Designed and built by world-famous Orange County Choppers, this one-of-a-kind custom "Corvette" Chopper Softail with a 110 Rev Tech Motor and approximate retail value of $60,000 was raffled off by Keen Parts on October 31, 2004. The raffle tickets were sold for $25 each or 5 for $100 for several months leading up to the drawing, with the winning ticket bought at Corvettes at Carlisle. Tom Keen, owner of Keen Parts, said "The drawing took place at the Aces and Eights Harley Davidson in Mason, Ohio, at 4:30 p.m. in conjunction with the Toys for Tots Cruise. Guy Julian of Valley View, Pennsylvania, was the lucky winner. He was called after the drawing and was speechless after being told he had won this one-off Corvette-theme bike." Tom also reported that many Corvette parts' distributors were involved in selling the raffle tickets, including Four Sands Industries, Aces and Eights Harley Davidson, Keen Parts, Corvette Central, Paragon Reproductions, Corvette America, Zip Products, the Paddock, and others. All proceeds from this raffle will benefit the Toys for Tots program through the U.S. Marines. The raffle was so successful that an additional $25,000 will be slated for the program this Christmas season.
On The Block
This month, our coverage of Corvettes sold at auction took us to Tennessee, Wisconsin, and California. The majority of Corvettes sold were in "good to street-driven" condition.
As we report each month, top honors usually go to a restored mid-year Corvette with the optional high-performance motor. This month was no exception-at the top of the sale list was a restored Tuxedo Black '67 coupe with the 427-435 motor. Tuxedo Black was rare for the '67 model-year, with only 815 Corvettes delivered in the color, or 3.5 percent of the total production. The '67 Corvette was purchased by a Corvette dealer for a final sale bid of $70,000. We're sure it was on its way to another quick sale.
Close behind were three more mid-years, another '67 coupe with the 427-435 motor at $60,000, and two '65 roadsters with the 396-425 motors. They changed owners at $69,500 and $56,500, respectively.
Representing the early models was a '60 roadster with the base 283-230 motor and a four-speed manual transmission at $49,500. A '61 roadster with the dual-carburetor 283-245 motor sold for $43,000. Another '61 with the base motor found a new home at $37,000.
In the C3 series, a '69 roadster with a 427-400 motor, automatic transmission, and factory air conditioning drew active bidding and sold for $34,000. The good buy for this series went to a '71 T-top with an original LT1 motor at $16,500. Good buys continued with a '72 T-top with a 454-270 motor and air conditioning at $15,000.
Representing the C5 late-models were a few interesting Corvettes. A '98 coupe with only 300 miles was equipped with a retractable hardtop, a rather neat conversion with a charge of around the $10,000 mark. This Corvette sold for $28,500. A '99 hardtop sold for $24,000. These are becoming popular, with many being converted to Z06 "clones." An '00 Millennium Yellow roadster with a reported special-order Red interior sold for $29,250. This color combination certainly makes it a rare Corvette.
Complete sales results follow.
Legend: C=Coupe, R=Roadster, T=T-top, HT= Hardtop
Source: A&B Investments, Ltd., publishers of the Vette-N-Vestments Corvette Price Guide and monthly Corvette Market Letter.
To get pricing information on your Corvette, go to www.corvettefever.com. Click on "What's It Worth?" and you'll find additional information and instructions on securing a personal response from Bob Kroupa regarding your Corvette's value. You can also send a letter to: Bob Kroupa, Corvette Fever, On The Block, P. O. Box 77764, Greensboro, NC 27417-7764
| Year/Style | Sale Price |
| '54R | $38,000 |
| '57R | 40,500 |
| '60R | 49,500 |
| '61R | 37,000 |
| '61R | 43,000 |
| '63R | 25,000 |
| '63R | 29,500 |
| '64C | 23,500 |
| '64R | 33,500 |
| '65C | 27,000 |
| '65R | 56,500 |
| '65R | 69,500 |
| '67C | 60,000 |
| '67C | 70,000 |
| '69R | 24,500 |
| '69R | 25,500 |
| '69R | 34,000 |
| '71T | 16,500 |
| '71T | 24,700 |
| '72T | 15,000 |
| '75R | 15,100 |
| '77T | 8,400 |
| '79T | 5,500 |
| '79T | 5,900 |
| '86C | 6,000 |
| '98C | 28,500 |
| '99HT | 24,000 |
| '00R | 29,250 |
SEMA Show Rocks Las Vegas . . . Again
The 2004 SEMA Show, an international industry sensation event, drew celebrity, media, and industry attendees to view the latest in the automotive world.
Preliminary numbers from the 38th Annual SEMA Show indicate the Specialty Equipment Market Association is on pace to becoming the most successful SEMA gathering of automotive industrialists and aftermarket innovators ever. And if the business in the aisles is any indicator of the momentum of the industry, the automotive aftermarket is also going to have a record-breaking year.
"From the outset, we knew the 2004 SEMA Show was going to break all attendance and display records," said Christopher J. Kersting, SEMA president and CEO. "Early analysis of show activity and reports from our members suggest a significant increase in buyer participation and business."
SEMA represents the $29 billion automotive aftermarket industry, and its annual Las Vegas show brings together automakers and leading innovators from all segments of the car and truck communities, mobile electronics, performance marine business, and more. This year, SEMA recognized the building relationship between vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket with awarding the inaugural 2004 SEMA Design Awards for accessory-friendly vehicles.
The vehicles weren't the only stars at the show. Spotted among the crowds were car-enthusiast celebrities Jay Leno, Hulk Hogan, Snoop Dogg, Usher, and many others from professional sports and auto-racing circles. Television production companies like Overhaulin, Pimp My Ride, and American Chopper were on site producing feature content, and were joined by news and automotive programming crews of every sort. Big-name celebrities alongside racing legends Mario Andretti, Johnny Rutherford, Wally Parks, and others made their coverage more exciting than ever. The SEMA show has become a magnet for anyone connected with the automotive culture. Like many of the other established car-culture gatherings, the SEMA show has become an important international industry event.
For the fourth consecutive year, the SEMA show premiered over 1,100 new automotive products in the New Product Showcase. Of these, 12 category winners, ranging from best new tool and interior accessory to hottest merchandising and packaging designs, were selected as SEMA's Best New Products for 2004. In a world where reinventing the wheel has become a catchphrase, SEMA member companies manage to do exactly that year after year.
For its 39th celebration, the SEMA show will return to Las Vegas November 1-4, 2005. For more information, contact SEMA at 1575 S. Valley Vista Dr., Diamond Bar, CA 91765; (909) 396-0289, or visit www.sema.org.
For a look at the top Corvette products featured at this year's SEMA show, see our story beginning on page 22.