Corvette: Sales, News & Lifestyle

Mecum’s Spring Indy Event Delivers on Second Generation Corvettes

Rick Tavel — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:01:34 +0000

Dana Mecum’s spectacular annual Spring Indy Auction is now history and though the auction set pricing records with two Mustangs that sold for over a million dollars each, it was more of a “mixed bag” when it came to Corvettes.

It was really no surprise to see the 200 quality Corvettes Mecum uncovered and offered for sale just prior to his Bloomington Gold Events which is totally Corvette focused. And it was the quality level of Corvettes which accounted for the good and bad news.

The quality of the cars accounted for a 25% increase in the average price paid for a Corvette this year on $6.6 million dollars in sales. That’s the good news, the bad is if you are looking for a bargain in early generation cars they will be difficult to find. But there were more stories to Mecum’s 26th annual Indianapolis Spring Auction other than the 200 Corvettes that crossed the block from May 14th through the 19th.

The first surprise was there was only a 55% Corvette sell through, only 110 of the 200 Corvettes that crossed the block were hammered down as sold, selling almost 25% fewer Corvettes than the year before. But perhaps that is the result of the owners’ high reserves placed on their cars based on over-optimistic expectations on the prices their cars would bring in light of the improving economy and recent market trends.

It was the outstanding second generation cars and restomods which carried the Corvette category of the auction. The 2013 average price for second generation Corvettes jumped a staggering 63% to almost $105K versus the 2012 average price of almost $65K. And even when prices have been adjusted (removing the “museum cars” which sell for prices which distort the averages) the C2′s amazingly jumped 35% to almost $87K. And owners of these highly desirable C2′s were holding out to get the highest possible prices, sometimes in light of the high offer was considerably higher than similar cars sold in past auctions.

As an example one of the lots, a 1967 427 4-speed with several prestigious awards failed to meet the owner’s reserve even though the high bid exceeded $225K. In 2009 a very comparable car was sold for $137K.

Further evidence of the strength of the early generation sales was two second generation cars made it to the top ten of all sales, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible 427/400 HP (Lot F197) crossed the block at $610K, just behind the 2 million dollar Mustangs. The number eight seller was a 1963 split window coupe (Lot F199) which was hammered down at $240K. A first generation 1953 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster (Lot S150.1) was number seven in the auction selling for $250K.

Third generation cars were weak in the 2013 Indy event, the average price actually fell 22% and there were 37% fewer C3′s hammered down than in 2012. Though it appears the third generation cars are currently soft the drop appears to be more indicative of the overall quality level of the C3’s offered this year. The fourth generation prices held almost exactly the same as last year with the average price coming in at a little over $17K, but keep in mind that almost half the C4’s were ZR1’s which consistently sold for about $20K. Few fifth and sixth generation cars were offered.

This year’s auction showcased and sold five high quality restomod Corvettes. This category alone accounted for $722K and a silver 1967 convertible with a C6 ZR1 suspension and a 525 HP LS3 crate engine was sold for $210K. This category continues to show strength in the auction market and offer the buyer the ability to cruise in comfort with modern amenities upgraded performance but the question remains about the long term investment value of these cars.

So that is the “good, the bad, and the ugly” for Corvette enthusiasts at Dana Mecum’s 26th Original Spring Classic. If you are one of the lucky enthusiasts who happens to own a C2, if it needs some money spent on it, go for it, from what took place in Indianapolis it would appear it is only an investment.

And if you love automobiles you would have appreciated the other great cars at the auction, even though the “hype” over the restomod Mustang, “Eleanor”, and the 1967 Shelby GT500 “Super Snake” may have overshadowed some equally significant cars being offered. The next auction on Mecum’s busy annual event calendar is the Bloomington Gold Auction which starts June 29th in Champaign, Illinois. It is hard to imagine that Mecum will be able to improve the Corvette offerings at the Bloomington Gold event over the Spring event, but if you know anything about Dana Mecum you know he will.

