Back in 2001, a company by the name of Advanced Automotive Technologies (AAT) built a small number of coach-built cars based on the C5 Chevrolet Corvette platform, and one of them will soon head to auction.
This is a 2001 Corvette Z06 with a completely new fiberglass body that recalls the original Corvette of the 1950s. Known as the Commemorative Edition, the car is one of six rebodies based on C5 Z06 donors that were offered by Rochester Hills, Michigan-based AAT. There was even a shooting brake version.
This particular car was part of the Ken Lingenfelter collection, the man behind Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. He happens to have an incredible collection of vehicles. Under the hood is a modified LS6 V-8 engine (small-block-based, but not a true small-block V-8 engine) with work from John Lingenfelter. A 6-speed manual transmission handles shifts.
As for the massive amount of bodywork, all of the new panels reportedly fit in the exact same location, with the only major modification being a small cut in the trunk for clearance. Otherwise, the chassis and suspension handles just like any other C5-generation Corvette. The exterior color is bright red, which certainly recalls the first-generation Corvette, while the interior is black.
Over the years, the car has only tallied 9,300 miles total, which makes it a prime—and perhaps obscure—candidate as a major collector item in the future. C5 Corvettes have hardly begun to appreciate in value at a large scale, but that means there's plenty of time for this odd-ball retro-throwback to appreciate. Look for the car to cross the block at Mecum's auction running January 3-13 at the Kissimmee show. The same auction will also see a Le Mans 1965 Ford GT40 Prototype Roadster and Ferrari LaFerrari Aperta go under the hammer.
