1969 Corvette Auction Benefits Curing Kids Cancer

The crowd at Mecum Kissimmee saw more than just another fiberglass classic cross the block earlier this month. When a specific 1969 Corvette rolled onto the stage on Jan. 16, the room knew the stakes were higher than usual. The final sale price did not go to a collector’s bank account or a restoration shop. Instead, 100 percent of the $170,500 went straight to Curing Kids Cancer, a nonprofit fighting to find better treatments for children. It was the kind of moment that proved car culture is about people just as much as machines.

This build was never actually meant for the auction block. The anonymous donor spent five long years crafting what was supposed to be his “forever car.” He started with a clean 1969 coupe that had never been hit and turned it into a monster. Under the hood, he dropped in a GM LT4 crate engine topped with a Magnuson TVS 2650 supercharger and a Nick Williams 103 mm throttle body. The dyno numbers were serious with 589 horsepower and 670 pound-feet of torque hitting the rear wheels through a Bowler 4L80 transmission. He built it to drive hard rather than just sit in a climate-controlled garage.

Life has a way of changing plans, though. The owner received a prostate cancer diagnosis during the project, which made him pause and reflect on the purpose of the car. But the real push came from his family. He watched his daughter working with pediatric cancer patients and saw the brutal reality those kids faced every day.

He realized that while his battle was tough, theirs was often harder and required more resources. That perspective shifted his focus from building a toy to saving lives. He contacted Curing Kids Cancer and offered them the entire value of the vehicle. Grainne Owen, the co-founder, noted how the donor took a tough personal situation and used it to change the ending for someone else.

The winning bidder took home a one-of-a-kind restomod that drives like a modern supercar. But the real value of the day was not in the torque figures or the paint job. It was in the massive check written to support research. The automotive community stepped up to support Curing Kids Cancer, turning a personal passion project into hope for families who need it most.