Competitive Spirit Drives Rick Hendrick’s Passion for VIN 001 Corvettes

When the 2023 Corvette Z06s start production later this summer, we already know where the very first Coupe and Convertible models will be going once they are completed. Those two special cars helping to kick off the start of the C8 Z06 era will be going to Charlotte, North Carolina, and the personal collection of NASCAR team owner and Chevrolet dealer Rick Hendrick.

In January 2022 at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction in Arizona, Rick purchased the right to buy the first retail 2023 Z06 Coupe which will wear VIN 001 for $3.6 million. Mr. Hendrick then followed up that addition earlier this month at Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach by purchasing the first retail 2023 Corvette Z06 convertible model for $1 million. In both cases, General Motors put the Corvettes up at auction with the proceeds going to charities.

In the run-up to these sales, it was pretty much a given among Corvette enthusiasts that these two Corvettes were going to be purchased by Rick Hendrick because of his reputation for buying the new VIN 001 Corvettes when they become available. Previous purchases include the VIN 001 C7 Stingray, Z06, and, ZR1 just to name a few. After the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach Auction, we reached out to Dale Ledbetter who works for Mr. Hendrick for a better understanding and he explained Rick’s appreciation for the VIN 001 cars.

“In the collector car world, collectability is always the first one or the last one, and what does a certain collector want…to have the first of something or the last of something,” says Dale and he adds “Mr. Hendrick, as you know, chimes in on the first of something.” That love of the VIN 001 cars is an expression of Rick’s competitive spirit. “We like to win every race, and we like to be in that #1 position,” said Dale.

When the number 1 2023 Corvette Z06 comes off the assembly line later this summer, it was already designated to be a 70th Anniversary Model with the owner being able to spec it out in either Pearl White or Metallic Black, and Dale confirmed the Z06 Coupe will be finished in Carbon Flash Metallic in keeping with Mr. Hendrick’s passion for Black Corvettes. Dale says the first Corvette Z06 Convertible will also be optioned in Black and will feature the new 3LT Adrenaline Red interior.


Winning the 2023 Z06 Convertible at Barrett-Jackson was made even more special as he was joined by his teenage grandson who was with him in the bidder’s box. Dale says that back in 2015 the grandfather/grandson duo did the Engine Build Experience together, building the supercharged LT4 engine that went into Rick’s purchase of the VIN 001 2016 Corvette Z06 C7.R Edition. The duo will also be teaming up to build the Z06’s bespoke 670-hp LT6 engine for the first retail Convertible. Being able to share that experience with his grandson will be an experience remembered by both for a lifetime and it’s something I am sure many Corvette enthusiasts whose love of the car was passed down from their fathers or grandfathers can also attest to.

When comes to that passion for cars, Ledbetter says “Most human beings have red or white blood cells, I think Mr. Hendrick has bowties in his blood,” and he tells us he’s never seen a man of Hendrick’s business stature known for his level-headedness who then “turns into a child” when it comes to getting a new car, especially the VIN 001s. In fact, Mr. Hendrick himself is known to say “It’s truly like Christmas morning.”


Although you won’t see Mr. Hendrick behind the wheel of any of the highly collectible VIN 001s, that doesn’t mean he isn’t enjoying America’s Favorite Sports Car. Dale tells us they do order “Mr. Hendricks Drivers” as they call the daily drivers ordered for Rick and his wife Linda. When the Black VIN 001 C8 Corvette Stingray Coupe was delivered to City Chevrolet in March of 2020, it was accompanied by VIN 002, a Silver Coupe for his wife. Rick’s current daily driver is an Orange Convertible.

With the two new C8 Z06s coming to Charlotte later this year, Dale says there are about 20 VIN 001s as well as three “last editions” currently in his private museum. The collection does have some older VIN 001 cars including the first VIN 001 Corvettes produced in 1955, 1956, and 1957 that he purchased as a group at Barrett-Jackson in 2016. The earlier model year’s first VIN was often destroyed in testing, however, if there is an opportunity to buy a VIN 001 Corvette, Dale says they would definitely be interested in it. Not all the VIN 001s in the collection are strictly Corvettes though. There are also several new Camaros in the collection and Rick also the has first VIN 2017 Acura NSX and the VIN 001 2022 Acura NSX Type S.


The Heritage Center is a private facility where these cars are kept and Rick opens it up for shows and special occasions. For the last few years, the Museum has opened up to visitors during the annual Bloomington Gold show in October. The collection now totals approximately 220 vehicles and when you walk into the main lobby, you will immediately see an 18-ft tall NASCAR Cup trophy next to Rick’s very first Corvette, a Black 1963 Convertible. The latest three number 1 Corvettes are also right there in the lobby for everyone to see as Dale says “that’s where we like to showcase our newest and best.”

Rick Hendrick’s competitive spirit has been one of his defining characteristics in creating a successful automotive dealership group, championship-winning race team, and an amazing collection of VIN 001 Corvettes and other cars. But Dale says there is the other side of the coin that many might not know. It goes back to the plane crash in October 2004 that killed his son, twin nieces, and brother. Dale says “when you see us in victory circle with everyone holding up a #1 in the air, we are actually pointing to the sky to remember them. That’s what #1 means to him.”