The Super Bowl is kind of a big deal, and fans of the Green Bay Packers can be kind of—fanatical. But when it comes to this special 1967 Corvette that was gifted to Green Bay quarterback Bart Starr, the first MVP of the first Super Bowl ever held, the sum is definitely more than its parts so far as collectability is concerned.

This un-restored midyear may just be the ultimate sports memorabilia for both the sports fan and the Corvette enthusiast. Now, both types of individuals will be duking it out on the auction block on Friday, the 18th, at the upcoming Mecum auction being held in Indianapolis on May 15-20, 2018.

The MVP’s midyear is well documented and described on Mecum’s website as such:

In January 1967, the Green Bay Packers won the first Super Bowl under the leadership of quarterback Bart Starr. One of the NFL’s all-time greatest players, Starr led the Packers to a 35-10 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs and was named the game’s Most Valuable Player. To commemorate that award and celebrate the victory, this 1967 Corvette Sting Ray Convertible was gifted to Bart Starr for his efforts. Built at the St. Louis assembly plant in June 1967, it was ordered in Goodwood Green to match the Packers’ home jerseys and was fitted with a black interior and black soft top. Equipped with the base 327/300 HP small-block V-8, it was optioned with a 4-speed manual transmission, a 3.36:1 Positraction differential, Soft Ray-tinted windshield, telescopic steering column and an AM/FM radio.

The Corvette found its way into private hands in the 1980s, eventually coming into the ownership of a woman in Wausau, Wisconsin, as part of a divorce settlement. In 1994, a chance meeting occurred at Minnesota’s Brainerd International Raceway between the woman, who was visiting a friend in Brainerd, and Michael Anderson, owner of Thunder Valley Classic Cars, which specializes in Corvettes in nearby St. Joseph. In describing her Corvette to Anderson, she stated that it was originally given to Bart Starr for being the MVP of the 1967 Super Bowl. Intrigued, Anderson offered to buy the Corvette, which by then had been in storage for several years. On the advice of her mechanic and in service to helping her daughter complete college, the woman accepted the offer, and Anderson took the Corvette back to his facility in St. Joseph.

An accomplished restorer with several Bloomington Gold and NCRS Top Flight winners to his credit, Anderson soon confirmed the Corvette’s provenance when he uncovered the tank sticker, clearly stating, “Courtesy Delivery: B. Starr,” as well as the AFL-NFL World-Championship Game ink pen, which was discovered underneath the passenger seat. Closer inspection showed that the Corvette was highly original but in need of restoration, and that is when Anderson was faced with a not-unfamiliar choice: a complete nut-and-bolt rebuild to factory-original specifications, or a sympathetic renewal that would respect the car’s originality and maintain the wonderful patina it had acquired through the passage of time.

The 300-horse jewel features a fun four-speed transmission amid an all-black interior.

Fortunately for Corvette purists, Anderson chose the latter route. He removed the body from the frame to clean and recondition the undercarriage and suspension, hand-scrubbing the chassis components and the body underside and replacing the body mounts, suspension rubbers, u-joints, seals and bearings. The brake system was overhauled and the calipers were upgraded with stainless-steel piston sleeves for durability.

Anderson asserts that the car runs and drives well, and he further confirms that the driveline is original and matching-numbers to the car; the engine has never been disassembled and still retains the original gaskets and paint. A new Dewitts reproduction radiator was installed, but the original was retained to accompany the car.

Underhood was also kept original and the years of use (and subsequent lack of use) are still evident. A new DeWitt’s radiator helps the engine stay cool.

The car’s Goodwood Green paint is also mostly original with a few minor touch-ups and great patina. While exhibiting some checking and cracking, it shows very well in maintaining a significant element in the car’s overall originality. A set of period-correct bias-ply redline tires on the original 1967 Rally wheels complete this amazing artifact of NFL and Green Bay Packers history.

Sports fans and Corvette enthusiasts alike will be vying for this rare piece of memorabilia during the Indy event. Be sure to check in on the event on Friday to see how the bidding transpires. Who knows, maybe this Corvette might just be the ultimate addition to the sports man cave, or perhaps, simply a Corvette enthusiast’s collection. We’ll have to wait and see!