RM Sotheby’s to Auction “Holy Grail” 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction

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RM Sotheby's to Auction the Only 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction

Photo Credit: RM Sotheby’s


RM Sotheby’s is dubbing this 1969 Corvette ZL-1 convertible soon to be on the auction block as the “Holy Grail.”

In this case, it’s definitely not an overstatement.

Only two Stingrays were built in 1969 with the ZL-1 option that added $4,718.35 and featured an all-aluminum 427 V8 engine with required L88 options K66 (Transistor Ignition System), F41 (Special Front and Rear Suspension), J56 (Special Heavy Duty Brakes), and G81 (Positraction Rear Axle). Since this was designed to be a race car, radio, heater, power windows, power steering, air conditioning, and not even a fan shroud (to prevent interruption of airflow) were not available with the ZL-1.

RM Sotheby's to Auction the Only 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction


This particular ZL-1 marks the first time that a factory ZL-1 has been offered publicly in 30 years and the first time that the ZL-1 convertible has EVER been offered publicly.

RM Sotheby’s predicts the car will fetch between $2.6 and $3.0 million at its 25th annual Arizona sale beginning Thursday, Jan. 26, 2023 at the historic, Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona.

This ZL-1 – which has been Bloomington Gold Certified – includes a factory-correct, date-coded ZL-1 engine (a replacement for the original blown engine) and underwent an accurate, award-winning restoration in 2014 by Kevin Mackay of Corvette Repair, Inc.

RM Sotheby's to Auction the Only 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction


Included with the sale will be extensive authentic General Motors documentation as well as documents from the original owner, including the original tank sticker, sales invoice, and history imagery.

GM documents on file verify that only two so-equipped cars were produced at the St. Louis assembly plant and delivered through their dealer network. The 1969 RPO ZL-1 was strictly developed as an FIA/NHRA homologation experiment and, in practice, never truly intended for sale to the public.

And yet, on the chilly afternoon of Dec. 30, 1968, John W. Maher of Leechburg, Pennsylvania arrived at Harold Breman’s West Penn Garage, tossed the keys to his trade-in (a 1968 L88 Corvette Convertible), and finished up the purchase paperwork for chassis 194679S710209, the first of these two factory-documented ZL-1 Corvettes. It is the only ZL-1 Convertible built, and—thanks to Maher’s influential friends—the only such Corvette ever sold new to a retail customer.

RM Sotheby's to Auction the Only 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction


Besides an all-aluminum block, the ZL-1 – the most powerful engine ever created by GM up to that point – featured stronger connecting rods, a redesigned crankshaft, pistons, larger exhaust valves, a high-lift camshaft, and an upgraded “open chamber” aluminum cylinder-head design with four additional head bolts. That open chamber head design wasn’t finalized until March 1969 so the pre-production version in this car retains “closed chamber” aluminum heads.

During the summer of 1968, Maher’s close friend Don Yenko had told him about an experimental, all-aluminum racing engine for the 1969 Corvette that would be available with the M40 automatic transmission, perfect for Maher’s clutch dumps and full-throttle launches.

RM Sotheby's to Auction the Only 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction


Obviously, it wasn’t easy to get a ZL-1, but Maher finally succeeded with help from Grady Davis, a two-time SCCA national champion and senior vice president at Gulf Research, then a secret partner to GM’s clandestine racing operations.

Documents from GM archives prove that on Nov. 21, 1968, the ZL-1/M40 powertrain configuration was approved for production. The next day, Maher’s order was accepted in Monaco Orange – a way of saying thanks to Davis and his employer, and the car was built on Dec. 9, 1968.

RM Sotheby's to Auction the Only 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction


After taking delivery in late ’68, Maher began drag racing modifications immediately, as the car’s original sales invoice notes the installation of a pair of free-breathing side-pipes and a spare 4.11:1 rear end. Another interesting set of GM internal documents on file show that in January 1969 a service bulletin was sent to the originating dealer, requiring installation of a fan shroud (with clutch) into Maher’s ZL-1 on account of overheating issues first noticed on L88/M40-equipped customer cars.

From February 1969 until November 1972, Maher and this extreme Corvette terrorized hill climbs, autocross events, and drag races across Western Pennsylvania. Because of its M40 transmission, Maher labeled his ZL-1 with the cheeky moniker “Winning Automatically.” By September 1969, the car’s original short-block assembly had been blown and was replaced by another short-block assembly furnished under warranty by Chevrolet.

RM Sotheby's to Auction the Only 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction


Source:
rmsothebys.com

Related:
[PICS] Monaco Orange 1969 ZL1 Corvette Convertible at Bloomington Gold
[VIDEO] Start it Up! Rare Big Block Corvettes Started Up at Roger’s Corvette Center
1969 Corvette ZL-1 Replica Heading to Mecum Anaheim

 



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7 COMMENTS

  1. is this car presently owned bye roger judsky,his was yellow and it was the only one of the two known to exist,if it is there is more in the backround story on that car.awsome car.

  2. This is not Roger Judski ZL1 as it is the only verified ZR1. This is the 69 that does not have paperwork that substantiate its a true ZL1. It has been Bloomington judged but has not been judged at NCRS as the paperwork they have has inconsistencies and can not be verified as original. The NCRS has a stipulation for judging a ultra rare Corvette L88, ZR2, ZR1 and others it must have paperwork verified through the National Corvette Restorers Society Historic Document Services and it can only be done once for a Corvette. This safety net is to protect unsuspecting buyers in the future, 1 swing and your done. There are 2 claiming to be the 2nd ZR1 (of 2 made not 3) a white with a special black hood paint and this Monaco Orange. From what I understand the white ZR1 does not have paperwork to verify it ether. But does have a longer history of its claim to be the 2nd ZR1.

  3. There were 2 factory built ZL1 cars in 1969. The yellow one which is owned by Roger down in Florida and no other documented ZL1 has been found to date. The white car was thought to be real but it is now believed that it left the factory as an L88 car and raced with a ZL1 engine. The Yellow one is the only 69 ZL1 that has been authenticated. This orange ZL1 is believed to have been an L88 automatic car and raced as an ZL1. There is no documentation that is is a real ZL1 and among collectors in the inner circle they all agree this orange car was not one of the 2 ZL1’s built in 69. In addition the build date is too early like the white car to have been a factory built ZL1. Any potential buyer should do their homework on this car.

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