2007 Ron Fellows Z06 & The Indy 500 Pace Car Corvette Illustrated Series No.125

When a sports car is an almost perfect 10, where is a manufacturer to go with the design? “Special editions,” that’s where. The 2007 Corvette had no major mechanical or visual changes. Color combinations were adjusted, as were equipment groups, and details for some options. Larger cross-drilled rotors were included with the RPO F55 Magnetic Adjustable Suspension. The new optional “Atomic Orange” was the fourth extra-cost paint option. That’s all that changed. However, there were two special editions. The Ron Fellows Z06 and the Indy 500 Pace Car were juicy additions to the ‘07 line up.

The Ron Fellows Edition Z06 is noteworthy for three reasons. First, this is the first RPO Corvette with a sticker price of over $100,000. The MSRP of the ’07 Ron Fellows Edition Z06 is $100,795 and $104,010 when ordered with the only two available extra options - the OnStar and Navigation systems. Second, this is the first official Chevrolet signature series Corvette option. Only 399 units were produced and Ron Fellows signed and numbered the underside of the center console lid of every edition. And third, this option has the longest official name in Corvette history; “2007 Chevrolet Ron Fellows ALMS GT1 Champion Corvette Z06.” And keep in mind that “ALMS” means, “American Le Mans Series,” so the option’s name could have been even longer.

Ron Fellows goes in the Corvette racing history books as the most successful Corvette driver ever. Ron started racing professionally in ‘86 and quickly established himself as a champion driver. When Fellows joined the Corvette Racing Team in ’98, he quickly became an important part of the development of the C5-R. To date, Fellows has been part of 6 consecutive ALMS GT1 Championships for Chevrolet and was voted “most popular” ALMS driver in ‘04 and ’05. Ron’s accomplishments are a source of pride not only for Corvette fans, but for Canadians too, as he was born in Ontario, Canada.

The Ron Fellows Edition Z06 is a very clean, distinctive car. First off, it’s the only Z06 available in Arctic White. The red fender strips and polished wheels help to accent the Z06’s extra fender bulges and scoops. Also included is a full-width rear spoiler, windshield banner, and dark gray interior with red trim. With only 399 units built, this is the rarest special edition Corvette ever offered from Chevrolet.

If 100-grand was out of reach for you, then there was the Indy 500 Pace Car Corvette. Pacing the Indy 500 was becoming a habit for the Corvette. This was the fourth year in a row and the ninth time for a Vette to pace the Indy 500. It’s actually one of the few American cars capable of pacing the race without any performance enhancements. Actor and amateur racer, Patrick Dempsey performed driving duties for the race.

This is the first RPO Corvette pace car option since ‘98. The ’98 edition cost just over $50,000, with 1,163 units produced. The ‘07 edition cost nearly $67,000, with only 500 units built, making this the rarest Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car to date.

The ‘07 Indy 500 Pace Car was a stock 400-horsepower convertible with a delightful assortment of extra features. The Atomic Orange paint has a stream of gold ribbons flowing out of its side vents and along the sides of the hood. In the center of the hood is a Chevy bow tie. Indy 500 graphics are on the doors and Indy 500 badges are on the front fenders. A Z06 spoiler and new Sebring Silver-painted split-spoke wheels complete the exterior. The interior was Ebony (dark gray) with Atomic orange accents on the steering wheel, dash, and console trim. The seats had the Indy 500 logo embroidered on the seatbacks. The Z51 suspension package included heavy-duty shocks, springs, stabilizers, cross-drilled brake rotors, engine oil, trans, and steering coolers, as well as Goodyear F1 Supercar EMT tires. The only additional options for the Pace Car package was the 6-speed, paddle-shift transmission, the OnStar navigation system, and the Bose sound system.

It will be interesting to watch the value of this car in years to come. With only 500 units built, their value should be assured.