Top 10 most unique cars in Rick Hendrick’s private garage

Giant car dealer and champion NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick has a car collection that contains some of the most unique cars in the world.

Hendrick is one of the top Corvette collectors in the world. He owns 220 collector cars in the Heritage Center, 122 of which are rare Corvettes are on display inside the 58,000-square-foot Heritage Center in Concord, North Carolina, on July 25, 2023.

Hendrick, 74, keeps his 220 cars in his private 58,000-square-foot garage in Concord, North Carolina. It is a place that pays tribute to his family roots as well as showcases his meticulously shined collection of vehicles. To get in, you have to be invited.

The Detroit Free Press spent the day there recently and here is a peek at a few of Hendrick’s finest:

1931 Chevrolet in cherry red

The 1931 Chevrolet in cherry red, left, was Rick Hendrick's first car and it holds a lot of the memories. He was 13 when he paid $250 for it in 1963. The car is on display inside his 58,000-square-foot Heritage Center in Concord, North Carolina, on July 25, 2023.

This is the one car Hendrick would never part with because it was his first car and it holds memories. He was 13 when he paid $250 for it in 1963. He rebuilt it in his grandfather’s general store. He drag raced it and won, reaching a top speed of 118 mph. Years later, the car was restored and given to Hendrick on his 40th birthday.

1963 Black Corvette

Rick Hendrick's 1963 black Corvette is on display in the lobby of the 58,000-square-foot Heritage Center in Concord, North Carolina, on July 25, 2023. This was Hendrick's first Corvette. He bought it in 1971 as a stock 1963 Corvette and it was the car he took his wife in for their first date. It broke down and Hendrick fixed it on the side of the road that night. Later, he and his wife, Linda, sold the car along with most of their assets to raise money to buy his first dealership. In the early 2000s, he found the car and bought it back. It was turned into a resto-mod, which is a vintage car that retains much of the original look of the vehicle but is built with modern technology. He and Linda drove it earlier this year for their 50th wedding anniversary.

This was Hendrick’s first Corvette. He bought it in 1971 as a stock 1963 Corvette and it was the car he took his wife, Linda, in for their first date. It broke down and Hendrick fixed it on the side of the road that night. Later, he and Linda sold the car along with most of their assets to raise money to buy his first dealership. In the early 2000s, he found the car and bought it back. It was turned into a resto-mod, which is a vintage car that retains much of the original look of the vehicle, but is built with modern technology. He and Linda drove it earlier this year for their 50th wedding anniversary.

1968 Corvette of King Leopold III of Belgium

The 1967 Corvette of King Leopold III of Belgium. Growing up, Rick Hendrick idolized the Corvette and never thought he would own one. Today, he owns 122 of them, many of them are 1967 models, his favorite year. A row of those favorite 1967 model years is on display inside the 58,000-square-foot Heritage Center in Concord, North Carolina, on July 25, 2023.

This is one of two Corvettes formerly owned by King Leopold III. It is a European 1967 special order Corvette and just one of five silver with a red stinger hood known to exist.

1967 Corvette owned by singer Roy Orbison

The 1967 Corvette owned by singer Roy Orbison.

This is one of only two Tuxedo Black with a red stinger hood known to exist and was previously owned by Roy and Barbara Orbison.

1969 Camaro owned by Reggie Jackson

The Reggie Jackson 1969 Camaro resto-mod.

This was once owned by former professional baseball star Reggie Jackson. He gave the car to GM to soup up. GM put the first LSX high-performance engine in it along with a revamped chassis, new suspension, brakes and interior. This car was the famed Dr. Jamie Meyer’s first project at GM. Meyer is known for both his cardiovascular work and for championing GM’s performance parts. It is red with a black leather interior.

2014 Corvette C7

This is VIN 001 edition of the first C7 Corvette.

This is VIN 001 edition of the first C7 Corvette. All of Hendrick’s VIN 001 Corvettes are black. Hendrick bought it for $1.1 million at Barrett-Jackson Auction in Scottsdale, Arizona. The money went to the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

2020 Corvette C8

A 2020 Corvette C8.

This is the first Mid-Engine Corvette with VIN 001 bought at Barrett-Jackson Auction for $3 million. The money went to Detroit Children’s Fund.

2017 Acura NSX

This 2017 Acura NSX is a VIN 001 in Valencia Pearl Red and it is the new body style for the NSX.

This is VIN 001 in Valencia Pearl Red and it is the new body style for the NSX. The previous generation NSX ended production in 2005. Hendrick paid $1.2 million for it at the 2016 Barrett-Jackson Auction. The purchase was to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and Camp Southern Ground of Georgia.

2021 Rolls-Royce

A 2021 Rolls Royce Dawn – last convertible of this model produced.

The last Dawn convertible to be produced.

Ferrari Monza SP2

A Ferrari Monza SP2 is the first Ferrari in the carmaker's new Icona series of the automobile.

The first Ferrari in the carmaker’s new Icona series of the automobile. It is available as the SP1 or SP2, with the number meaning the number of seats in the car. At the time, it was Ferrari’s most powerful engine the automaker had ever put into a road car.

More:Behind the scenes of a NASCAR pit crew competing at elite levels

Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber

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