In what has become a tradition at Chevrolet and Barrett-Jackson, the first 2025 Corvette ZR1 scheduled for retail production will be auctioned off for charity. It will cross the border during Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale event, which runs from January 18 to 26.
Technically, the car at the auction is just a placeholder. Series production of the 230-mph ‘Vette hasn’t started yet, so bidders will essentially be paying for the opportunity to get their hands on the first car. As such, it can be optioned as the buyer wishes. And let’s be honest for a moment. That buyer will almost certainly be NASCAR guru Rick Hendrick.
Photo by: Chevrolet
Hendrick already has an extensive collection of new and old Corvettes, including a slew of chassis numbers ending in 001. He purchased the first retail C8, the first Z06, the first Z06 convertible and most recently the first Corvette E-Ray. . Each went for more than $1 million, with the Z06 leading them all with a whopping $3.6 million. Instead of pocketing the money, Chevrolet sends all proceeds to charity. This year, sales will benefit the American Red Cross.
There is certainly reason to believe that this auction could top the purchase of Hendrick’s Z06. Debuting earlier this year, the 2025 ZR1 is the quickest, quickest and most powerful factory Corvette ever. It can reach 60 mph in just 2.3 seconds, and GM president Mark Reuss took it to a top speed of 231 mph. Chevrolet has tested the ZR1 at the Nürburgring, but official lap times have not yet been announced. Ford recently claimed the North American record with the Mustang GTD, breaking the seven-minute mark. But with 1,064 horsepower and an aggressive aero package, it’s widely believed the ZR1 can beat that time.
Any idea how much it will fetch at auction? Jump into the comments and let us know.