First 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1 has been sold for $925K, proceeds go to charity

At Scottsdale, Arizona, the first 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 with VIN 001 was sold at the Barrett-Jackson  auction for an impressive amount of $925,000. Every single cent that the automaker got from this auction will be going to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, specifically to its Building for America’s Bravest Program.

This foundation was established when the Siller family lost Stephen Siller, on September 11, 2011. He was a firefighter in New York City. This program’s goal is to build smart homes for service members that have been terribly injured and are returning home, as well as first responders. These homes are not only efficient, automated, and easily accessible, but they can also be personalized to the individual’s needs.

As mentioned earlier, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the very first example produced and auctioned. Under its hood is a 6.2 liter LT5 V8 engine that has an output of as much as 755 horsepower (563 kilowatts) and 715 pound feet (969 Newton metres) of torque. The winning bidder can choose whether to get a coupe version or a convertible. The new owner also gets to decide if this will be paired to a seven speed manual transmission with active rev matching or the eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission.

To date, the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is considered the company’s fastest Corvette that has been built since this nameplate was first introduced. Its body is mostly made out of carbon fiber and a sophisticated aerodynamic setup. Of course, the ZR1 has been equipped with performance parts including a magnetic ride control, an electronic limited slip differential, and carbon ceramic Brembo brakes - all these come standard with it.

Craig Jackson, the chairman and CEO of Barrett-Jackson, was very pleased to hear that the first ever ZR1 will be sold for charity. He mentioned that they are fortunate to have the resources to support wonderful organizations that help people who are in need.

As mentioned earlier, the proceeds will help build smart homes for those who are returning from tours of duty and have been devastatingly injured. How often do you hear charities that have that as a vision? At the time of this writing, Barrett-Jackson has around $96 million in total that they have raised for the charity aside from the extra donations that will be raised in Scottsdale. This will definitely bring comfort and joy to countless people who are in need of help.

It is not very often that the automotive industry gets to work with organizations like this, but it is always heart-warming to see it happen, especially as auctions such as this do have a great impact.