1957 Chevrolet NASCAR Black Widow to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson live tonight

Filed under: Car Buying, Motorsports, Classics, Coupe, Auctions, Chevrolet, Specialty, Racing

1957 Chevrolet NASCAR Black Widow tribute – Click above for high-res image gallery

For most all of its 62-year history, NASCAR has been a battleground for U.S. automakers, each of whom sought superiority on the race track as a way to sell more of their cars.

In 1957, Chevrolet decided to create a race car that would dominate NASCAR and establish Chevrolet as the car to beat in the minds of buyers across the country. Known as the “Black Widow,” the 1957 Chevrolet was one of the most feared race cars of the decade.

Live on SPEED Thursday at 8:30 PM ET, a professionally restored “Black Widow” tribute car will be auctioned off at the Barrett-Jackson Las Vegas Collector Car Event. Like all cars at Barrett-Jackson, it will be auctioned at no reserve, meaning the highest bid takes it.

The story behind the Black Widow is an interesting insight into how NASCAR and the automobile manufacturers functioned back in the day. Bone up on your history after the jump.

Gallery: 1957 Chevrolet Black Widow