It’s been quite a year for the Chevrolet Corvette.
2014 brought the announcement of a new, 650-horsepower Z06 (as well as the convertible version that followed), and a sinkhole swallowed eight Corvettes at the car’s national museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
The lauded sports car continues its noted year with the listing of an ultra rare 1956 Corvette SR-2. Only three SR-2s were built, and this particular model happens to be number one.
In fact, it was the inaugural purpose-built Corvette racer made by General Motors, and the price is an equally historic $6.885 million. The news comes from duPont Registry.
The SR-2, which stands for Sebring Racer or Special Racer, was originally constructed to compete with the likes of Ferrari, Jaguar, and Porsche at Le Mans. It featured a Sebring Racing brake and suspension package, as well as individual windscreens for both occupants.
A 331-cubic inch (5.4-liter) V8 lay under the bulbous, vented hood, sending 331 horsepower to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual.
Thanks to a redesigned interior, fiberglass door panels, and thin Porsche seats, the ‘Vette was lighter than the standard model by 300 pounds.
Of course, we can’t forget that monstrous shark fin behind the driver. The aesthetic differences go much further than that though, as the SR-2 equips a lenthened front end, a beautiful sky blue color scheme, and special parking lamps with screens to funnel air to the front brakes.
Simply put, this car is (nearly) one of a kind. Despite its high sticker, the Corvette SR-2 features a unique racing heritage and classic look that is almost priceless.
The car will be displayed at Scottsdale Sport & Classic Autocars from January 12th to the 14th.