ZR-71

This question came up in my mind today and I tried finding the answer but can't. I know the ZR-1 was originally set to sell as a '89 but was held up until the '90 MY. But did they only start selling in the same month as the standard '90, maybe Sept, or did they begin selling earlier in 1989?
And was there a select group of people that bought the first hundred ZR-1's? Who has vin #0001?

1BADZR1

Mine is #203 and it was purchased in October of 89

BennieC.

When I was 19 and bought my Z24 in July of '89, there was already one at Courtesy Chevrolet in San Jose with a sign that said "Do Not Touch SOLD".

It was $110,000.00
I said to myself, one f@#k%&* car I'll never own in my life. I said that because my parents bought their house for $115,000 in 1985. Fast forward to 2003, I couldn't believe a 1995 ZR-1 was and still is in my garage.

ZR-71

I had a feeling they were selling before the next MY was available. I seem to recall reading about this but can't remember where

Zrxmax

In 1989 I was just buying my first C4 and it was a 1984 coupe with the 4+3. I was dissapointed with the low performance of the crossfire injection motor though and longed for a ZR-1.

What did amaze me was how well the car handled and even though it would only go 135 mph I was tickled to do it.

I was only 50 grand short to step up to a ZR-1 and never believed I would own one. Finally in 2001 I got my hands on a 60 K mile 1990

model and even though the charcoal metallic wasn't a great color for me I really had fun with it.

In 2003 at the Pomona Swap Meet in Socal a black black 1990 ZR-1 that use to belong to Charleton Heston was offered for 30K.

It had about 6000 miles on it and Heston supposedly paid 90 k for it in late 1989.

ghlkal

This is a great question.

Currently the Geneva auto show is held in March. If those early (pre-production?) ZR-1s were available in March, it's possible the production ones were available before September.

I have a Road and Track article that states they went on sale in September of 1989, but ...

Now, I'm curious too

Mr. Gizmo

I saw one at Elco chevrolet in August of 1989 asking price was 120k and a red sold tag with a name Dr. Hrundi V. Bakshi on the sold tag or some name like that.

whalepirot

Hmm, sorry to jump in off-topic, but mine did 150, bone stock, on a near empty I-15 with the frau aboard.

Zrxmax

Not an issue with me... This was on I 80 west of Salt Lake City where its probably about 4200 ft. I find it hard to believe 205 hp could get you to

150 mph. My 35th Anniversary with 245 hp went about 150. My 89 6 speed coupe would only do about 150... However, the 91 Z I have now does ok as you would expect.

Are you sure it wasn't downhill a little bit ?

95ZR1

I think we're comparing ZR-1's vrs. base C4's

ghlkal

I found several articles that shed some light here (thanks to some good folks on the ZR-1 net registry). The first two production ZR-1s were "sold" at the very end of August 1989. The first ZR-1s to dealers were in September 1989.

I'd love to find some old dealer ads listing ZR-1s for sale in the fall of 1989 ... just to see the asking price

bdw18_123

This photo was taken and posted by someone on the ZR-1 forum, but I can't remember who. Date on the side is November 6, 1989. Shows a '90 ZR-1 priced at $112,500 (and that's in 1989 dollars!).

DEAN A NELSON

I posted that add. I have many from back than, all from newspapers.
I would drive to O'Hara airport in Chicago and go inside and buy all the large papers from New York, L.A and others just so I could see what the price was around all the large towns. (long live the net today)

I was doing this at the time as the dealer I had ordered from said my car was soon to ship and he now wanted "market value" for it.

the add above is what started my whole problem with my dealer. he had said when I ordered the car in June 89 that the cost would be at MSRP as printed on the window and I had said fine. after this add came out is when he started this "Market Value" stuff.

go into law suite with them......long long story!


Dean Nelson

ghlkal

Dean, if you have any more -- especially those that are above MSRP -- I'd like to see them.

And, I'd be interested in the "rest of your story"

DEAN A NELSON

I will get them out of my book, and load some of them so you can see them.
As far as my story on buying the car, I would type for days to get it all out!
let me think of this and how to only type the main points of the mess.

or I do have it all typed out on pages in my book and if you send me a fax number (or just PM it to me) I would fax you all the pages and you can read the whole thing.

after the whole mess and I would not pay the price for the car I had ordered, I did find the same car I had ordered, Dark Red, no tops, and Manual air, at a dealer in PA at list and that is the car I have today. I found it 12-20-89 and it is #418.

Dean Nelson