This 1990 Corvette isn’t your run-of-the-mill first-year ZR-1.
When Chevrolet launched the “King of the Hill” in 1990, it drew the attention of the automotive world with its hand built LT5 V8, six speed manual, and performance numbers that embarrassed European exotics.
But this particular car – a 36,000 mile 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR 1 Shinoda/Rick Mears Special Edition up for sale on Bring a Trailer (with a current bid of $24,00, with two days left in the auction) – occupies a category all its own.
According to the seller, it was the very first ZR-1 ever modified with Larry Shinoda’s aerodynamic bodywork, becoming a promotional and marketing vehicle for Williams Design in the early ’90s. Even among Corvette oddities, this one is rare.
The seller, p1_motorcars_ltd, puts it plainly:
“The Shinoda kit just looks right on the C4. The ZR 1 is my personal favorite ‘Vette, but they really should’ve looked like this straight off the factory floor.”
Shinoda — the designer behind the original Boss 302 Mustang — created an 11-piece polyurethane package that transformed the C4’s profile. This car wears the full treatment: a unique rear deck lid, rocker moldings, ground effects, a revised nose, and specific fog light housings. The rub strips between the top and bottom of the car have also been removed, cleaning up the appearance. Most of the 14 cars built received custom paint, and this one was sprayed in House of Kolor Candy Red, a striking finish chosen for its promotional duties. According to the seller, it even appeared at SEMA in 1990 or 1991 but admit they don’t know much else about the car’s history.
Enthusiasts in the comments immediately noticed the details. One user, F1Guy, asked about the mix of original Shinoda/Mears components and later additions. The seller responded with a full breakdown: the original wheels were swapped to clear the Wilwood brake setup, the Rick Mears badges were removed (one survives in the engine bay), and the revised exhaust tips were replaced when the stainless cat back system was installed. The interior upgrades — later model sport seats, Alpine touchscreen, short throw shifter — came from subsequent owners, not Shinoda’s shop.
Mechanically, the car remains a celebration of the LT5’s potential. The 5.7-liter DOHC V8, co-developed by GM and Lotus and built by Mercury Marine, features a polished intake manifold, ported plenum and heads, and a Haibeck Automotive Technology performance chip. The seller estimates a +75 horsepower bump over stock, which he says provides “a nice jump in power without going over the top so” while claiming “throwing the car on the dyno seems a little unnecessary.” A ZF six speed sends power through 4.10 gears.
Inside, the flat bottom steering wheel with carbon fiber inserts frames the stock digital/analog hybrid gauge cluster. The odometer shows 36,000 miles, with only about 20 added by the selling dealer. The car comes with marketing materials, a clean California title, and an accident-free Carfax, though one open recall remains.
Perhaps the most fitting comment came from user 2009G8GT, who summed up the car’s appeal in one line:
“Few changes, all subtle, completely change the C4 from dated to timeless.”
For collectors, that’s the magic of this ZR 1 – not just a preserved performance icon, it’s a piece of Corvette history, a one of 14 Shinoda creation, and the first of its kind. We wonder if Chevy had put forth a little extra design effort like this to make the ZR-1 even more special, would it have been a bigger sales success?
Even now, more than three decades later, this custom ZR-1 still looks like it’s doing 100 mph standing still.
Source:
Bring a Trailer
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