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To start, my 2018 Z06/Z07 was built in March 2017 and delivered to a GM exec.
I have an interesting VIN question, at least to me.
I go online to learn about VINs. I learn that all 2018 Z06 VINs end in 600000. All Grand Sports end in 500000, etc.
My Z06 does not. Mine ends in 500002.
Just for entertainment I go onto VIN Decoder to check mine. So, thinking conspiracy, I plug my VIN into the Decoder and all the information comes up as it should. It tells me I have a Z06, equipment, etc. I saved it and printed it out, again just for entertainment.
So, until my wife tells me differently, my mystery of the minute is "why does my VIN end in 500000 instead of the 600000"?
Not a run of the mill "line" car. As you said, it went to someone in particular and was probably IDed to do so from the start and as such ended up with the seemingly "odd-ball" number. Not that unheard of in days of yore; just less so today. Enjoy the "mystery."
This is interesting to say the least. I have a 2018 Grand Sport M7 vert with the same question. J5000000 car number 7 indicating a pilot car. I always guessed it was an exec car with the low vin number optioned like it was. Any way to trace who ordered or received it? I know it was delivered to the GM Technical Center in Warren Michigan. Spent a year there then one in Milford.
Last edited by Sharkster; Jan 2, 2022 at 08:48 PM.
Pilot cars are used to test out the assembly procedures before regular customer production starts. They're built to normal customer spec, but they're sent to GM corporate employees to review and critique so they can (hopefully) work out all the bugs before they start selling customer cars. These are usually sold off as used cars by GM once the testing phase is over.
Originally Posted by Sharkster
This is interesting to say the least. I have a 2018 Grand Sport M7 vert with the same question. J5000000 car number 7 indicating a pilot car. I always guessed it was an exec car with the low vin number optioned like it was. Any way to trace who ordered or received it? I know it was delivered to the GM Technical Center in Warren Michigan. Spent a year there then one in Milford.
I don't think there's a way to see who drove it. It probably wasn't ordered by or for an individual anyway. It likely went into a pool for evaluation and was signed out as needed.
Pilot cars are used to test out the assembly procedures before regular customer production starts. They're built to normal customer spec, but they're sent to GM corporate employees to review and critique so they can (hopefully) work out all the bugs before they start selling customer cars. These are usually sold off as used cars by GM once the testing phase is over.
I don't think there's a way to see who drove it. It probably wasn't ordered by or for an individual anyway. It likely went into a pool for evaluation and was signed out as needed.
Pilot cars for a new model year can also be mixed into the production stream of the current model year. So this car may have run down the line amongst a group of 2017 cars. There weren't many changes between the 17s and 18s other than some changes in the track display, magnetic ride shock calibrations and eventually the new paint shop. The car could have been a pilot of the new paint shop process and run down the line with 2018 cars that had been painted with the old process. The door sticker should have a build month and year printed on it.
My car came with a list of factory replacements up until the day I bought it. I bought it with 13,000 miles on it. During that time it had an interior trip piece replaced, all four shocks at the time that I bought it, wheels, tires, etc. I was thinking I was the third owner, but I think now I am the second owner.
Who knows what and why. At least I learned something. Thanks everyone.
What, if any, are the advantages/disadvantages of owning a pilot car? Does it have any additional value? or less value? or can that be determined?
Really, most Corvettes have to be 30 years old before they attract any collector interest.
Personally, I think it would be really neat if you could find out that your car had been assigned to one particular person at GM, and who that person was.
But unlikely to increase the value.
In days of old the ordering person's name/code would be printed on the window sticker. Sometimes the same person would order several cars or at least his name appeared on the build sheet. I thought he was ordering the test/pilot cars.
It probably wasn't an exec's car but was used for testing and/or PR events. Late in the development process GM starts using what they call "salable" vehicles and will put them on the market once testing is finished. Sometimes they can live a hard life depending upon what they were used for but they are obviously well maintained during the process so I wouldn't be worried about it. I do kind of think it's kind of neat to have one of those. When I worked at GM there was one Milford test vehicle I became fond of and seriously thought about trying to snag it at an auction.
Just look at the cars in the GM display at Corvettes At Carlisle and you will see they are all pilot cars (very low vins). The GM people take turns driving them for usually a few months and eventually they are sold as used vehicles as mentioned above. I have a friend who is retired from GM and was a field rep and he told me they have first crack at these cars before they are released to the public.
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VIN Mystery
