(This post was originally published by HotCars and written by Michael Van Runkle.)
When fears of a global coronavirus pandemic first ground the automotive industry to a halt, the enthusiast and collector communities were faced with a double-edged sword. On one hand, driving their cars on mostly deserted roads was a great way to social distance (and get speeding tickets at rapid rates). On the other, highly anticipated events such as the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance got canceled. The pandemic also forced in-person auction houses like Barrett-Jackson, RM Sotheby’s, and Mecum to transfer to online formats, following the trend set by the wildly successful website Bring a Trailer.
BaT’s popularity and income (at $99 per listing plus a 5% fee, do the math!) led to Hearst Autos acquiring a majority share of the site—but it’s also prompted a whole new crop of competitors from the likes of Cars and Bids (aka Doug DeMuro) and now, AutoHunter. And those sites have to start things off with a bang, as proven by this street-legal 1965 Chevrolet Corvette race car currently listed on a new site from the team behind ClassicCars.com.
Radical Yet Roadgoing
Originally customized in the style of the iconic C2 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport while retaining its factory drivetrain, the car was more recently bought in 2002 by the seller, who then began converting it to race spec.
Under The Hood
Other than the show-stopping exterior style, the heart of the build comes in the form of a 350ci V8 under the hood that routes power to the rear wheels through a four-speed stick shift. Side exhaust, four-wheel disc brakes, and a positraction limited-slip rear differential equipped with 4.11 gearing round out the mechanical highlights.
Prepped And Ready
The bright-red interior includes a three-spoke steering wheel fronting a factory suite of gauges, plus an aftermarket Autometer tachometer. The stock radio system remains installed and reportedly still functions, while racing equipment includes a roll bar, a five-point fire suppression system, and Corbeau racing buckets with Simpson harnesses.
Whether or not the new site can attract the same inflated values that Bring a Trailer churns out regularly remains to be seen. For the moment, bidding on the Corvette currently sits at $25,000 with one day remaining until the final gavel.