Two Le Mans C5 Corvettes Hit Hilton Head Auction

Auctions America brought not one, but two 24 Hours of Le Mans Corvettes to the Hilton Head Auction in South Carolina on October 31.

As Corvette Blogger points out, the sanctioning body of the 24 Hours of Le Mans had honored Chevrolet by asking it to produce two pace cars and four safety cars to cover the Circuit de la Sarthe circuit in 2003. The first Corvette is a 2003 Corvette 24 Hours of Le Mans Pace Car with an estimated value of about $60,000. However, it sold of only $20,900. See the vehicle highlights below;

• 5.7-liter, 350-hp OHV V-8
• Six-speed manual transmission
• One of two Pace Cars built for use at Le Mans in 2003
• Only one with a six-speed manual transmission
• Rare low VIN Pilot Car
• Ex-General Motors Heritage Collection
• Under 2,500 actual miles
• Pace Car used by Slot Car company Fly for Le Mans 2003 (One model included)

So this is a Pace car, Pilot car, and “streetable track car all in one.” Seems like a pretty sound investment, however, the Corvette is still for sale by Auctions America after going unsold over the weekend. Its counterpart, the 2003 Corvette 24 Hours of Le Mans Safety car, did sell over the weekend, as it was listed without a reserve. No word yet on the sale price, but it did carry a projected value of $30K – $40K. This one had a high bid of $28,000 and is still for sale. Here’s the list of highlight features for this Corvette;

• 5.7-liter, 350-hp OHV V-8 (LS1)
• Automatic transmission
• Believed to be one of four Safety Cars used at Le Mans in 2003
• Fully equipped from new
• Fewer than 2,000 recorded miles
• Ex-General Motors Heritage Collection.