Auction of first 2025 Corvette ZR1 raises $3.7 million for charity

The very first production example of the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has been sold for a staggering price at auction.

In front of a packed audience at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, the commemorative Corvette achieved a winning bid of $3.7 million (£2.97 million).

This represents a substantial premium over list price for Chevrolet’s hypercar-chasing flagship. In the United States, the 1,064hp ZR1 costs a bargain $174,995 (£143,000).

However, the 233.3mph Corvette sold in Scottsdale also helped to raise money for a very good cause.

Helping California wildfire victims

As has become a tradition at Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction, the bespoke Corvette ZR1 was sold with helping others in mind. 

The proceeds from the Chevrolet’s sale will go to a good cause. Indeed, 100 percent of the hammer price will be donated to the American Red Cross. 

During the auction, Barrett-Jackson chairman and CEO Craig Jackson, along with company president Steve Davis, confirmed the funds will provide critical aid to those affected by the California wildfires and hurricanes in the southeastern United States.

The winning bid of $3.7 million is one of the biggest prices paid at a Barrett-Jackson auction for a Corvette. 

It surpassed the $3.6 million (£2.68 million) paid for the first 2023 Z06 model, along with the $3 million (£2.24 million) achieved by the inaugural eighth-generation Corvette.

A one-man donation machine

Linking all these special Corvettes together is the same winning bidder. NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick took home the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, adding it to his extensive car collection.

Over the last 20 years, Hendrick has been the winning bidder in 39 Barrett-Jackson charity vehicle auctions, single-handedly raising $28 million (£22.4 million) for good causes. 

The all-new Corvette ZR1 was not the only car auctioned by Barrett-Jackson for charity, however. A custom 1962 Dodge Power Wagon pickup truck, known as ‘Project S.W.E.A.T.’, raised $1.5 million (£1.2 million).

This money will be donated to the MikeroweWORKS Foundation, which helps train the next generation of skilled workers in the United States.

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