Abandoned Corvette ZR1 prototype rescued from a British field after decades forgotten heading to Wisconsin auction

An abandoned Corvette ZR1 prototype has been rescued from a British field.

Having been forgotten for decades, it’s now heading to a Wisconsin auction.

But what was it doing in a British field to begin with?

It turns out that this Corvette ZR1 prototype has an interesting history.

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Corvette ZR1 prototype took a stab at supercar status

As you probably know by now, the Corvette is firmly planted in supercar territory now.

The new C8 generation has firmly taken the iconic car forward in the battle against Europe’s finest.

But there is something amazing that you might not know.

This new C8 Corvette isn’t the first time that Chevrolet has produced a supercar.

A quarter of a century ago, the C4 Corvette attempted the same thing.

So, how did a Corvette ZR1 prototype end up in the fields of Britain?

Well, it’s actually all thanks to Lotus Engineering.

Back in the 1980s, General Motors happened to own Lotus.

And Lotus was actually tasked with developing the engine and suspension for the C4 Corvette ZR1.

The ZR1’s DOHC LT5 V8 engine and suspension were actually developed in Britain.

When the test project ended, the prototype cars were meant to be crushed.

But a few of the cars made it out – although they barely survived.

Corvette expert Mike Yager rescued this 1989 example and repatriated it to the US.

Eight years of painstaking restoration work resulted in the car finally being nursed back to health.

This particular C4 unit was one of just 89 built for testing and evaluation.

This Lotus-developed car pushed the boundaries

And now it’s finally heading to auction.

Speaking of which, this is a very rare and special, car in its own right.

For one thing, it was an absolute beast for its time.

And it remains a more than respectable offering even today.

The 375hp LT5 afforded the ZR1 a massive boost over the standard L98 V8 C4s.

It also turned the C4 Corvette ZR1 into a legitimate, 180mph supercar.

And this was back in 1989, no less.

Even today, C4-generation ZR1s are still extremely underrated and underappreciated.

Low-mileage examples can be picked up for as little as around the $25,000 mark.

Truly unused, museum-standard units can even be snapped up for around $70,000.

But given the uniqueness of this Corvette ZR1, it’s likely to go for much higher.

In case you’re interested, this car is being auctioned in January.

The auction in question is Mecum’s Kissimmee auction.