Source:
Mecum Auctions

[ACCIDENT] Mans Buys a C5 Corvette, Crashes into Power Line Pole

Keith Cornett — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:35:25 +0000

“With great power comes great responsbility.”

That line from SpiderMan could have saved Battle Ground, Washington resident Ethan Cross a world of hurt.

According to KATU.com, the 42 year old cross has just purchased the light-colored Convertible when he crashed into a power line pole in Boring, Oregon.

Authorities responded to the wreck just after 9:00 pm on Tuesday evening at Southeast Bakers Ferry Road and Highway 224. Police said the driver was speeding and was cited for reckless driving.

Although he was not hurt in the crash, the driver was trapped inside his car for over an hour due to the fallen powerlines. It also knocked out electrical service to more than 2,000 homes.

KATU.com mistakenly identifies the Corvette involed in the accident as a 1989 model, but based on its body style and wheels, we’re pretty sure they meant to say it’s a 1998 Corvette.

Source:
KATU.com
Photos courtesy of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.

49ers Coach Jim Harbaugh to Pace the Indy 500 in the 2014 Corvette Stingray

Keith Cornett — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:12:42 +0000

Earlier this month we learned the 2014 Corvette Stingray would be pacing the 97th running of the Indianapolis 500 and now we know who will be driving the Laguna Blue Stingray. Jim Harbaugh, coach of the NFL’s San Francisco 49ers has been named the official pace car driver and will lead the 33 Indy Cars and their drivers to the Green Flag this Sunday afternoon.

Harbaugh is no stranger to Indianapolis or IndyCar racing. He served as the Indianapolis Colts Quarterback from 1994-97, winning a pro bowl berth in 1995. He also is a principal at Panther Racing which is fielding a two-car team with drivers J.R. Hildebrand and Townsend Bell. Hildebrand will drive the No. 4 National Guard Chevrolet and Bell will be in the No. 60 Sunoco “Turbo” Chevrolet.

“As a longtime racing fan and someone who has always followed the Indianapolis 500, the honor to drive the pace car comes as a tremendous thrill,” said Harbaugh. “Doing it in the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray makes it even better. It’s an iconic car leading an iconic race.”

This will be a record 12th time the Corvette has been named the official Pace Car since its first start in 1978. The new 2014 Corvette Stingray will have no problems leading the IndyCar and its only modifications are the safety equipment and stobe lights, as well as the special Indy 500 decals.

“It’s great to have a true racing fan like Jim Harbaugh drive the Corvette pace car,” said Jim Campbell, U.S. vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports. “He personifies the Indianapolis 500’s spirit of competition – and he’s a true athlete, just like the all-new Corvette Stingray.”

The 2014 Corvette Stingray will start production soon with the first models shipping to dealers later this summer. The Convertible model will follow and will be available at the end of the year. Pricing for the 2014 Corvette Stingray starts at $51,995 for the Coupe and $56,995 for the Convertible model.

The 97th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled to start at noon (ET) Sunday, May 26. The race will be televised on ABC.

Source:
General Motors
Photo Credit: BeyondtheScore.wordpress.com

Black ‘n Blue 1967 Corvette Convertible Sells for $610,000 at Mecum’s Indy Auction

Keith Cornett — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:14:15 +0000

One of the most decorated mid-year Corvettes hit the auction block at Mecum’s 26th Annual Spring Classic last Friday and the results were nothing less than spectacular. Up for sale was the Triple Crown award winning 1967 Corvette Convertible known as “Black ‘n Blue” for its Tuxedo Black exterior highlighted with a Blue hood stinger, Blue convertible top and a Blue interior. When the hammer fell, the Corvette was sold for $610,000.

