One of perhaps two or three known surviving active suspension fourth generation Corvette prototypes is up for sale on eBay through Tuesday morning at the “Buy It Now” price of $89,500.
As it developed the fourth-generation ZR-1, General Motors built 25 such prototypes delivered to the Engineering Department in Bowling Green to take part in an active suspension project with Lotus.
With technology from the Formula 1 Lotus team, GM allocated $28 million to research and develop an intelligent digital/hydraulic active suspension management system that would adapt to road conditions, lateral handling, and corner balancing through a Delco computer. Production Corvettes never incorporated the system at the time because using it would have added $150,000 per car, making it ineffective cost-wise to say the least.
However, many of the same engineers who worked on the project later went on to develop a more affordable active handling system used from 1996 forward, with further refinements resulting in the introduction of Magnetic Selective Ride Control on the 2003 Corvette.
The seller says all but two of the prototypes were destroyed and this could be the only surviving ZR1 prototype. He claims that this car participated in numerous tests around the world, including Germany and Daytona, where it averaged 175 mph.
“Our ZR1 is one of those incredible prototypes that paved the technology road into the future of the Corvette,” he says.
The car is identified with an experimental chassis number and has all the fully functional prototype equipment including the active self-leveling suspension 3000-psi hydraulic system, Delco computer, and sophisticated technology, according to the listing. Photos show some of the hydraulic system and its lines under the hood, as well as a panel for the active suspension system on the center console.
According to the eBay listing, the sale is slated to end at 10:49 a.m. on Tuesday (Feb.22) and will include an original copy of the GM assignation order and a bill of sale.
This car is believed to have survived all these years because it spent years on display at the GM Heritage Museum and then the National Corvette Museum. It has approximately 12,000 miles, nearly all from the original GM testing program.
Source:
eBay Motors via Silodrome.com
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I hope there is more documentation than a torn up tank sticker
Very interesting car.
Calling Rick Hendrick! The BUY IT NOW is less than the amount that’s likely fallen into one of his couches.
To be clear: There were 15 units built as 1989 models and 17 units built as 1990 models, totaling 32 units of active handling suspension prototypes. All 32 of them were ZR-1s. The 1990 units were coded RPO Z5Z. The 1989 VIN sequence was K5800018-32 (EX5380-EX5394); the 1990 VIN sequence was L5700001-17. Yes, there was a change in the VIN’s sequence placeholder position, from 8 to 7. The 1989 units all had Arctic Pearl exterior paint (yes, the unreleased Arctic Pearl) and Gray leather, except for car 00032, it had a black interior. The 1990 units were all Black/Black leather.
This would be a great car to own until something craps out in the prototype system that was built 32 years ago.
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