The First Chevrolet Corvette C8 Has Sold For $3m, But Isn’t Even Built Yet

The very first production Chevrolet Corvette C8 has been sold at auction for $3 million - even though it won’t yet be built for weeks.

In a packed auction room during the Scottsdale, Arizona sale hosted by Barrett-Jackson, bidding opened at a never-realistic $200,000 before racing past $1 million and slowing down on its way past $2 million, eventually selling to Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsport, for a nice, round $3 million.

The auction, attended by General Motors CEO Mary Barra, was in aid of the Detroit Children’s Fund, which aims to help develop quality education across the city, improving poor schools, investing in schools where there’s money to be made and always reinvesting the profits. The charity receives 100 per cent of the hammer price.

Remarkably, the car that attracted the huge price tag hasn’t actually been built yet. Instead, this red pre-series example was used as a ‘representative example’ for bidders. The real bearer of VIN #001 will be black, with a black interior including GT2 seats, plus the Z51 performance pack, 3LT trim and the optional data recorder.

Hendrick is a serial collector of ‘first cars.’ He already owns the first 2019 Ford GT Heritage Edition (a $2.5 million treat), the first 2018 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, the first 2017 Acura NSX and a trio of ‘first’ C7 Corvettes. He said after winning the auction:

“I am the number one Corvette junkie in the world. Thanks to Chevrolet and Barrett-Jackson, because they always pick charities that are so good and help so many people.”