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HomeMediaLast front-engine Corvette generates $2.7 million for charity

Last front-engine Corvette generates $2.7 million for charity

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With a new and mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette about to be unveiled, the last of the traditional front-engine Corvettes sold for $2.7 million Friday at Barrett-Jackson’s Northeast auction in Uncasville, Connecticut. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

“This is going to vibrate across America,” Frank Siller, chairman and chief executive of the foundation, was quoted in Barrett-Jackson’s news release. “This donation will build at least five homes for our catastrophically injured veterans to give them their independence and a better quality of life.”

“The foundation builds mortgage-free, accessible smart homes for the most catastrophically injured service members and helps pay off the mortgages for families of first responders killed in the line of duty,” Barrett-Jackson added. “85 homes have been built or are under construction to date, and this donation will allow for construction to begin on five new homes.”

The auction company also noted that the $2.7 million figure is the most ever paid at a Barrett-Jackson auction for a vehicle donated by its manufacturer and sold to benefit a charity.

The final C7 off the assembly line at Bowling Green, Kentucky, was a black Z06 model.

Injured veterans will benefit from Corvette’s sale | Barrett-Jackson photo

“It’s appropriate that the most iconic vehicle ever built in the US, has the honor of being the highest auctioned vehicle at Barrett-Jackson for a charity,” said Steve Hill, General Motors vice president for sales, service and marketing. “What makes me proud to be a GM employee is that fact that we’ve supported the military and veterans for over 100 years. This is a great evening, but tomorrow morning we get back to work to help more service members in need.”

“We couldn’t be more excited to have helped write a new chapter in automotive history with the sale of the last-built seventh-gen Corvette,” added Craig Jackson, auction company chairman and chief executive. “Not only did the bidding create an emotional auction moment, but the hammer price of $2.7 million is going to help many of our nation’s finest heroes.

“Chevrolet has been a wonderful partner over the years and we couldn’t be prouder to have shared in this incredible experience with them and all of our guests.”

The name of the buyer of the last front-engine Corvette was not immediately released, but the Yahoo Finance website reported it was Dan Snyder, chief executive of InLighten and founder of Dan Snyder Motorsports, who told the website, “It’s exhilarating to win and a privilege to have the responsibility of caring for these historic vehicles that I believe are an important part of America’s heritage.  To me, they exemplify American craftsmanship, engineering excellence and manufacturing prowess.”

Snyder also was the winning bidder, the website reported, when Barrett-Jackson sold the last-produced Dodge Viper and Demon cars.

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Larry Edsall
Larry Edsall
A former daily newspaper sports editor, Larry Edsall spent a dozen years as an editor at AutoWeek magazine before making the transition to writing for the web and becoming the author of more than 15 automotive books. In addition to being founding editor at ClassicCars.com, Larry has written for The New York Times and The Detroit News and was an adjunct honors professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University.

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