2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible Sells for $600,000

The first 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition – the fastest and most capable convertible in Corvette’s history – sold for $600,000 in the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction Saturday.

The Corvette 427 Convertible, which arrives at U.S. Chevrolet dealers this summer, blends elements of the Z06 and ZR1 models. The Vehicle Identification Number ending in 001 was sold in the auction.

Its heart is the 427-cubic-inch (7.0L) LS7 engine from the Corvette Z06. Rated at 505 horsepower (377 kW) and 470 lb.-ft. of torque (637 Nm), it is the most powerful engine ever installed in a production Corvette convertible – and, like the Z06, the 427 Convertible is only available with a six-speed manual transmission.

Early 427-powered Corvettes, particularly convertibles, offered from 1966 to 1969 are some of the most-coveted and collectable Corvettes ever produced.

Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports teamed up for the auction, with four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion Jeff Gordon and team owner Rick Hendrick, to raise a total of $700,000 for the AARP’s Drive to End Hunger food relief program.

The Drive to End Hunger is part of a multi-year sponsorship for Gordon’s No. 24 Chevrolet. It calls on racing fans, corporations and charitable organizations to raise money, build awareness, and engage Americans who face the threat of hunger.