Made for 10 model years, Chevy’s Corsica only came in a four-door body style, but buyers could choose between a trunk or a rear hatchback. This 1990 Chevrolet Corsica LTZ has a trunk, and it can be found here on Facebook Marketplace in the capital city of the great state of Ohio: Columbus. The seller is asking $4,100 or best offer. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Jack M. for the tip!
Partnering with Ford (kidding), Chevrolet referred to this paint color as “White,” rather than some fancy Madison Avenue marketing name. I like it, even though I make fun of it a lot of time for being too simple when other companies (including Chevy/GM) go way out there on paint names, even for plain ol’ white. I remember the Corsica being a big deal with insurance companies, as the body panels could all be replaced individually, without messing around with the adjacent panels. GM had a great idea there, whether they came up with it or not. Just like the body panels on early Saturns.
The Chevy Corsica was offered from 1987 through 1996, and if you wanted a two-door version, you got a somewhat similar Beretta. Ha, you can’t get the vision of separate body panels out of your brain now, I knew it. I can’t either; it’s the first thing I notice on these cars. It’s such a crisp, simple look. The luggage rack is most likely as worthless as __________ (insert un-pc phrase here), but I like it for the contrast and touch of detail. Also, the black with red highlights on the bodyside molding is another nice touch, as are the LTZ-standard 15″ aluminum wheels. The seller offers up some great words in: “no rust, no leaks, AC works, heat works, all windows and mirrors work.” It doesn’t get much better than that.
The interior (I’m not mentioning the steering wheel cover) looks pretty nice, other than the (I’m not mentioning the steering wheel cover) floor mats. This model is a high-zoot LTZ trim level, which is nice enough on its own, but this one looks like it’s loaded to the gills with the Preferred Equipment Group 2 features, such as power windows, power door locks, power trunk, and what would have been a high-end stereo system. This one appears to have some sort of modern touch-screen system mounted low on the center dash area, but the seller doesn’t mention it at all. You can see the 5-speed manual shifter there, as cool an option as there is in a two-door car, but in a four-door sedan? Very cool.
With no engine photo (I know), we see the perfect-looking back seat, which, along with the front seats, is the optional “CL Custom Cloth” in gray. The hidden engine is GM’s 3.1-liter OHV V6, which had 135 horsepower and 180 lb-ft of torque when new. Rolling through the 5-speed manual, it sends power to the front wheels. The seller says this car has “Cams, upgraded valvetrain, springs and retainers, catback exhaust, and CAI” (assuming cold air intake). It runs and drives perfectly and is a second car that rarely gets used. For $4,000, I don’t know how you could go wrong here for a car for just “having and using,” as the old man used to say. Drive it to work, drive it on the weekend, use it for whatever. No rust, the utility of a four-door, and a 5-speed manual paired to a V6? Yes. Any thoughts on this Corsica?
Hi Scotty, the two door version of the Corsica was called the Beretta, like the firearms. I had a 1988 Beretta GT for a number of years.
Like the gun lol good one
Beretta sued Chevy over the name, IIRC.
Did not know Beretta sued Chevy Good info.
Hey, Pat! I’ve always liked the Beretta. I actually mentioned it in the third paragraph, but I should have had a link for that. I’ll do that now.
That’s as close to a flawless design as I can imagine. I’d love to have one of each, a Beretta and Corsica, both with 5-speed manuals.
You should do some convertibles too Scotty 😆.
Ha! Why you, I oughta…
Although I was too young at the time to drive a car, I remember both the Beretta and the Corsica. My favourite was the Corsica.
I hate that these are becoming nostalgic in my mind 😭 but honestly who sees these around anymore!? Being a 5spd is a nice rarity too!
I am actually shocked it still has all its white paint. Seems like the paint on the white GM cars from this time period fell off in sheets.
Especially white and silver ones, for whatever reason, that color paint was prone to peeling off.
Wow. You struck a nerve here Scotty. My Grandpas last new car he bought was an ’89 white Corsica with a blue interior ( the way he bought every one of his Chevys). It was a 2.8 with an automatic, and truth be told, don’t let those humble HP numbers fool you, in 1989 it was actually pretty quick. I can only imagine this one with the 3.1 and a 5 speed even more so. I loved driving that thing. And, he seemed like he liked letting me drive it. Thanks for the great memories Scotty.
