The Chip Miller Charitable Foundation is auctioning a '73 Corvette at the Barrett-Jackson 40th Anniversary auction in Scottsdale to raise money for amyloidosis research; the Mille Miglia Red coupe will hit the block on Wednesday, January 19.
With the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction coming up fast, many of the featured lots are beginning to spool up interest in anticipation of the big show. One that we recently learned of is a ’73 Corvette coupe being offered to raise funds for the Chip Miller Charitable Foundation. Miller’s name is familiar to many auto enthusiasts as he was one of the founders of Carlisle Events in Pennsylvania, along with partner Bill Miller. Chip Miller passed away in 2004 as a result of the disease amyloidosis; the foundation was then created to help raise awareness of the relatively little-known disease in an effort to foster earlier diagnosis, which, in turn, can affect better treatment outcomes.
The Foundation also works to raise money for educational and research purposes, and last year auctioned a 1974 Corvette at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale sale, yielding $47,000 for amyloidosis research. The success of that sale has led to a follow-up for 2011 with the ’73 Stingray coupe, which was donated by San Diego Classic and Muscle Cars of Escondido, California.
Glowing in brilliant Mille Miglia Red, the coupe features the L48 350 engine, which is said to be numbers-matching, along with an automatic transmission. Inside is a black interior with tilt/telescoping steering, power windows and a set of the original T-top storage bags.
The ’73 model is often referred to as the “transition year,” thanks to the first appearance of the deformable front fascia, which was combined with the carryover tail treatment that retained chrome bumpers. This was the only model year to feature this arrangement, as the ’74 Corvette received a soft rear fascia to match the front, both coming in response to the 5 MPH federal bumper mandates of the time.
Winning the bid on the ’73 Corvette will also yield a goodie bag containing a set of new custom floor mats and a copy of the second edition of the Corvette Bible, authored by Mike Yager of Mid America Motorworks. As well, the winning bidder will receive two passes to the Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant and four passes to the National Corvette Museum, in addition to a season pass to Carlisle Events.
The lot number for the featured Corvette is 413, and it is scheduled to roll onto the block at approximately 7 p.m. on Wednesday, January 19.