The 1967 Corvette was sold new by Mattingley-Rapier Chevrolet in Danville, Kentucky. Powered by a numbers matching 427/400 HP Tri-Power V8 and a 4-speed manual transmission, the Corvette is highly optioned with power steering and brakes, power windows, telescopic steering wheel, auxiliary hard top and factory air conditioning.

Of the 815 Tuxedo Black Corvettes produced in 1967, it’s only one of four Corvettes known to exist with Tuxedo Black Paint and blue interior. Other accents include a teal blue soft top, blue Stinger hood and Goodyear Blue Streak tires.

The Corvette is documented with the original tank sticker, Protect-O-Plate, owner’s manual, title search, award certificates and judging sheets. The Corvette’s documentation also includes a personal letter of authentication from the original owner.

The “Black ‘n Blue” 1967 Corvette Sting Ray has received just about every award the Corvette hobby has to offer including Bloomington Gold Certification and an NCRS Top Flight Award. Other awards include the VetteFest Triple Crown, Gold Spinner Concours and Top Gun award, and it took first place at the Meadowbrook Concours d’Elegance.

The estimate of the sale on Mecum’s Catalog listing was $600,000-$750,000. Although the Corvette sold at the low end, we’re sure both the buyer and seller are pretty happy with the $610,000 hammer price considering it was the third highest priced car to sell during Mecum’s 2013 Spring Classic.

Mecum Auction’s next event is June 29th at Bloomington Gold. The auction will take place at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall Grounds in Champaign, IL. Visit Mecum.com for more details.

Source:
Mecum Auctions

Key Corvette Managers Receive Callaway Corvette Commemorative Books

Mitch Talley — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:11:25 +0000

Callaway Corvettes have a long history with Chevrolet’s sports car.

To commemorate that history that goes all the way back to 1987, Callaway’s Dealer Program Manager Chris Chessnoe gave key members of the Corvette engineering, product management, and production staff a copy of a new book by Reeves Callaway.

The presentation came during last weekend’s annual National Corvette Museum Bash, where Chessnoe was participating in a Museum Delivery of a new Callaway Corvette.

He talked to the group of GM officials about a 155,000-mile Callaway Corvette demonstrator on display at the Bash, then gave each of them a copy of the new 86-page book, “Callaway Corvette 25th Anniversary Limited Edition RPO B2K,” written by Reeves Callaway.

Click here to view the full size image.

From left to right: Art Spong – GM Quality Manager; Tom Hill – Corvette Quality Manager; John Fitzpatrick – Marketing Manager, Chevrolet Performance Cars; Mike Chessnoe – Callaway Account Manager; Harlan Charles – Corvette Product & Marketing Manager; Chris Chessnoe – Callaway Dealer Program Manager; Dave Tatman – Bowling Green Assembly Plant Manager; Steve Grilli – Bowling Green Quality Manager; Tadge Juechter – Vehicle Line Director, Corvette. Foreground: 2010 Callaway Corvette SC606 Demonstrator, odometer reading: 155,000 miles.

The new book tells how the commemorative Callaway Corvette model was developed and produced at the end of the 2012 model year. Twenty-five specially prepared Corvette – 14 coupes and 11 convertibles – were built at the Bowling Green assembly plant and then sent to Callaway facilities for final assembly. An 8-1/2″ x 11″ yellow card indicating “Callaway Special Edition” was attached to the outside of each car as it made its way through the Bowling Green plant, then placed on top of the car’s dashboard upon completion.

A few fortunate owners coordinated their National Corvette Museum Buyer’s Tour with the production date and watched their B2K’s being assembled, along with some of the Callaway staff and an enthusiastic Chevrolet crew. In fact, some of the Bowling Green assembly team compared the cars to the RPO B2K of the 1987-1991 era, as they had worked on those cars as well.

To mark the occasion, Chevrolet reinstated Regular Production Option (RPO) B2K, the same option code they had given to the 1987-91 Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes a quarter century earlier.

