1 of 97: 1991 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1

I have opined extensively on these pages about what an outstanding value the C4-chassis Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 is. And for the most part, I have convinced myself that I don’t need/want one. However, when one shows up in a rare color like this 1991 ZR-1 listed here on craigslist in Turquoise Metallic, I start second-guessing myself once again. Now, this particular example is not cheap, with an asking price of $49,000. But it shows only 24,000 miles from new and the seller believes it is one of just 97 examples sold in this color.

Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the find. While you can occasionally find a ZR-1 for under $20,000 (and it’s really not all that hard), most of them tend to hover in the low $20,000 – $30,000 range. I suspect the dominant 90s American supercar will forever struggle to break through that number unless it’s an extremely low mileage example, like this car, but the smart money in my book is to buy a driver-grade example in a rare color to get the industry discount while ensuring you own a truly rare supercar.

A black interior is pretty much standard fare in C4 ownership, with a few cars escaping with either a blue or camel-colored interior. The tough thing about these 90s-era GM interiors is that they generally look the same no matter how low the miles are. Which is to say, fairly cheap-looking. The quality of the materials was not particularly high, so no matter the mileage, you have to live with the low-grade components. Options were fairly limited, with a Bose stereo being the most notable feature. The best feature of this ZR-1? It has a few pleasing upgrades and lots of heavy-lifting done maintenance-wise.

The high-revving V8 made the ZR-1 a genuine 180 MPH supercar. The seller notes that the suspension has been upgraded with a lowering kit and performance-wise, a set of Power Effects mufflers. The intake plenum – really, the ZR-1’s only known mechanical flaws – has been repaired. In addition, the seller notes he has records for “…New gaskets, new fuel pumps, new screens, everything cleaned, checked, serviced, with receipts in 2019.” All told, between the low miles, rare color, outstanding performance, and lots of thoughtful repairs/upgrades, this is about as good as it gets for a collector-grade ZR-1.