Back to black; vintage color highlights Corvette show

Black may seem like a common color, but any Corvette enthusiast knows it is the rarest color for America’s sports car.

On Saturday, 23 black Corvettes will be available for purchase at the Mecum Bloomington Gold Auction. The auction is part of Bloomington Gold’s Corvette-only car show running from Thursday to Sunday; the auction starts at 11 a.m., only on Friday and Saturday at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles.

“The auction has an amazing collection of black Corvettes from the 1954 to 1969,” marketing director Sam Murtaugh said. “Black is the rarest Corvette color and most sought after color to buy. To have them all line up, it’ll be a spectacle to see. Definitely something you won’t want to miss.”

The special collection of black Corvettes also will be offered at no reserve, meaning there is no minimum bid. And that in itself is a rarity.

“Bidders can go as high as they want; it is very unique,” said Brian Topp, a consignment agent who is in charge of signing up all the cars for the auction.

Murtaugh said there will be around 400 Corvettes in the two-day auction at Pheasant Run’s golf course. He also said the auction will have any type of Corvette you’d want to see. The cost range for the Corvettes are unpredictable but Murtaugh said they could go anywhere from $5,000 to six figures.

The event also will play host to Corvette owners willing to show off their vehicles, in the Corvette-only exhibition. “It’s really a gathering of Corvette owners and enthusiasts,” Murtaugh said. “The biggest thing is the judging of owners’ Corvettes. They are judged for authenticity and originality.”

The gates open at 8 a.m. and judging is all day Friday and Saturday morning, with the awards ceremony from 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Sunday also will have a survivor collector car show — for Corvettes that never have been restored. The cars must be in their original state of purchase.

Those cars all must be at least 20 years old, can pass a road test of at least 20 miles and be at least 50 percent unrestored, un-refinished or unaltered.

“It’s the only Corvette show with all the different events via the auction, the vendors, the show itself, and the judging,” Murtaugh said. “It’s the only Corvette show of its kind.”

Tickets for the event are $20 per day or $50 for a pass for the whole event, including the price to bid in the auction.

For details, visit bloomingtongold.com or call (815) 568-8888.