Drivers, start your engines. An iconic part of Corvette’s Racing history just took the green flag over on Bring a Trailer. This yellow and white 1989 Corvette Challenge race car is currently up for auction until the afternoon of November 4th.
In the late 1980’s, the C4 Corvette was dominating SCCA competition. So much, in fact, that the Corvette was ultimately banned for being too good. From that ruling came the Corvette Challenge Series which ran in 1988 and 1989.
Each Corvette Challenge car began as a stock Corvette built in Bowling Green. They were all identically equipped with manual transmissions, cloth interiors, the Z51 performance suspension, transparent removal roofs, and more.
After that, the cars were converted to race trim at Protofab in Wixom, Michigan. There, each car got the full racecar treatment including a competition roll cage, fire suppression system, racing seats, Bilstein shocks, Dymag wheels, and more. Each car also received a heart transplant in the form of a sealed and marked L98 engine to prevent tampering.
The #9 car for sale on BaT was delivered to Tom Bell Chevrolet of Redlands, California. Kip Laughlin campaigned the car for 11 races in the 1989 Corvette Challenge with the #9 livery still present on the car. In 1990, it was acquired by its current owner and has competed in various racing and show events since. You may recall this car in the Race Car Reunion earlier this year at Corvettes at Carlisle.
Like all Corvette Challenge cars, it’s powered by that sealed L98 that’s backed to a new-for-1989 6-speed manual transmission. All the period modifications are still there as well including the roll cage, window net, Dymag wheels, cool side exit exhaust, among other modifications. The car currently shows just over 9,000 miles from new.
The car is well documented, and the sale includes the window sticker, build sheet, a poster featuring the car, its all-important SCCA logbook, various photos and marketing items, plus 1992-dated correspondence from Chevrolet. The removed factory engine and several other items remain with the car, and it all goes to the new owner.
So how much will a real deal Corvette Challenge set you back? We see three 1989 Challenge Cars that have sold on BaT in last five years. The #42 car sold for $28k in 2020, the #20 car sold for $40k in early 2022, and the #37 car sold for $30k in July of this year. All that indicates you can get a fantastic piece of Corvette history that’s ready to race, drive, or show for a reasonable sum of money.
Source:
Bring a Trailer
Related:
Go Back in Time with the Challenge Cars and Their Drivers at Corvettes at Carlisle
[PODCAST] C4 Corvette Racing Legend Kim Baker is on the Corvette Today Podcast
[VIDEO] Lance Miller’s Burnout in a Corvette Challenge Racecar
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Looks and sounds good going down the road. Would it be street legal with street tires on it?
Robert – Yes, the challenge cars are still street legal even with the racing mods. One would certainly want street tires for regular road driving.
Thanks. I love the sound of it. It would be a fun driver for the street!
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