Special-event Corvettes have always attracted collectors, but some are tied to moments that go beyond the car itself. This 1994 Chevrolet Corvette BY400 Convertible, listed on craigslist in Kennewick, Washington, is one of those examples. The seller says it is one of just 12 black Corvettes used during festivities surrounding the inaugural Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. With just 1,410 miles showing on the odometer and an asking price of $40,500, it’s being presented as a preserved piece of Corvette and racing history. Thanks for the tip, Curvette!
According to the listing, this Corvette is a black-on-black convertible powered by Chevrolet’s LT1 5.7-liter V8 rated at 350 horsepower. The car is equipped with an automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive. The seller describes it as a two-owner vehicle with a clean title and says it remains original inside and out, aside from the replacement 12-volt battery. The story behind the car is what makes it particularly interesting. The seller states that it is one of 25 Corvettes used during the inaugural Brickyard 400 event in 1994. Of those 25 cars, the listing says 13 were red and 12 were black. Rather than serving as the official pace car, these vehicles were reportedly used to parade drivers around the track so fans could see them before the race.
The listing includes additional background on the event cars. According to the seller, all 25 Corvettes were shipped from the Bowling Green assembly plant to GM’s Tech Center in Warren, Michigan. Two received Brickyard decals there, while the remaining cars were sent to Chevrolet dealerships for decal installation. The seller notes that the windshield identification number originally used during the event is no longer with the car. Documentation appears to be a major part of the package. The seller mentions a three-ring binder, manual, and supporting paperwork. For collectors, that kind of documentation can be just as important as the vehicle itself, particularly when dealing with limited-production or event-related cars.
The seller also states that the Corvette has spent its life garaged, has never been driven in the rain, and currently wears collector plates. It has reportedly appeared at local car shows in eastern Washington and is expected to be displayed at Cool Desert Nights later this year. Corvette enthusiasts have always enjoyed tracking down unusual production runs, commemorative editions, and race-related vehicles. While the standard 1994 Corvette already offers a connection to an important era of Chevrolet performance, the Brickyard 400 connection gives this one a story that most C4s simply don’t have.
For someone who enjoys collecting cars tied to significant motorsports events, this Corvette may be just as much about the history as the mileage. If you were adding a special-event Corvette to your garage, would a Brickyard 400 parade car make the short list?
At least the decal package used on this car is not as ugly as some of the Indy 500 pace car corvettes of the same time period (looking at you ‘95 and ‘98). This is a lot of money for an obscure pace car that is a totally stock ‘94, but it does only have 1400 miles.
Curious was anything done to the engines on these Brick Yard cars because a 1994 corvette had 300 horsepower while the owner is saying 350 horsepower.
I suspect this was a typo, or misconception on the part of the seller, and probably should have said 350 engine.
This was a parade car, and likely a courtesy car for dignitaries. It’s only time on track would have been before the race when it did a lap with a NASCAR driver sitting on the rear deck waving, driving at a relatively slow speed. Even the Corvettes used as actual Pace Cars usually aren’t modified, even with only 300 horsepower they were more than capable of going fast enough to pace the race.
Part of the agreement to supply pace cars for the Indy 500 and Brickyard 400 includes supplying a fleet of cars and trucks to be used by officials as courtesy vehicles and driver pre race parade cars. These vehicles are then offered to area dealers after the races to sell, sometimes with the Speedway logos left on, but usually removed. We participate in a vintage race at Indy every June shortly after the 500, and the maintenance yard outside turn 4 is always full of these courtesy vehicles waiting for dealers to pick them up.
I understand there are usually 4 pace cars supplied to the Speedway for races. One is used as the actual pace car, the second is a back up for use during the race, the third is given to the race winner and the forth is used by the race director, speedway president and/or chief steward during the month. After the race the actual pace car is kept by the Speedway, one is given to the winner and the other two are usually returned to the automaker to keep or depose of.
Hagerty puts the value for a 94 automatic convertible in concourse condition at $38,600. This is a nice car, and the history makes for an interesting talking point at the local cars and coffee, but I don’t know if the stickers are worth another two grand?
Have fun replacing the Optispark on these
300hp. was factory output for these cars. I doubt they got anything special besides a couple stickers. It may be rare, but it doesn’t make it valuable. Probably fit well in an Indy pace car collection.
Ridiculous.