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VIN 00001 C7 Corvette Sells at Barrett-Jackson for $1.05 Million

When the new C7 model was revealed back on January 13th, there were undoubtedly guesses on how the first production car would be sold and who would be the first owner. So it came as no surprise when Chevrolet announced that they would mark the historic sale by auctioning off the car for charity at none other than the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction [1]. As expected, the car was beyond a crowd-pleaser when it hit the stage on Saturday, and a long-time GM and Corvette fan eventually walked away with the ultimate prize for $1.05 million. Can you guess who added the VIN 00001 C7 to their collection? Find out in the Barrett-Jackson [2] video above.

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Image: SPEED TV [4]

Bidding on the first C7 Corvette got off to a fast start on Saturday evening, as one might expect for the rights to the first production car of the next-generation Corvette line. But when all was said and done, it was NASCAR Sprint Cup Hendrick Motorsports team owner Rick Hendrick who took home the coveted prize.

Hendrick is obviously no stranger to the automotive world and has a soft spot especially for limited-edition Chevrolet performance cars.

In fact, just in the past couple years, Hendrick has added the first two production Camaro ZL1s [5], the 69th production ZL1, a 2012 Centennial Edition Corvette Z06 [6] with Vehicle Identification Number 100, and a new COPO Camaro, complete with an engine Hendrick built himself through the GM COPO Engine Build Experience [7], to his collection. We have a feeling that the bright red C7 that Hendrick purchased for $1.05 million will fit into his collection quite nicely. Hendrick also purchased the 1969 Owens/Corning L88 Corvette that appeared on stage just before the C7 for $1 million.

[8] As the owner of the rights to the first production C7, Hendrick will be able to outfit his new purchase any way he wishes, according to Corvette Blogger [9]. He will also be allowed to take delivery of the car at the Corvette design studio where this stunning car began to come to life – a fitting end for a car auctioned off to benefit the College of Creative Studies, a four-year design college that sees students pursue degrees in automotive and transportation designs.

There is no word yet on when Hendrick may see his finished C7 for the first time, but something tells us he won’t be waiting around too long. With the new model set to hit the market in the third quarter of 2013, it’s only a matter of months before we see the C7 model hitting local dealerships.

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