Thanks, Dave! I was going to mention the 8-second 0-60 time as being darn respectable even today, but in 1990 it had to be pretty quick!
Not only that Scotty. But back then I had my ’77 Olds Delta 88 with a 260 V8. Pretty much an out of shape 13 year year old on a skateboard could beat my Olds off the line, so yeah, Grandpas Corsica felt like a rocket ship. He liked it!!!
I don’t remember the hatch back… I’ll have to look it up.
It looked like the sedan, but the rear glass and trunk lid were one piece.
Similar to the sedan, but everything aft of the rear doors above the beltline was different — bigger rear glass that extended further back, a wider C-pillar, and rear fenders that ended at the beltline.
Sorry about that, Sam61, I forgot to put a link in there. I’ll add it now, but here it is:
https://stories.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/image-19570.jpg
I’d hoon it.
Scotty… a side note regarding the comment about the body panels: while the Corsica (and Beretta) used steel for the outer body panels, the Saturn S-series models used polymer side panels over a modified steel space frame design.
Yes, sir, I was hoping I wouldn’t have to mention Saturn’s polymer body panels, instead of going for the thought that everyone knew that, and my mention of GM thinking outside the box on body panels would suffice. That’s why I mentioned the early Saturns, as the later ones were basically just rebadged Opels with metal body panels. I guess maybe that didn’t work too well. Thanks for politely guiding me back to reality. I’ll make sure to cover my bases in the future. Thanks for being so polite, too! That’s much appreciated.
Wow, 5sp. Rare as hens teeth. This was Chevys SHO fighter 💁♂️
For a basic domestic sedan, I always found this design pleasing. Taught and unwasted, like a tailored suit, but made by Mom, out material from the rack at the sewing store.
That, Danno, is worthy of being carved in stone! Fantastic!
Nice looking car. I hope this car goes to a good owner.
why is this car even on barn finds?? it’s a 36-yr old p o s. nothing special at all.
Possibly because it says “Barn Finds” and it is a car. Banner says nothing about “special” or “classic” cars.
And even this is fairly “special” as Corsicas go — 5-speed with the largest engine offered and some custom valvetrain mods for more power.
I know you’ve been around here for awhile, and you don’t know why yet?
We’ll talk about anything here, including 120+ comments about a toilet!
You can always skip over the items that do not interest you. Guaranteed that a Barn Find will be close behind.
I see nothing wrong with the car itself. As with all cars, it needs maintenance in order to continue operating. I’d buy the car if it was sold here in Tacoma Washington.
NOT A BARN FIND……..DRIVE WAY FIND !
It doesn’t mean that we don’t want to see it or talk about it – 33 comments so far!
Amazing how some still take the term “barn find” so literally on here or complain that a particular car shouldn’t be featured. If the site only featured cars literally found left in a barn that are now for sale, there’d be like one car per week, if that. And, if you don’t feel a car is worthy of being featured, just ignore it.
As for the car; having removable quarter panels really should be an industry standard. Great idea. I haven’t seen one of these in at least 15 years here in the north east, because they cease to exist. I didn’t look at the listing, but the suspension appears to be lowered, which is interesting.
Thanks, Eric! Actual dusty barn finds usually get comments like, “Why didn’t they drag it out and clean it up first!!!!!” Or if they do that, then it’s, “Where’s the barn dust?!?!” We literally can’t win. This car is older than a good percentage of Barn Finds readers, and as E Pacificar and SubGothius say, this one is different in being a V6 with a 5-speed, not to mention it looks perfect and is dirt cheap.
I hope folks are also commenting on Bring a Trailer, where 0.01% of the vehicles they sell need to be trailered home, unlike how they got their start by showing old, broken-down cars. I’m guessing not.
Or as my late great boss used to say, “common sense isn’t very common nowadays “.
I don’t get why they’re called “Barn Finds”, unless that barn is the garage it was parked.
My ex had one of these with an automatic. It had decent pick up, but if you mashed the gas with your hands off the wheel, it would make a u-turn. Torque steer out the wazoo.