Will first LS6 Chevelle coupe fly off the block?

Russo and Steele will offer a very special 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 — the first production LS6 coupe built — at its Monterey sale this August. Cars of this caliber are the norm on the Monterey Peninsula during mid-August when several concours events and auctions converge there to make the central California coast a hot bed of hot cars and big dollars.

There will be numerous important cars and people in Monterey this August, but the fabled first LS6 Chevelle coupe caught my eye because of some of the interesting notes associated with the car that Russo and Steele included in its release (featured below). So the question is, what will be the hammer price for a fabled car from the performance pinnacle of one of the hottest muscle car manufacturers with extremely interesting provenance? My estimate: a solid $175,000-200,000, and quite possibly more. Whether I am high or low, I look forward to watching the fun unfold this August.

Russo and Steele release:
The LS6 Chevelle was at the pinnacle of GM performance, and stood alone as the only vehicle to take top horsepower rating over the Corvette in history. With a factory advertised 450 hp at 5,600 rpm and 500 lb-ft of torque at 3,600 rpm, it was the highest horsepower Chevelle offered from Chevrolet.

Known as the "Pilot Car," this 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 is the first of 4,475 RPO LS6 cars ever produced and is the earliest known and documented LS6 Chevelle. A GM executive ordered an LS6 coupe as his zone demonstrator in October and was told by the Baltimore plant manager Earl Prentice that he was to receive the first one built at that plant. Built on Dec. 9, 1969, it was labeled the "Pilot Car." This 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle LS6 has "Pilot job" and "if it had wings it would fly" hand written on the build sheet. This pilot car is well known in the collecting community, it retains its complete born-in driveline and is heavily documented with two build sheets, POP, and owner history. In addition to its documentation it has received a concours-level restoration to its correct assembly line condition in 2010 by MCR and design, one of the top Chevelle specific restoration shops in the United States. Since its restoration this automobile has been driven one mile. Russo and Steele’s 11th Annual Sports and Muscle at the Marriott auction event August 18-20, 2011 continues to offer the highest quality, most luxurious and collectable European sports, American muscle, hot rods and custom automobiles suitable to satisfy any automotive desires. Concurrent with the prestigious Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and Monterey Historic Race weekend, Russo and Steele’s Monterey auction is conveniently located in the heart of downtown Monterey, CA. The three evening event will auction over 250 automobiles in its highly interactive, visceral ground level auction arena that provides cars with no separation from the buyers; known as the auction-in-the-round format and only found at Russo and Steele auction events.

For those unable to attend the event in person, absentee and telephone bidding options are available, and the auction will stream live online at www.russoandsteele.com, providing real-time coverage of the event.

Additional information is available through www.russoandsteele.com or 602-252-2697.