The dust has settled after the 2023 Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Auction. With $30.8 million in total auction sales, and an additional $865,000 raised for charity, Barrett-Jackson certainly added to the city’s title of “Entertainment Capital of the World” due to the chatter of the auctioneers and nail-biting bids to benefit Kristi House and the American Cancer Society.
Among the cars that contributed to the $30+ million were a host of Corvettes and Chevrolets to spin every enthusiast’s bow tie. In fact, two of them were in the Top 10 of (non-charity) vehicle sales. Here are those two plus several other notable Chevys.
$282,700: 2023 Corvette Z06 70th Anniversary Convertible
The above sounds like a mouthful but break it down and it all makes sense: take one Corvette, move up to the 670-horsepower Z06 and then select the convertible. Add the 70th Anniversary Edition regalia with Pearl Metallic Tri-Coat paint and Satin Matrix Gray stripes, which also includes the Carbon Flash 20-spoke wheels with red stripe. Opt for the 3LZ trim level — mandatory for the 70th package — and you’ll receive a leather-wrapped interior and GT2 seats in Napa leather, among other features. The 70th Anniversary cabin consists of an exclusive Ceramic White leather with Red Stitch interior plus red seat belts. Add the Z07 Performance Package with track-friendly tires, Carbon Aero Package, and a host of other options and you now have a vehicle (VIN 00036) that was worth $282,700 to one lucky bidder.
$275,000: 1961 Corvette Custom Convertible
The 1961 Corvette was the first of the “ducktail” C1s and the last of the 283s. Of course, to achieve a restomod of this caliber, the original small-block and tranny were tossed aside and a modern supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 and 8L90E eight-speed automatic with tap shifter were put in place. House of Kolor Orion Silver paint with white coves were slathered all over the fiberglass flanks, with that body sitting on an Art Morrison GT Sport front suspension chassis that’s augmented by a triangulated four-bar suspension with Strange coilover shocks, adjustable sway bar, and nine-inch rear. There’s plenty of other modifications and features worth telling but it won’t matter because the Vette found a new owner for $275,000.
$187,000: 2023 Corvette Z06 Convertible
Here’s a more “normal” Z06 convertible. This Hypersonic Gray Metallic Corvette also features the top 3LZ trim level (trivia: Stingrays use LT trim levels, Z06s use LZ) with dark gray suede and Adrenaline Red Napa leather interior. The steering wheel, shift paddles, and Level Two interior package are all derived from carbon fiber. The carbon ceramic brakes are another one of the many options that allows you to tailor-make your Corvette. If you don’t like the restrictions of the 70th Anniversary Corvette yet you lust after a 670-horsepower 5.5-liter DOHC V8 with a flat-plane crank, this was a very attractive way to go. With 902 miles, this Z06 sold for $187,000.
$187,000: 2023 Corvette Z06 Coupe
Compare the above convertible with this red Z06 coupe. It too was ordered in the 3LZ trim level with Napa leather, carbon fiber accents, and even more leather. Front lift with memory is a neat feature that, within seconds, raises the front of the Corvette approximately two inches at low speeds. What’s even cooler is that the computer can remember up to a thousand GPS locations so you can clear low obstacles on your drives. With 63 miles, this coupe is brand-new and sold for the same price as the convertible. Which one would you choose?
$185,900: 1956 Bel Air Custom Coupe
Some people are 1955 folks, others are 1956, and the kids love the ’57. Built by Ralph Holguin and RMD Garage, this 1956 Bel Air hardtop includes an Art Morrison chassis featuring coilovers and Wilwood disc brakes, 6.2-liter LS4 with four-speed automatic, aluminum intake manifold, Eddie Motorsports pulleys, custom three-inch Borla exhaust, and more. Inside, the custom Moore & Giles leather interior is complemented by a RMD Garage-branded custom dash cluster by Classic Instruments, Restomod Air system, smoked Auto City Classic power windows and a custom Kicker stereo. Clearly there are enough folks who love the middle child because someone was willing to bid $185,900 for the win.