In a foreword to the book written by Eli Reeves Callaway III, he says the 25th Anniversary Limited Edition Callaway Corvette is simply the best Callaway Corvette that we’ve ever produced.

“This model carries the DNA of the 1987 RPO B2K Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette and incorporates lessons gleaned from numerous engineering projects undertaken by Callaway since then,” he writes.

After 25 specially prepared 2012 Cyber Gray Corvettes were prepared by the factory, Callaway writes that Callaway engineers then went to work on the new B2K specification, addressing power, handling, aerodynamics, and aesthetics.

“The result: 620 supercharged horsepower, Nurburgring-tested dampers and Callaway-manufactured carbon fiber body components,” he writes. “Commemorative exterior and interior upgrades and unique 25th Anniversary badging and documentation were standard. Exacting engine management system calibration and thorough vehicle testing produced perfect drivability and validated durability, allowing normal servicing by any Chevrolet dealer.”

In the book, Callaway presents some background leading to the construction of the first-generation Callaway Corvettes, how the model evolved over the years, and how, 25 years after the introduction of the 1987 Callaway Corvette, the 2012 RPO B2K Callaway Corvette was born.

“We’re proud of our association with Chevrolet and of the 25th Anniversary Callaway Corvettes that we’ve produced,” Callaway writes.

You can find a copy of the book on Callaway Cars Online Store, shop.callawaycars.com, and on www.Blurb.com.

Source:
CallawayCars.com

[VIDEO] Chevy Sends a Daddy Blogger to Drive a Corvette at Ron Fellow’s Driving School

Mitch Talley — Tue, 21 May 2013 14:10:05 +0000

Chevy has a great new video posted on YouTube that offers us a first-hand look at how a blogger from DadCentric.com makes so much progress behind the wheel of a Corvette Z06 thanks to the skills he learns at the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School.

The day at Spring Mountain Resorts, located about an hour west of Las Vegas, gave Greg Barbera the chance to fulfill a lifelong fantasy to learn how to drive a racecar.

Chief driving instructor Rick Malone of the Ron Fellows School has Greg driving laps in a Corvette Z06 like a pro by the end of the day after teaching him car control, shifting, and cornering techniques. First up is heel /toe downshifting, followed by a dry handling oval exercise that teaches drivers how to enter and exit a turn properly.

“Almost reminds me of playing football where you don’t want to look at every player on the field,” Greg says. “You just want to look at either the person you want to avoid or tackle.”

Now it’s time to get serious and put the helmets on for the wet figure 8 exercise.

“It’s kinda like being on a roller coaster,” Greg says. “You don’t really address the adrenaline that’s going through you until you get out because the whole time you’re just in survival mode!”

Rick gives us some insight into what it’s like to drive on the Spring Mountain track every day. “It doesn’t get boring driving the same track over and over,” he says. “Absolutely not! Every time I go on that track, it’s like my first time around that track.”

Greg sums up his experience with this statement: “Before I started the day, I’d never driven this car. And by the end of the day I’m driving around, laps by myself. That’s… ridunkulous!”

How about you? Have you checked this experience off your bucket list?

Source:
Chevrolet on YouTube

[VANITY PLATES] Seriously, what are the odds that bring this Mustang and Corvette together?

Keith Cornett — Tue, 21 May 2013 01:44:54 +0000

The picture says it all. Shared on facebook.

Virginia Man is Fulfilling Life Long Dream to Get His Kicks on Route 66

Mitch Talley — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:17:36 +0000

Photo Credit: Peter Cihelka / The Free Lance-Star

If you see a white C5 convertible on Route 66 over the next few days, you might just be witnessing a dream coming true.

Bob Welborn, a 62-year-old Corvette enthusiast, was up before the sun last Thursday morning, heading west to live out a boyhood fantasy of driving cross-country, the way Tod and Buz did in the 1960s TV show “Route 66.”

