Production began recently and the first units have been shipped to owners, with more on the way.
The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the quickest, fastest, most powerful and most track-capable Chevy supercar ever, leading to heavy anticipation of the 755-horsepower C7’s arrival. The wait ended earlier this month, with the first production units rolling off of the assembly line, undergoing the rigorous quality control process and shipping out to dealerships around the country.
ZR1 #1 Rolls Down the Line
Production of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 officially began on March 5. The first production unit to roll off of the assembly line at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant was the car purchased by Rick Hendrick for $925,000, all of which went to charity.
Hendrick’s C7 ZR1 was built with a black exterior (similar to the car shown here), a carbon fiber hood, carbon fiber ground effects, the carbon flash wheels, red brake calipers, the performance track package, the NPP performance exhaust system, a Jet Black and Adrenaline Red interior, competition seats, red seat belts and the 8-speed automatic transmission. The legendary NASCAR owner was at the plant when his car rolled off of the assembly line, but he didn’t get to drive it home.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
