This is the Mecum Auction listing presented as Lot T195 at Indianapolis, IN for the 1990 Corvette ZR-1 Marlboro Team Penske RM1 - May of 2019.
When Team Penske joined forces with Marlboro, Chevrolet and Larry Shinoda to create a one-off Corvette to honor racing legend Rick Mears, the results were astonishing, to say the least.
Starting with a 1990 Corvette ZR 1, the team used a Shinoda-Williams body kit to enhance the aesthetic value and improve the aerodynamics of the already beautiful Corvette, painted it Marlboro Racing Hot Licks Red, added white graphics and bolted on specialized aluminum wheels by Boyd Coddington to achieve the one-off look. Equipped with a red interior from the factory, the car induces sweat just looking at it. Equipped with the 350/375 HP LT5 V-8 engine and 6-speed manual transmission, the car has been featured in "Vette" Magazine and the book "Corvette Special Editions" by Keith Comet.
With just 600 miles on the odometer, this special Corvette presents in like-new condition.
A commemorative plaque for Rick Mears, as well as Marlboro design elements, have been affixed inside.
Used as a marketing tool, it was also the subject of a mail-order contest with a well-designed promotional brochure depicting the basic outlines of an Indy car and its parts—Goodyear Eagle tires, the ground-effects package, digital instrumentation, a rear spoiler, a Chevrolet V-8 engine and Marlboro paint scheme among them—and stated that, "If this Marlboro Penske car were street legal," at which point the reader pulled a tab, sliding out a new picture of this Corvette and other prizes with the headline, "It would look like this," once again indicating the tires, aero package and so on, thus making the connection between an Indy car and a Corvette ZR1 as prepped by Marlboro, Penske, Chevrolet and Shinoda. Indeed, a slick campaign and, in the end, a piece of automotive, racing, corporate and Corvette history all tied into one.
Popularly known throughout the Corvette community, the Marlboro Penske Rick Mears Corvette ZR1 is the only example ever built and a must-have for the Corvette fanatic.