The collectible market has exploded in recent years thanks to the instantaneous gratification enabled by internet research and marketing, as gearheads find they can satisfy their wants and needs with just a few keystrokes. And who doesn't want a rare car that's fun to drive, interesting to discuss, and a little historically significant, as well? Whether or not the market will continue to skyrocket remains to be seen, though there are definitely some vehicles that will never lose value. Case in point might be the ultra-rare 1969 Corvette ZL1 with its all-aluminum 427 Rat motor that could very well be the best car GM ever made.
Rarer Than Rare
The formula for a successful and popular sports car has remained consistent since time immemorial. But some cars just do it better than others and very few do it better than the C3-generation Corvette Stingray in ZL1 trim. How rare is rare? Only three of these beauties left the factory in ZL1 spec—ever.
The best part about the ZL1 is that it truly lived up to the third-generation Corvette's aggressive styling, while the majority of the cars Chevrolet sold were underpowered and, even worse, equipped with slushbox automatic transmissions.
King Of Kings
As the story is told by LSX Magazine, the reason so few ZL1 cars ever left the factory comes down to pricing. And GM's strategy at the time was a little baffling: there were a total of 21 different engine options available under the C3's long hood, highlighted by the popular L88, which included a 427ci V8 that was good for a factory rating of 430 horsepower (though period testing revealed output truly topped 500). L88 cars also included features like transistorized ignition, F41 special suspension, heavy-duty brakes, a four-speed manual transmission, and Posi-traction rear axles. All told, the package cost $1,100—in 1969 dollars.
Pump It Up
Meanwhile, dealers were provided with the ZL1 package on their checklist, but it was so expensive that no one even pushed it. The ZL1's highlight was an aluminum 356-T6 427 block that weighed a full 100 pounds less than the cast iron block L88 427. It cost $3,010 at the time—on top of the L88 package. That makes the engine still the most expensive engine ever sold by GM, when adjusted for inflation. That power combined with the weight savings resulted in an 11.2-second quarter-mile at a trap speed of 127 mph—which would still be considered better than good to this day. But good luck finding one of these babies, since they rarely change hands and are valued well into the seven figures.
Source: LSX Mag