1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible Sells for $3.14 Million at RM Sothebys

It’s auction week out in Arizona and today we saw huge money change hands for the Orange 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at the 25th Annual RM Sothebys auction in Scottsdale. The car is said to be one of two equipped with the mythical ZL-1, an all-aluminum version of the L88, and the only one that was a convertible.

Predicting that the sale would fetch between $2.6 and $3.0 million, the hammer price was $2.85 million and with commission, the total selling price was $3.14 million. I have yet to see anyone comment on the identity of the purchaser.

It’s an amazing price for an amazing car. The cost of the aluminum block, aluminum head engine ($4718.35) was nearly the same price as the base convertible, and because it was designed to be a race car, it had none of the creature comforts like the heater, radio, power steering.

John Mayer purchased the car in 1968 and after trading in a 1968 L88, he became the owner of the first “factory-documented” ZL-1 Corvettes and the only ZL-1 in a convertible. Maher nicknamed the car “Winning Automatically” – a nod to the automatic transmission, and together they would terrorize the competition at events across western Pennsylvania. In September 1969, the original ZL-1 engine had blown and replaced by another under warranty.

That it is missing its original engine is one of the concerns that many enthusiasts have over fully recognizing what is a very important car in our hobby. Maher sold the convertible in 2007 and the new owner sent the car to expert restorer Kevin MacKay at Corvette Repair Inc in Valley Stream, NY for restoration in 2012. Despite its racing history, the car was well preserved and the blown engine was the only real damage the car received. The warranty replacement motor is said to be an extremely early, factory-correct, date coded, all-aluminum ZL-1.

Following restoration, it was judged at Bloomington Gold and was given Gold Certification following extensive scrutiny of its documentation. However, commenters on our original story were quick to point out that the car hasn’t been judged by the NCRS and that there are still questions to this day regarding it authenticity.

It’s gratifying to see a Corvette command the kind of dollars it pulled in today, and we believe it’s one of the highest ever selling prices for a C3 Corvette. However, we wish the car’s documentation and history could be further scrutinized by “the experts” in each of the judging organizations and a final determination made as to whether or not the car is worthy of its $3.14 million selling price.

Source:
RMSothebys

Related:
RM Sotheby’s to Auction “Holy Grail” 1969 Corvette ZL-1 Convertible at its January 2023 Arizona Auction
[PICS] Monaco Orange 1969 ZL1 Corvette Convertible at Bloomington Gold
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