Equipment
454/425hp ZR2, M22 4-speed, Rally wheels, General tires, T-tops, original radio. Vinyl upholstery.
Condition
#3 Good
Runs and drives well. Flaws not noticeable to passersby. Most common condition.
One of 12 ZR2s built. Ordered new by Toly Aruntoff for the 1971 Targa Florio but didn’t compete. Two owners since 1975, spent many years in the UK. Tired chrome with bubbling on the rear bumper. Light pitting on the door handles. Clean interior with lightly worn switchgear. Some mild paint issues but nothing serious. Light wear underneath. One of the ultimate vintage Corvettes, mostly well kept and preserved, just cosmetically a bit scruffy.
Market commentary
It's a shame that this car failed scrutineering at the Targa Florio due to lack of a roll bar, because it would have been quite the sight to see this thing ripping through Sicilian villages with all the Alfa Romeos and Porsches. Like all the best, most collectible classic Corvettes, the ZR2 package wasn't actively promoted, hence its low production number. Combining the big-block LS6 V8, M22 Rock Crusher 4-speed, heavy-duty aluminum radiator, heavy-duty disc brakes, F41 suspension, and A/C and radio delete, the ZR2 was the fastest and most expensive Corvette you could buy in 1971 (if you knew about it), even more so than the small-block LT1-powered ZR1. Given that RM Sotheby's sold their 1969 ZL1 for $3.14M and that Mecum sold another ZR2 for $962,500 in Indy last year, $221,200 for this one seems way modest. But that's a bit apples and oranges. RM's ZL1 is a one-of-two Holy Grail kind of car, and Mecum's ZR2 was both a convertible (one of two, compared to 10 coupes) and a better preserved original with much lower miles. Even so, we can't help but think this white car would have gotten more Corvette fans standing up on their New Balances and bidding at a venue like Mecum or Barrett-Jackson. While not a bargain here, it is a solid value in an extremely rare ZR2 with an intriguing history.