ZR1 #501 Just under the wire!!!

[Patrick H.]

Re: ZR1 #501 Just under the wire!!!

Here's half the question answered (or confirmed). Jay Leno has a video about his ZR1 on his website ( http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/...tml?vid=867761). In it, he shows the VIN plate.

Dave's is 495900001 - the beginning of the VIN is the same.

[Loren L.]

Re: ZR1 #501 Just under the wire!!!

Current......(I was going to say information, but that's too strong for what it is, so.....) rumor via some sources I consider reliable (use your own) seem to indicate that there MAY be THREE "001s". (With this rumor in hand, several dormant L88 factories around the country are looking into 2009 price structures............)

[David D.]

Re: ZR1 #501 Just under the wire!!!

That's interesting! It is reported above that the last 8 digits of Dave's VIN are 95900001, and the last 8 of Jay's are 95800001. The final 6 digits are the "sequence number" of the build. It appears that Jay's car is VIN #1 of the sequence beginning with 8, and Dave's car is VIN #1 of the sequence beginning with 9. They are both 2009 Model Year VINs (based upon the leading character in the final 8 digits of the VINs noted above).

[Patrick H.]

Re: ZR1 #501 Just under the wire!!!

That's interesting! It is reported above that the last 8 digits of Dave's VIN are 95900001, and the last 8 of Jay's are 95800001. The final 6 digits are the "sequence number" of the build. It appears that Jay's car is VIN #1 of the sequence beginning with 8, and Dave's car is VIN #1 of the sequence beginning with 9. They are both 2009 Model Year VINs (based upon the leading character in the final 8 digits of the VINs noted above).

Dave's was supposed to be built with a "unique" VIN number.
I'd like to know how Ron's #501 VIN compares to Jay's and Dave's VINs.

Patrick

[Edward S.]

Re: ZR1 #501 Just under the wire!!!

Went into Kerbeck Chev. this week to look around while in Atlantic City, he has vin#3 on the floor. Car had the word COPO in large white letters across the top of the windshield. Car is a medium blue ( did not catch the name ). According to one of the salesman the car is staying as part of Kerbeck private collection. The part of the engine directly under the hood window had many autographs in white marking pen, starting with Ron Fellows. Kerbeck had roughly 40 vettes in stock, they said no new deliveries until March. What I thought to be really odd was that the buildings that have been used for quite some years for Caddy and Corvette sales have been exchanged leaving Corvettes being sold in much less space. They took the middle building which I think they used for Chevys and made the whole thing for Kerbecks private collection under lock and key.
Their inventory on Caddys was huge, three salesman in that building were with customers. The small space in front of that building that they displayed Bentleys is now more Caddys. The corvette department had 5 salesman working, my buddy and I were the only people in there.

[Jack U.]

Re: ZR1 #501 Just under the wire!!!

Dave Ressler bought "the first retailable unit built of the ZR-1". The quote comes from the Speed TV commentators during the auction. You can watch the video of Ressler buying the car at his website http://collectorcorvettes.com. About a third of the way through the video, Jay Leno says that the winner doesn't actually get the car on the block, but will get the "very first customer delivered car", so apparently Jay was able to slip in ahead of that one. One of the perks of fame, I guess.

I was just looking at Mike Antonicks Corvette Black Book.
According to the Black Book, the auction building VIN is supposed to be: 1G1YR26R495900001
In the video, Jay's VIN shows: 1G1YR26R895800001
(The 9th and 12th digit varies.)
The Black Book ALSO shows that the first regular production VIN for the ZR1 should be: 1G1YR26R695800001
(The 9th and 12th digit also varies from the auction, 9th digit varies from Jay's.)
It's not the first time the Black Book has been wrong on the first printing before the model year has completed. The "real" story will become clear in next year's book. My guess is that Jay "pulled some strings" at GM to get his own VIN #1.