The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8 is living up to the hype after the first-production model carrying VIN 001 sold for a staggering $3 million at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. Hendrick Companies founder and CEO Rick Hendrick placed the winning bid, adding what could be one of the most desirable Corvettes in history to his extraordinary collection of American performance cars.

The first-production Corvette Stingray C8 also becomes one of the most expensive Corvette models ever sold at auction, trailing only a handful of classic ‘Vettes, including a 1967 Corvette L88 Coupe that still holds court as the most expensive Corvette ever sold in an auction setting. It fetched $3.85 million back in 2014, coincidentally, at the same Barrett-Jackson auction that the first-production Corvette C8 was sold.

What are the five most expensive Corvettes ever sold at auction?

That super limited model — only 20 L88s were built — fetched $3.85 million at the Barrett-Jackson in Scottsdale, Arizona back in 2014. A year before the Corvette L88 Coupe set the record, a 1967 Corvette L88 Convertible sold for $3.4 million owing to its uniqueness and racing pedigree. Another Corvette L88 sits in third place in the list of most expensive Corvette models ever sold. This particular L88 — another convertible, mind you — sold for $3.2 million, also in 2013.

As for the fourth-most expensive Corvette ever to sell in an auction? Well, the 2020 Corvette Stingray C8 now occupies the spot, beating a 1969 Corvette Corvette Rebel Convertible, which previously occupied fourth place in this list after selling for $2.86 million some years back.

It is incredible to think that the 2020 Corvette Stingray C8 now belongs in the list of most expensive Corvettes ever sold at auction. Then again, the 2020 Corvette Stingray C8 is different for a number of reasons.

What’s so special about the first-production Corvette C8?

So, what’s so special about the first-production 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 to justify the $3 million that Rick Hendrick paid for it?

That VIN number happens to be the most desirable number among collectible cars, largely because of its stature as the first-production unit of a specific model.

From a specs perspective, the first-production 2020 Corvette Stingray C8 was built in the 3LT trim. More importantly, it’s loaded with all the available options that Chevrolet is offering with the model, including a Z51 performance package. It’s dressed in a black exterior to go with black GT2 seats that come with red trim. The seatbelts are also red, adding to the cool black-and-red aesthetics of the sports car. It also comes with a removable roof panel and a rear spoiler, not to mention a performance data recorder, among other performance aids.

An eight-speed dual-clutch transmission sends all that power to the rear wheels, helping the Corvette Stingray C8 accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.9 seconds with the Z51 package on its way to a top speed of 194 mph.



Rick Hendrick isn't just taking home the first-production Corvette Stingray C8

For a man who already has enough first-production cars in his collection, Rick Hendrick doesn’t really need any add-ons to go with the first-production 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C8, does he? Well, in case you’re wondering, Hendrick isn’t just going home with the car. By virtue of winning the auction for the first-production Corvette Stingray C8, Hendrick also gets the option of taking delivery of his mid-engine coupe at the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

In addition, he will also receive a Letter of Authenticity, a unique artwork, and a hosted tour at the Corvette Museum. The letter and the artwork are cool, but I don’t think Hendrick’s going to need a hosted tour of the Corvette Museum anymore. If anything, he might be better suited to being the one to actually host it.

Rick Hendrick’s collection is badass

He’s also the co-owner of JR Motorsports and is the founder of the Hendrick Automotive Group and Hendrick Marrow Program. Hendricks is also the father of Ricky Hendrick, a NASCAR driver who died in a plane crash back in 2004. In other words, Hendrick is a big deal in the world of NASCAR — he’s also going to be inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America on March 17, 2020 — and he also happens to be one of the biggest car collectors this side of the world.

In particular, Hendrick appears to be fond of first-production models, specifically those of the American performance car variety. In recent years, Hendrick has taken home the first-production units of models like the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C7, Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible C7, Ford Shelby Mustang GT350, and the Ford GT. Kendrick has also shown a proclivity for scooping up first-production units of non-American performance cars. Back in 2016, Hendrick paid $1.2 million to take home the first-production Acura NSX.

Now, Hendrick can add another first-production performance car to his growing list of models he owns in that category. At $3 million, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Stingray sold for more than any of the other first-production cars in his growing collection. It was a steep price to pay — Hendrick could have bought a Bugatti Chiron with that money — but there’s a good chance that the first-production Corvette Stingray C8 ends up being the holy grail in his collection.

Where are the proceeds going to?

Three million dollars is a lot of money. Fortunately, Rick Hendrick’s winning bid will be put to good use as all the proceeds from the sale of the first-production Corvette Stingray C8 will go to charity, particularly to the Detroit Children’s fund, a non-profit organization that makes targeted investments to benefit the entire Detroit school system. That’s a lot of money that’s going to be put to good use.