Rob Loszewski
Earlier today, the hammer dropped on the very last front-engine C7 Corvette at the Barrett-Jackson Northeast auction at the Mohegan Sun Casino and Resort in Connecticut bringing in a hefty $2.7 million dollars.
The Black on Adrenaline Red Z06 that crossed the block today isn’t actually the last C7 Corvette as the car hasn’t been built yet, but it is an example of what the actual car will be that the new owners will take possession of.
The Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation honors the sacrifice of firefighter Stephen Siller who laid down his life to save others on September 11, 2001 during the attacks on the World Trade Center.
The Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant has been closed this week and will remain shut down next week for the summer break. C7 production is expected to continue until the end of July with the the next generation, mid-engine C8 Corvette being revealed on July 18th.
Set to be unveiled in Tustin, California, GM has invested an enormous amount of time and money into the development and engineering of the C8 Corvette and is aiming this new Corvette to be one of the most important and technologically advanced vehicles it has ever brought to market.
While the marketing effort for the new mid-engine Corvette has been anything but lack-luster, the next generation Corvette is set to take the sports car industry by storm.
Past Corvette Marketing Efforts
The marketing effort behind the C7 Corvette was extraordinary, and most fitting for a Corvette that broke the design barriers of traditional Corvettes. GM gradually rolled out short video clips showing the various types of technology, design and engineering efforts that went into this current generation of Corvette.
So far, the videos released by Chevrolet teasing the mid-engine C8 Corvette have focused mostly on the history of the Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov – the Godfather of the Corvette, and lap times. That’s all well and good, but if you remember, the original teaser videos that GM released of the C7 Corvette, that’s the kind of blood-pumping videos the public is wanting to see of the C8.
Regardless of the marketing efforts behind the C8 thus far, it’s my personal opinion that the C8 Corvette is going to knock the socks off the naysayers and will definitely send shock waves across the Corvette’s competition – more so than any other Corvette generation has. For now, we’ll have to remain patient until 7-18-19.
Below is the official press release from GM regarding the last front-engine C7 Corvette rolling across the auction block earlier today.
Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation Receives 2.7 Million Dollars from Record-Breaking Chevrolet Corvette Auction
At least five smart homes to be built benefitting catastrophically-injured veterans and their families
2019-06-28
UNCASVILLE, CT — Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation to receive 2.7 million dollars from the auction of the final seventh generation Chevrolet Corvette at Barrett-Jackson Northeast Auction at Mohegan Sun today. This winning bid – for a black Z06 model – breaks the Barrett-Jackson record for an automaker-donated vehicle.
“This is going to vibrate across America,” said Frank Siller, chairman and CEO of the Stephen Siller Foundation. “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. 85 homes have been built or are under construction to date, and this donation will allow for construction to begin on five new homes. More information is available at www.tunnel2towers.org.
“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, GM U.S. Vice President of 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.”
For the past five years, GMC has supported the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation as its national foundation of choice. In that time, it has helped the foundation raise more than $10 million. That includes $2.2 million raised last year, with $925,000 of it coming from the auction of the first production 2019 Corvette ZR1. It was purchased by Chevrolet dealer and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick at the 2018 Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sale.
GM is committed to helping those who have given so much for their country. GM’s current and retired workforce includes 60,000 veterans.
