Kobe Bryant’s 1963 Impala to be auctioned off at Scottsdale’s Barrett-Jackson
Jan 13, 2014, 7:08 PM | Updated: 7:09 pm
PHOENIX — Several cars formerly owned by celebrities are hitting the auction block at this year’s Barrett-Jackson event in Scottsdale, and one of those is a 1963 Chevrolet Impala convertible that belonged to Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant.
GM Authority says the vehicle received several upgrades that stylishly brought it into the 21st century.
The custom two-door sedan, built by famed Los Angeles-based automotive shop West Coast Customs (made famous by the show “Pimp My Ride”), was commissioned by Bryant’s wife and given to him as a Christmas gift in 2006. The Impala was sand blasted down to bare metal and repainted with a special purple/royal blue multi-coat paint finish, while the original 327 small block was disassembled and rebuilt with Edelbrock headers and other billet accessories.
The convertible also was outfitted with a power-disc brake and full hydraulic suspension setup, and the seats were reupholstered with white leather and crystal studs.
The car went on sale on eBay in September, but no one took the offer at an asking price of $125,000.
It will be auctioned off on Friday at the Barrett-Jackson event. The Scottsdale auction ends Sunday.
