The much-anticipated sale of GM Chairman and CEO, Dan Akerson's personal 1958 Chevrolet Corvette at the Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale AZ, last night, earned $270,000 for charity.
Akerson was attending a VIP reception at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, at the time, where he presented a facsimile cheque for the sale amount to Habitat for Humanity Detroit.
The funds will be applied to help revitalize the Morningside Commons neighborhood on Detroit’s lower east side, not far from General Motors' Renaisance Center.
Akerson announced last summer that he would put the car on auction, for charity, before its appearance in the Woodward Dream Cruise.
It is a first-generation1958 Corvette – the first year the sports car adopted quad headlights. This car, painted Regal Turquoise, features a removable hardtop and is powered by a 245-horsepower, 283 cubic-inch small-block V-8 engine.
Well-known Chevrolet dealer and owner of NASCAR's Hendrick Motorsports, Rick Hendrick, was the winning bidder on the Akerson Corvette – one of several vehicle he purchased at Barrett-Jackson.