Desert Proving Ground Delivery Question

[Willie C.]

When your original window sticker states ship to Desert Proving Ground, Mesa, AZ what does this mean? Was the car not sold to a dealer?

[Loren L.]

Re: Desert proving ground

I thought that explanation was included with the information, obviously wrongly. See if you can track down Roy Sinor.

[Hugh P.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Please check the zone/dealer # on the window sticker and advise.
Cars could and would be sent to the DPG for "special" reasons such as advance colors for Board of Director shows or just to the development groups, thus by-passing normal dealer delivery.
Most likely this was a PEP or assigned driver car. that was "dealer prepped" at the DPG for an 8th or 9th level DPG employee. The car would still be on a MSO and the title would not be issued until the assigned driver completed assignment (or ordered by the assigned driver to purchase at a discounted employee price), usually 3 months then sent to a local dealer in Mesa or Scottsdale for first time title assignment to the customer or GM executive for purchase.

[Willie C.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Sticker has the following in the bottom left hand corner:
Dealer to whom delivered - Chevrolet - Western Region Order No. 945Y9Z
P.O.Box 5053 Model No. 1YY07
Thousand Oaks, CA Dealer Number 20-000
Ship to dealer No 00176
Delivered to dealer at - Mesa, AZ

[Hugh P.]

Re: Desert proving ground

What is the approximate build date of the vehicle?
The first zone 20-000is a west coast marketing charge # for a Corvette (1YY07)
The second zone 00176 is the DPG address on Ellsworth road. Mesa,Az as mentioned above?

Any unique options, or other clues? Not so sure this would be a PEP vehicle, based on your information above.

[Willie C.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Build Date is 10/21/94
The only kind of unique option that I can see is the color Bright Aqua Metalic there were only 13 made that color.
I have found out that the car was not sold until 08/04/2008 at an Auto Auction listed as a dealer vehicle with 11,657 miles. It was first registered in Newport Beach,CA 02/18/2010 with 12,040 miles. Does this mean that GM had the car then sold it to a dealer(which I can't trace) who finally sold it 13 years later with 11,657 miles on it? Bit of a mystery.

[Hugh P.]

Re: Desert proving ground

I assume this is a 1995 model, if so there was more like 900 produced in the code #43 aqua color (about 1200 aqua cars produced in 1994). I can only guess at this but the car could have been used for some photographic or evaluation purpose by the Chevrolet west coast zone sales/merchandising personnel extended usage, possibly a magazine article, then shipped to the DPG after west coast charge # expired, for some pre-determined usage then after that usage expired, possibly a DPG employee tagged the car to buy. The desert proving ground had an employee purchase list that was updated on a regular basis with cars for sale (all GM makes and models). If not, the car would have been sent directly to auction. You have some more detective work to do to fill in the missing timelines. GM would not keep non development cars on the "books" for such a long period of time. In most cases 6 to 8 months at best, usually after 3 or 4 months the cars and trucks would go to auction.

[Willie C.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Hi Hugh,
I neglected to tell you it's a ZR! Any suggestions as to how I can find out what happened between 1995 and 2008?

[Hugh P.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Yes, being a ZR, that does make a difference. Used company ZR's were never available for purchase by an employee after official GM usage. There were very few exceptions to that rule, a ZR non development vehicle would go to auction after usage (unless scrapped). Its been too many years to ask someone within the organization now for information or any documentation regarding usage. Its a long shot, but if you contact Dave McLellan when he makes an appearance at a Corvette show, he may remember something about an aqua ZR that was sent to west coast then the DPG. He liked the ZR, and personally owned a green ZR. Try title searches for Arizona and Michigan, or contact someone that provides a title or vehicle tracking service.

[Hugh P.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Do you have #112?

[Willie C.]

Re: Desert proving ground

It is #152. You must be x GM to know so much about GM? The mystery to me is according to the records I have the first time it went to Auction was Aug. 4th 2008, where was it for 13 years? I will try to contact Dave McLellan to see if he can shed any light on this. Getting more and more interesting!

Thanks Hugh

[Hugh P.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Your car #152 was the first 1995 production built #43 aqua ZR. Maybe after 2 months of production, Chevrolet wanted an aqua blue ZR to show on the west coast for a road test conducted by one of the popular automotive magazines or some LA automotive show. The west coast Chevrolet zone had the keys to hand out to the magazines interested in doing a Corvette article. See what articles were published in late 1994 or 1995,

[Willie C.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Boy this just gets more and more interesting! Is it possible that it went to auction and it was not recorded, if not that means someone in GM had the car because it was not registered until 2010. Thanks for all the great insights!

[Rick A.]

Re: Desert proving ground

according to official GM records production date of #152 was 11/3/94

[Willie C.]

Re: Desert proving ground

Hi Hugh,
Could you please send to my email your email so we can corespond.