This past weekend, the first 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport and the first 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 50th Anniversary Edition rolled onto the Barrett Jackson auction block in Palm Beach and when the final gavel sounded for each of these auctions – more than $300,000 had been raised for the two charities. Unfortunately, there has been no word as to whether or not these cars were purchased by some high profile collector (like Rick Hendrick), but we know that both of these cars went for a bargain price when compared to other “first unit” auctions for Corvettes and Camaros over the past few years.
First up, the right to own the first 2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport hit the auction block on Friday night (shown above). In addition to being fitted with the new Grand Sport package, this Corvette Stingray is fitted with the unique Collector’s Edition package, making this one of the most unique of the C7 Corvettes with a bright blue interior that you can probably see from space.
The first 2017 Corvette Grand Sport claimed a final selling price of $170,000 and while we don’t know the official pricing for the new Grand Sport package or the Collector’s Edition upgrade, I would guess that this person paid close to $100k over MSRP. The proceeds of the Grand Sport auction will go to the Karmanos Cancer Institute of Detroit.
Next up, the right to own the first 2017 Chevrolet Camaro 50th Anniversary Edition rolled onto the auction block on Saturday in the form of a brilliant black droptop muscle car. The 50th Anniversary Edition is available on 2LT and 2SS models in either coupe or convertible form, so those folks who want this unique look can pick between the 3.6L V6 and the 6.2L LT1 V8 and between the 6-speed manual transmission and the 8-speed automatic transmission. The winner of this auction can configure the first 50th Anniversary Edition however they want, so I would guess that it will be a 2SS model – hopefully in convertible form and with the manual transmission.
The first 2017 Camaro 50th Anniversary Edition bidding closed at $150,000, all of which will go to the United Way of Southeastern Michigan.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