$170,500: 2019 Camaro ZL1 Hennessey “Resurrection”
Sure, Chevrolet hasn’t thrown its chips all in in the horsepower sweepstakes the way Dodge has, which somewhat echoes the 1960s when General Motors limited engines and horsepower on everything but full-sizers and the Corvette. Chevrolet in particular would rely on grass roots operations to transplant 427s in Camaros, Chevelles, and Novas, and here we have some déjà vu with Hennessey’s take on the Camaro ZL1. Horsepower was originally 650 with a supercharged LT4, but Hennessey switched to the LT5 from the C7 ZR1 and built it up to 1,200 horses. To boot, this is 1,438-mile Camaro is car #1 out of 24 built. For $170,500, someone got exclusivity and the right to ask, “SRT Demon 170 who?”
$165,000: 1955 Bel Air Custom Coupe
Or maybe you prefer the ’55? Here’s a different variation of the same formula: a 383 stroker with Holley fuel system including 750 CFM carburetor, aluminum intake manifold and heads, custom Earl Williams headers and hand-built exhaust with titanium thermal-coated Flowmaster Super 40 Series mufflers with titanium thermal coating, and plenty more — certainly more old school than the ’56 above. The mechanical forces are harnessed by a 700R4 automatic and Ford nine-inch rear with Currie axles. The hand-built Earl Williams boxed frame is fitted with a Heidts front end, four-link rear suspension kit, and QA1 adjustable coilovers. The custom interior features Lexus front seats and custom jobs out back, plus Pioneer, Rockford, and Fosgate stereo components, Classic Instruments gauges, Vintage Air . . . you get the idea. Someone else got the idea for $165,000.
$165,000: 1957 Corvette Fuelie
People always remember the fuel-injected 283-horsepower 283, but there also was a milder 250-horse version that shared the same state of tune as the 245-horse dual-quad small-block. Interestingly, Powerglide was available with the 250-horse Fuelie, though the three-speed was standard; mid-year, a four-speed became available. In total, 1,040 Fuelie Corvettes were built and, believe it or not, the 250-horse version was rarer — only 102 Corvettes were paired with this engine and Powerglide. In addition, only 65 Corvettes were painted Inca Silver, Fuelie or otherwise, with the seller claiming only 10 of those featured Ivory coves. Restored to this level and complemented with a red interior, this stunning Corvette cost the new owner $165,000.
$151,800: 1962 Impala SS Convertible
Both the Super Sport and the 409 came into their own for 1962. Both initially were mid-year 1961 items that ended up having little enthusiasm from the car-buying public, but that all changed for 1962 when the SS package and the 409 engine shot up in popularity and became ingrained in popular culture. It seems, among 1962s, enthusiasts value most the Bel Air “bubbletop” and the SS convertible, so this Roman Red ragtop with the 409-horsepower 409 with dual-quads ranks high as among the most desirable Bowties of the 1960s. Under the hood you’ll find the correct heads, intake, and carburetors. Features include power steering and brakes, bumper guards, and dual side-views. To own this ultimate piece of Chevy history, it took $151,800.
$143,000: 1958 Corvette
Quad headlights became legal in all 50 states in the middle of the 1957 model year. Is it any wonder that the 1958 updated its look with quads? Additionally, in the same model year that General Motors was criticized for producing behemoths unbecoming of changing values, if not out of touch compared to the styling leadership from Chrysler. While the Corvette avoided the criticism of the full-size cars (though the regular Chevy came off tasteful compared with Oldsmobile and Buick), it featured a louvered hood and chrome bands on the trunklid — two features that would be unique among the 1958-62 four-eyed Vette. This restored example features the standard 230-horsepower 283 backed by a Powerglide automatic, which isn’t the sportiest version out there, but it goes to show you that a fine restoration and paperwork can command a premium, in this case $143,000.
