One-Of-Two C3 Corvette ZR2 Convertible Stands Alone
Daily Slideshow: Any C3 Corvette ZR2 is rare, but this orange beauty is one of only two known to exist.
Extra Special
ZR2 C3 Corvettes are celebrated cars, and for good reason. The glory days of ultra high-performance factory builds culminated with these models, years after kicking off with the equally legendary Z06, ZL1, and ZR1. But this particular orange convertible that we found over at Mecum carries even more prominence than most.
Last of Its Kind
A grand total of 12 of these 1971 Corvettes were built with the ZR2 Special Purpose LS6 Engine Package, both coupe, and convertible. But this orange 'vert is just one of two drop tops known to exist, and it's also the very last extra high-performance special created by Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov.
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Best of the Best
For that reason alone, this C3 Corvette ZR2 is certainly an important piece of automotive history. While we often think of the L88 as a rare car, the ZR2 was even more rare, a one-year-only package that offered only the best parts available at the time.
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Special Parts
That meant, of course, that the ZR2 came equipped with the legendary LS6 454/425 horsepower V8 wearing aluminum heads. But these special Corvettes also packed an M22 Rock Crusher 4-speed manual transmission, F41 heavy-duty suspension, J56 dual-pin heavy-duty power brakes, and a heavy-duty aluminum radiator.
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No Frills
Also notable were the things that you couldn't get in a ZR2 Corvette. Namely power steering, an automatic transmission, air conditioning, and a radio. You couldn't even add those things on as options. But then again, why would you want or need them on a car built to race?
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Going Abroad
This particular ZR2 was built on May 25, 1971, and shipped overseas to Germany to its first owner, a transplanted American. It lived there until the early '80s, when this special Corvette finally came home to America.
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Award Winner
The ZR2 underwent an extensive body-off restoration by the Naber Brothers of Houston before hitting the show circuit. There, it unsurprisingly racked up a series of notable awards and trophies.
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Traveling Exhibit
Since the completion of its extensive restoration, this special Corvette has served as part of the Bloomington Gold Special Collection in 1999, participated in the National Corvette Museum, and was inducted into the Bloomington Gold Corvette Hall of Fame in 2003. It also received an NCRS Top Flight award in 2013.
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Extra Options
In addition to all its go-fast goodies, this particular ZR2 is also equipped with shoulder harnesses, an auxiliary hardtop, a 3.55 Positraction differential, A.I.R. smog controls, aluminized exhaust, Soft Ray-tinted glass, Rally wheels, and blackwall tires.
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Got It All
We often come across cars claiming to be important pieces of history, but this particular C3 most definitely earns that distinction. With loads of documentation, a case full of awards, and unbeatable prominence, Corvettes just don't get much better than this!
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