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• The first Chevrolet Corvette hybrid sold for $1.1 million USD at a Barrett-Jackson Group auction.
• Rick Hendrick, owner of NASCAR dealerships and racing teams, placed the winning the bid.
• The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is the fastest in model history with a 0-97 mph (0-60 mph) time of 2.5 seconds.
The first hybrid version of the Chevrolet Corvette is about to hit the market. As it is often the case with an exceptional car, and one destined to become a collector's item, the first unit to come off the factory floor was sold at auction to raise money for a good cause.
The first E-Ray was thus offered at a Barrett-Jackson event last weekend. The bids piled up quickly and crossed the million-dollar mark, before finally settling at $1.1 million USD.
All proceeds from the sale are going to DonorsChoose, a non-profit organization that provides resources to teachers and funds to inner-city schools. Rick Hendrick, a team owner in the NASCAR racing series, placed the winning bid at the auction. Hendrick is also president and CEO of his own dealership network, Hendrick Automotive Group.
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The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray hold two specific distinctions: it’s the first hybrid version in the model's history, plus it’s the first to offer all-wheel drive. Equipped with a 6.2L V8 working with an 8-speed auto transmission, the E-Ray delivers a combined output of 655 hp, courtesy its V8 engine (495 hp) and front-mounted electric motor (160 hp). The specifications show that the car can go from 0-97 km/h in just 2.5 seconds.
Production of the model is set to begin in September at the General Motors plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Via Steve Majoros, Chevrolet's director of marketing, the company had this to say about the sale of the very first E-Ray:
"General Motors and Chevrolet are proud to join DonorsChoose on its mission of combatting inequality in school funding by providing underserved communities with the resources needed for a quality education.”