First-ever Retail C8 Corvette Convertible Heads to Barrett-Jackson

Cadillac CT4-V, CT5-V Blackwing Nos. 1 also join C8 Corvette for Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale auction, all winning bids go to charity.

During the stop-start run of 2020 C8 Corvette production, an interesting thing happened. Of the 20,368 examples built between February 3 and December 14, 2020, only 3,581 were convertibles. Thus, these 2020 models are the rarest of the bunch, with big price tags to match.

For example, the very last 2020 C8 was a convertible, sent to Kissimmee, Florida to fetch big numbers upon Mecum’s red carpet. Alas, that one failed to meet reserve. The very first C8 Corvette Convertible to hit the retail market, though, will go to a new home. Barrett-Jackson’s Scottsdale, Arizona happening will feature this among a handful of VIN #1s set to cross the block at no reserve in late March, with all the high bids going to charity.

The C8 Corvette Convertible in question is a 3LT with GT2 seats and the Z51 package, offered up by General Motors. The outside is black, the inside is black and red with red seat belts. This example almost matches the very first C8, which crossed the Barrett-Jackson block last year for $3 million. That one, an all-black 3LT with the Z51 package, went home to the collection of NASCAR legend Rick Hendrick. Perhaps this one will go home to Hendrick, too?

The C8 Corvette won’t be alone in Scottsdale, though. GM also brought a pair of Blackwings to the big tent in the desert. The very first Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings are ready to set the block on fire. Only 250 of each will hit the line, though, as we reported earlier in February, those who missed out “have the opportunity to sign up for a waitlist and will be contacted by their dealer as soon as more inventory is available.”

Or, they can be the winning bidder. The CT4-V Blackwing features a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6, good for 472 horses and 445 lb-ft of torque. The CT5-V Blackwing, though, comes with a hand-built, turbocharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8 with 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque. All those ponies go through a six-speed manual in a final farewell to the gas-powered V Series, as GM plans to go fully electric by 2035.

As for the charities benefitting from the sale of these machines, the C8 Corvette Convertible represents the United Way for Southeastern Michigan. Meanwhile, the Cadillac Blackwings are aligned with Black Ambition. The non-profit invests in new Black- and Latinx-owned businesses, with the aim of closing wealth and opportunity gaps. The pair will cross the block together at around 5:30 p.m. Mountain March 25, the ‘Vette at around 2:30 p.m. Mountain March 26.

Photos: Barrett-Jackson

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