/2008)
You don't like the ZR-1 because you haven't driven one. I haven't either, but I like Corvettes by default, so.....
azzo45 4:08PM (7/23/2008)
The Z06 is a ball to drive... I can only imagine what the ZR1 is like. What car guy dislikes the current Corvette?
Allan 8:06PM (7/23/2008)
What can I say... I'm just not a Corvette guy. They just don't do much for me. I recognize them for their heritage and this one certainly for it's power and what not... just not my thing.
Jason 9:09AM (7/24/2008)
Considering he owns a Corvette museum I'm sure he will have no problems buying an additional ZR1 to abuse at the track.
martin 3:39PM (7/23/2008)
isnt number 3 like the earliest production corvette left around? wow i bet thats some collection, wonder if he has an original zr1 too
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KeatMP 3:57PM (7/23/2008)
Yes. Vin#003 is the earliest production Corvette ever beleived to still be in existence, and it is worth A LOT of money.
Brent 5:10PM (7/23/2008)
Here is what he has:
http://www.thefirstcorvette.com/collection.html
Torrent 5:40PM (7/23/2008)
He has all those? That Bastard.
LMBVette 3:41PM (7/23/2008)
LeMans Blue...definitely the best color!!! ;-)
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KeatMP 3:46PM (7/23/2008)
Thats so awesome. I wish I had the money to buy a car just for it to sit on my showroom floor.
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mk 3:53PM (7/23/2008)
A million bucks for a working car, that could just as well have been a shell.
wow. Just wow.
why bother running the car at the factory, it probably never will run like that again.
I understand driving it sparingly.
As Ferris Beuller so aptly points out:
"A person with priorities so far out-of-whack doesn't deserve such a fine automobile."
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Kicker774 3:58PM (7/23/2008)
Now if only GM could sell more Vettes at this price they wouldn't need the government to bail them out.
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KeatMP 3:58PM (7/23/2008)
This man is a car collector. If you would like the cars you collect to retain there value, you don't drive them. I'm sure he will buy a second one to drive around in.
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jgp 4:56PM (7/23/2008)
So what if it doesn't retain its value?
Once you own something, the money you spent on it is forever gone.
rsfourever 5:07PM (7/23/2008)
"Once you own something, the money you spent on it is forever gone."
until you sell it...
Hike15 4:03PM (7/23/2008)
i believe that news report is wrong because he does not own the oldest corvette in the world, he owns the oldest production vette in the world
kerbeck corvette in jersey has a prototype 1st gen vette on display as the oldest corvette
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s13hybrid 4:03PM (7/23/2008)
I got scared when I saw grandaughter coming up in the article. I was like, oh god a rich snob got to drive it and wrecked it.
Although I think he is an idiot for spending 1 mill on a museum piece, there are paintings that go for a lot more. Now he should go buy the second one off the line for 500k and drive the s*** out of it!
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