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One of the most highly anticipated vehicles to be auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson this year was the first 2010 Chevy Camaro. There are very few instant classics these days, and this is one of them. There's still a month before actual series production of the car is slated to begin, but the winning bidder claimed the right to the very first retail production car that can be ordered in any color and with any options he chooses. Last year, it took exactly one-million dollars to win the hotly contested rights to the first 2009 Corvette ZR1, and this year $350,000 claimed the first edition of the newly-revived Camaro. Just as with last year's ZR1, all proceeds from this Camaro's sale will benefit the American Heart Association, which means that anything over the car's MSRP will be tax deductible by the winning bidder. See the car's official auction description after the break.

First Retail Production 2010 Chevrolet Camaro:

One very passionate Camaro enthusiast at the 2009 Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction will come away with the keys to the first regular retail production-built unit of Chevy's all-new, 21st Century Sports Car. This first Camaro built for regular retail production will have a VIN ending with #100001. Chevrolet ceased production of the fourth-generation of their vaunted sports car in 2002. Four years later, Camaro appeared as a surprise concept vehicle at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The new production Camaro remains steadfastly true to that concept, with an eye-catching design reminiscent of the storied 1969 Camaro, but equipped with modern technology and a GM-estimated 27 MPG highway when equipped with the available V6 engine. Importantly, the winning bidder will have the ability to spec and order their Camaro to their liking, choosing from several colors, V6 or V8 engines, a manual or automatic transmission, and various trim packages and free-flow options. The vehicle will be built on the first day of retail production -- scheduled for early 2009. All proceeds from the sale will benefit the American Heart Association, a national voluntary health agency whose mission is: "Building healthier lives, free of cardiovascular diseases and stroke." The association's impact goal is to reduce coronary heart disease, stroke and risk by 25 percent by 2010. Please join GM, Chevrolet, Barrett-Jackson and the American Heart Association in pursuit of this very worthwhile effort, and be the first to own Chevy's 21st Century Sports Car, the 2010 Chevy Camaro.

Same price to pay to have the first real Camaro I'd say. Wish I could afford one.

If I were the winning bidder, I'd order a white V6 automatic.

How altruistic of you, sir.

Wow... talk about a win/win/win scenario!

1. buyer gets a future collectors car (most of it being a tax write-off)

2. GM gets positive publicity

3. most of all!, Heart Association gets big donation

Wish I had 350K!

Chris

I hope the winner garages it and then buys a 2nd to drive the wheels off with.

Can GM afford to benefit charity with this?

Can GM afford to benefit charity with this?

No, but it would have been a PR nightmare for them to auction off the first Camaro and pocket the dough.

No, but it would have been a PR nightmare for them to auction off the first Camaro and pocket the dough.

Exactly.

LOL

It's called TAX DEDUCTIBLE.

Same for the Corvette and the Challenger. They both went for silly prices, but basically you pay the MSRP of the car and the rest of the money is a write off. Pay $300,000 or $3,000,000, it don't matter.

It's basically a tax deductible donation with a car at MSRP included.

SWEET car! Good Cause too!

I assume the guy who bought it gets to write off $350,000-MSRP while GM will get to write off, at most, MSRP. Not a huge money incentive for GM.

I assume the guy who bought it gets to write off $350,000-MSRP while GM will get to write off, at most, MSRP. Not a huge money incentive for GM.

I'm sure it's more about publicity than "money incentives".

True, Croc's point (as I interpret it) is that GM could have sold the rights to first off the line and kept the $350,000. When you think about it, if GM had done it that way, the guy would still be donating to charity, just not the AHA.

After seeing it in silver with black stripes, I think I have to trade in the new Vue.

I wonder how this is realy going to work?

The first production ZR-1 of the public went for a million dollars last year. It was a special on off blue.

But since then I see Jay Leno has a gray ZR-1 that has vin# 0000001. Now I would assume that Jays car is the very first since we know the first car was gray. Now being in Jays hands make it the first production ZR-1 in public hands.

I wonder how the guy who payed a million feels about this now?

I have wondered if the Vette team has given the Z for Jay to care for so GM will not sell it off? Is it hidden in plain site? I wish GM would just give these special cars to the Vette Museum and let them be protected.

True, Croc's point (as I interpret it) is that GM could have sold the rights to first off the line and kept the $350,000. When you think about it, if GM had done it that way, the guy would still be donating to charity, just not the AHA.

Bingo.

I wonder how this is realy going to work?

The first production ZR-1 of the public went for a million dollars last year. It was a special on off blue.

But since then I see Jay Leno has a gray ZR-1 that has vin# 0000001. Now I would assume that Jays car is the very first since we know the first car was gray. Now being in Jays hands make it the first production ZR-1 in public hands.

I wonder how the guy who payed a million feels about this now?

I have wondered if the Vette team has given the Z for Jay to care for so GM will not sell it off? Is it hidden in plain site? I wish GM would just give these special cars to the Vette Museum and let them be protected.

The part that I don't understand is that the #001 ZR1 was supposed to be Lemans Blue, and would be the ONLY LEMANS BLUE EVER OFFERED. Now we see #001 on a Cyber Grey in Leno's garage. I am confused as well.

Dave Ressler is the owner of the million dollar vette, and a quick google search turned up this:

http://globalmotors.net/video-dave-ressler...r-corvette-zr1/

On further analysis, Dave owns a 1953 #003 - the first official car sold to the public, so knowing that, he probably had the ZR1 built to match the VIN # of his 1953.

The part that I don't understand is that the #001 ZR1 was supposed to be Lemans Blue, and would be the ONLY LEMANS BLUE EVER OFFERED. Now we see #001 on a Cyber Grey in Leno's garage. I am confused as well.

Dave Ressler is the owner of the million dollar vette, and a quick google search turned up this:

http://globalmotors.net/video-dave-ressler...r-corvette-zr1/

On further analysis, Dave owns a 1953 #003 - the first official car sold to the public, so knowing that, he probably had the ZR1 built to match the VIN # of his 1953.

Yes he bought the first to the public 003. But now the grey 001 is in Leno's hands make it the first one in Public hands.

GM stated that it was the first in public hands and not the first one built at the time of the sale. This was made clear at the time of the sale.

It makes me wonder how soon we will see a Lemans blue as a regular option.

I am guessing Leno is just holding the car for the Vette team. But that is just a guess. It would not be the first time a GM engineering team has stashed a car to protect it.