One Of Just Two 1971 Corvette ZR2 Convertibles On Earth Could Fetch More Than $1 Million.

Chevrolet produced only 12 Corvettes with the ZR2 package in 1971. However only two examples were convertibles. This is one of the – unrestored and preserved close to original condition – the fact marked by the Bloomington Gold Benchmark. The car shines in its original Mecum states makes this car the lowest mileage ZR2 known to exist. Brands Hatch Green color with a black soft top. Options include the special 425-hp engine package, an auxiliary hardtop, and custom black leather interior trim.

The Glorious American V8 With Upgrades

The ZR2 comes from the time when you could order a track-ready ‘Vette off the assembly line, put in the required safety equipment, and go racing. It came with a hefty price tag of $7,672.80, which doesn’t sound too expensive today, but in 1971 you could buy a couple of decent cars with that money. A good part of that price was the Special Purpose Engine Package, which cost $1,747.30 according to the shipping invoice.

GM’s star performance engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov made sure that the car received an ultra-high-performance engine – an LS6 big block that produced 454 horsepower. Apart from that, the ZR2 package featured a host of road racing-caliber equipment such as the Muncie M22 close-ratio “Rock Crusher” 4-speed manual transmission, transistorized ACDelco ignition system, the J56 heavy-duty brake package, high capacity aluminum radiator with shroud delete, and the F41 suspension. With the onset of emissions standards, the high-performance ZR2 had to go, giving way to more eco-friendly packages, thus becoming the rarest race-ready Corvettes ever built.

Immaculate Condition Of The ’71 Corvette ZR2

Apart from being one-of-a-dozen ZR2 available for only one year, this car also boasts a near original condition. The mileage shown on the odometer is a mere 8,702 miles. The ZR2 holds the rare dual honors of Bloomington Gold Benchmark Certification and Survivor Certification, and the 2015 Bloomington Gold Certificate. It is awarded to the cars “restored to or preserved within 95-100% of the appearance of a Typical Production Factory Corvette of this era.” It is a 2011 Inductee to the Great Hallmarking Corvette’s last gasp of performance. Other awards include the MCACN Triple Diamond Award recognizing Corvettes that have earned Bloomington Gold Certification, the NCRS Top Flight Award, and MCACN Concours Gold. The car comes with all certificates, the Great Hall Medallion, the original shipping invoice, and the vehicle purchase order. There are also the original tank sticker and Protect-O-Plate.