The Chevy Corvette is one of the most iconic cars in American history. And when Chevy starting making its eighth generation of the Corvette, the C8, it held an auction for the first-ever produced C8 Corvette Stingray. And, after paying $3 million for it, the new owner won’t even drive it. So why won’t this car ever see the light of day?

What the new C8 Corvette Stingray is

Not only is the C8 Corvette Stingray the start of a brand-new era of the Corvette, but it also represents the peak performance that Chevy’s capable of getting out of its Corvettes. Along with many other upgrades under the hood, Chevy’s improved the engine of the Corvette. Now, according to Motor1, the C8 Corvette Stingray will come with a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 that generates 490-hp. 

This powerful new engine allows the car to go from 0 to 60 MPH in just 2.9 seconds and it can do a quarter-mile in just 11.2 seconds. Those numbers are in part possible due to the C8 Corvette Stingray’s new design. It still looks like a Corvette in the most meaningful ways, but its new, sleeker design is what helps it achieve the high speeds that Corvette lovers crave.

The new owner of the first C8 Corvette Stingray

Rick Hendrick was the man that, according to GM Authority, paid $3 million for the very first production C8 Corvette Stingray. But, as he told GM Authority, he has no plans to even experience those first 490 horses at all. Instead, he’s going to put it in a museum. That’s because Hendrick is the owner and founder of Hendrick Motorsports, one of the most prominent and successful NASCAR teams out there.

And, true to form, Hendrick Motorsports builds and races Chevy cars exclusively. On top of that, Hendrick is the owner of almost 100 car dealerships, according to GM Authority. Furthermore, he even has his very own 58,000 sq. ft. car museum called the Heritage Center. Hendrick keeps rare and collectible vehicles as well as over 120 Corvettes in that museum. 

Clearly, this Corvette is in good hands, as Hendrick loves Chevy, Corvettes, and cars in general. GM Authority also says that he’s a former race car driver, so it’s not like he doesn’t want to experience driving the first ever C8 Corvette Stingray. It’s simply a matter of preserving history for him, as this car is a part of history now.

A true collector 

Like GM Authority mentioned, part of Hendrick’s collection in his museum are other first-built Corvettes, such as the 1955, 1956, and 1957 model years of the Corvette. Hendrick says that he’s been going to similar auctions for decades, and he’s bought many first-built cars before, but even he’s never experienced an auction like the one where he bought the C8 Corvette Stingray. 

According to him, that auction had a lot of drama as there were people from around the world who wanted to buy this history Corvette. Even the CEO of General Motors was on stage to show off the car. But in the end, Hendrick showed the world that he’s a serious car collector, and that’s why he paid $3 million for it. 

That’s also partially why he’s choosing not to drive it at all. Almost every car that isn’t a collectible will depreciate, which means that it will lose value as it ages. But by keeping it in his private museum, not only is Hendrick preserving history, but he’s also preserving the value of the car that he paid $3 million for. That $3 million is going to a charity though. Every single cent will go towards the Detroit Children’s Fund.