Astronaut's Corvette Driven by Indy 500 Winner, For Sale on e-Bay

Filed in archive General Motors on June 25, 2006

Sometimes it's not the car, but who owned and drove it that governs the price. Here's an instance where both combine in a brief moment of serendipity. I'm referring to a Corvette owned and driven by astronaut Gus Grissom that also involved Indy 500 winner Jim Rathmann, currently being offered on e-Bay with an unstated reserve. As I write this, the bid price is $309,100 but the owner intends auctioning it with Barrett-Jackson next February if his reserve isn't met. The engine is a 427 c.i., 435HP Turbo-jet with tri-power and a 4-speed M-21 manual transmission. Everything is original. The owner says "I actually enjoy looking at it every day and once every couple of weeks I open the bubble, fire it up....and drive it for a mile or two." By "bubble" he means the climate-controlled environment in which the car is preserved. Here's your opportunity to own a Corvette with a truly unique history. Buy now or pay (much more) later.