This Groovy and Patriotic ‘Austin Powers’ Corvette Is Up for Grabs

As spoof spy movies, cool cars were obligatory for the Austin Powers trilogy. And while some of the jokes have gotten stale, classic sports cars like the 1965 Chevrolet Corvette convertible from The Spy Who Shagged Me are as cool as ever.

The C2 ‘Vette from the 1999 sequel will be one of the star attractions at Carlisle Auctions’ fall auction, scheduled for October 1-2. Decked out in an American flag paint scheme and wearing the license plate “CIA 1,” it was driven in the movie by CIA agent Felicity Shagwell (played by Heather Graham). It was the natural counterpart to the Union Jacked 1967 Jaguar E-Type “Shaguar,” which also makes an appearance here, along with a Volkswagen New Beetle with a psychedelic livery.

Like the Jag, the Corvette appears to be the only car used in filming. That’s unusual, given that movie productions often source multiple identical cars more specific shots, and to keep things rolling in the event of damage or mechanical issues. But the production didn’t call for any gadgets or outrageous stunts, so one car could do the job more easily. The same car was also featured in the music video of Lenny Kravitz’s 1999 cover of “American Woman” from the movie’s soundtrack, so buying it will give you a double dose of Millennial nostalgia.

In addition to its pop culture provenance, this is simply a nice C2 Corvette. It has a numbers-matching 327-cubic-inch (5.3-liter V8) and four-speed manual transmission. According to the listing, it was given a frame-off restoration that was completed in 2008 and has only accumulated 7,000 miles since then. Documentation, including the bill of sale from New Line Cinema to the first post-Hollywood owners, is provided.

As the shortest-lived Corvette generation, and the one from the peak of the muscle-car era, the C2 is already a darling of collectors. Whether the movie connection boosts the hammer price of this car beyond that of an ordinary 327, four-speed convertible remains to be seen, but the potential ceiling is pretty high. The “Shaguar” E-Type sold for $880,000 at auction in January 2025.

The winning bidder will not be able to drive around unnoticed. Even if people don’t remember its movie role, nothing says “America” like a star-spangled Corvette convertible (although this homemade Jeep Liberty chop job comes pretty close). The question is whether this car’s driver will get more salutes or raised pinky fingers.

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