The General Motors Corp. plant at Bowling Green, Ky., will build a special model of the 2008 Corvette Z06 sports car this spring that pays homage to the big-block 427 Vettes of the mid-1960s and honors retiring plant manager Wil Cooksey.
Called the 427 Limited Edition Z06, the $84,195 car will feature special "427" badges, referring to the cubic-inch displacement of the V-8 engines in the '60s-era big-block Corvettes and the current Z06, GM said.
Only 505 of the special models will be built — 427 of which will be reserved for sale in the United States and the rest abroad, the automaker said.
Each will be numbered and bear the signature of Cooksey on the center console. Cooksey, who has managed the Corvette plant for 15 years, will retire March 31.
Available only in the coupe body style, the 427-model will have crystal-red metallic exterior paint and special graphics and fascia on the hood that GM says will evoke the style of the famed "stinger" hood design and graphics offered with the 1967 Corvettes that came equipped with the 427 engine.
A certificate of authenticity will go to each buyer.
"The heritage of the 427 designation with the Corvette is legendary," Corvette product manager Harlan Charles said. Bowling Green will begin building the 427 model next month.
The car is one of two special 2008 Corvette models the plant will build this spring. The other is the Indy 500 Pace Car replica, available in coupe and convertible styles, which will go into production in April so those cars can be at dealerships before this year's Indianapolis 500 race in late May.
By summer, the plant also will start producing the most-powerful Corvette ever — the 2009 ZR1 model, with 620 horsepower and a top speed of more than 200 mph. That car will list for about $100,000.
The first ZR1 off the assembly line will go to the bidder who won the auction for the car at the annual Barrett-Jackson collector-car sale in Scottsdale, Ariz., last month. His winning bid was $1 million.
As for the 427 special edition, it will come with a custom dark-titanium leather interior, exclusive chrome wheels and "427" emblems embroidered into the seats and floor mats, among other features. The only option will be a GPS in-dash navigation system for $1,750.
GM said customers can take delivery of the 427 model at the Corvette Museum, which is adjacent to the Bowling Green plant.
"There's never been a better time to be a Corvette enthusiast," Charles said. "The performance and refinement are exemplary, and special editions like the 427 model enrich the heritage of America's sports car."