“It’s something I’ve always wanted to do, and I just made up my mind that this year, I’m gonna do it,” Welborn said. “I’m not getting any younger, and my health’s not getting any better.”

It’s not that Welborn has never seen the country. As a worker for a moving company, he traveled from Washington, D.C., to California for years.

But now he wants to see America from behind the wheel of his Corvette.

His only regret is that his brother John isn’t alive to share the adventure with him. Sadly, John passed away from a ruptured aorta 10 years ago, but his spirit will accompany his brother along the way. In fact, Bob says he’ll use the time to reflect on all those trips across America that he made with John when the two were both working for moving companies. He plans to record his experiences each day in a journal.

In case you’re thinking this is a leisurely paced trip, think again. Since Bob is a former truck driver, he doesn’t worry about covering long distances and says his pace may be as much as 900 miles in a day. The whole trip could cover 6,000 miles in seven days.

That is, if his back holds up. The toll of driving trucks and loading furniture for years forced Bob to retire on disability seven years ago, and he’s undergone 10 surgeries on his spine and three operations to fuse vertebrae together.

Bob has that formidable Corvette spirit, though, and with the inspiration of a dream that’s now more than half a century old, we wouldn’t be surprised to hear that he makes it to the Oklahoma Route 66 Museum in Clinton, where he plans to make a photo of his car in front of it.

As Bob puts it, “you don’t give up on your dreams. People get old because they let themselves think they’re old.”

Source:
Fredericksburg.com
Photo Credit: Peter Cihelka / The Free Lance-Star

[PIC] C7 Corvette Stingrays on an Auto Transport

Keith Cornett — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:45:35 +0000

No more will you be seeing auto transports rolling down the road filled with colorful Corvettes from the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. GM will be transporting the new 2014 Corvette Stingrays to dealers with a special new cover to help protect the new cars as they are in transit.

We got word about the new covers after speaking with Quality Manager Tom Hill at the 2013 NCM Bash. Hill said that they’ve been making test runs with loaded transports up and down the interstate and were following the Stingrays in video-equipped chase vehicles to monitor and review how well the covers do their job.

It’s just another sign that shows how far Chevrolet has come to insure that the customer gets their new Corvette in the best condition possible.

The fate of the covers once the new Corvettes reach their destination is unknown.

Here’s one more image from Corvette7.com:

Source:
Corvette7.com

2013 Corvette Coupe Wins Strategic Vision’s Total Quality Award

Steve Burns — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:32:44 +0000

Strategic Vision announced the winners of their 18th annual Total Quality Awards last week. Just like last year, the Chevrolet Corvette Coupe took best of show honors in the Premium Coupe category. The C6 also topped the Premium Convertible/Roadster division as well. For the first time in more than 10 years, domestic cars make up a majority of the Total Quality Award winners.

The Strategic Vision Total Quality award takes into account explicit owner statements on 442 vehicle attributes. It also looks at factors such as warranty, technical innovation, standard equipment, fuel economy, and others. Each category is given a weighted value.

“Our on-going, revolutionary goal is always capturing the hearts and minds of the customer’s decision-making. That is why we use scales that include: 5) I Love It, 4) Delightful, 3) Excellent, 2) Satisfactory and 1) A Failure. We use specific aspects of specific emotions to create a scale that captures concrete judgments with great clarity, thus we have Total Quality,” said Darrel Edwards, Ph.D., Founder and Executive Chairman of Strategic Vision.

The 2013 Total Quality data derived from 17,568 buyers who acquired new 2013 cars between September and November 2012.

The Corvette Coupe accumulated 931 total points in this year’s survey. That’s up from 812 points in 2012 when it beat out the Cadillac CTS. Over in the Premium Convertible/Roadster category the C6 beat out the Porsche Boxster by a score of 959 to 957.

Now that the sixth generation Corvette has ended production we imagine it’s just a matter of time before the awards start rolling in the C7 Corvette.

Source:
Strategic Vision via Autoblog