1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2 Convertible

Offered by Mecum | Kissimmee, Florida | January 3-13, 2019

Photo – Mecum

There have been some great limited-edition factory Corvettes, like the original Z06, the L88s, and the ZR1 and ZR2. The ZR1 was available as a coupe or convertible and could’ve been had in 1970, ’71, or ’72. The ZR2 included all of the special bits that a ZR1 had, except the engine.

Instead of the LT1 in the ZR1, the ZR2 was equipped with a monstrous 7.0-liter (454) LS6 V8 rated at 425 horsepower. Chevy moved 188 examples of this engine in 1971 (the only year the ZR2 was available), but only 12 had the ZR2 package.

And only two of those were convertibles, making this car an extremely rare example of the last of the original run of special edition Corvettes before all of the power was zapped from them. If you think about it, the ZR1 of the early 1990s was the next “go-fast” limited edition Corvette. The last ZR2 we featured brought nearly a half million dollars in 2013. And it was a coupe. Click here for more info on this car and here for more from Mecum.

Update: Not sold, high bid of $380,000.

Update: Not sold, Mecum Monterey 2019, high bid of $300,000.

1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2

Offered by Barrett-Jackson | Scottsdale, Arizona | January 18, 2013

The third generation (C3) Corvette was all new for 1968. The Stingray, as it was called, dawned at the height of the muscle car era. Chevy and GM had their feet firmly planted in pony car territory. But all-out muscle cars?

In 1970, Chevy offered a special package on the Corvette called the ZR1. It was a high-performance package with an upgraded engine, brakes, suspension and more. For an extra $500 or so on top of that, you could’ve ordered a ZR2.

The ZR2 package was supposed to be for 1970 only, but it got delayed a bit too long and is only found on 1971 Corvettes. It uses the big 7.0-liter 454 V-8 underrated by the factory at 425 horsepower. It also got power disc brakes, heavy-duty suspension, and posi-traction. The package was an additional $1,747 on top of a base Corvette and only 12 were built.

A high-performance Corvette that is one of only 12 built + a Barrett-Jackson auction in January? Yeah, that’s going to make for one expensive car. Check out more here and see the rest of Barrett-Jackson’s auction lineup here.

Update: Sold $495,000.