We’re no strangers to low-mile classics at Barn Finds. However, some cars take that concept to extremes. That is undoubtedly the case with this 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1. If you missed out on one of these potent sports cars when they were new, now could be the chance to right that wrong. Why? Because this ZR-1 has only clocked 98 miles since it left the line. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Curvette for spotting this amazing vehicle listed here on eBay in Saint Charles, Missouri. The seller set their BIN at $62,500 with the option to make an offer.
The story behind this ZR-1 isn’t provided in the seller’s listing, but Corvettes are often a popular choice for enthusiasts to purchase and squirrel away as long-term investments. Many people followed that path with the 1978 Indianapolis Pace Car, and the same may hold true for this classic. Whatever the truth, its presentation is all that you might rightfully expect from a vehicle with a two-digit odometer reading. Its Code 68 Dark Red Metallic paint looks flawless, holding a magnificent depth of color and shine. The panels are perfect, and there is no evidence of rust that might sour the ownership experience. The plastic is immaculate, the glass is clear, and the stunning 17″ alloy wheels are wrapped in the correct Goodyear Eagle Gatorback tires.
Chevrolet is no stranger to collaborative efforts, although some never lived up to the promise the company expected. That was certainly the case with the Cosworth Vega, although the same can’t be said of the ZR-1. General Motors gained control of the Lotus Group in 1986, and it was here that Chevrolet turned when designing the ZR-1. It tasked Lotus with developing an entirely new engine, and Lotus delivered. Although its V8 shared the same capacity of 5.7-liters as found in regular Corvettes, that is about where the similarities ended. The ZR-1 featured all-aluminum alloy construction, four overhead camshafts, and thirty-two valves. Lacking the expertise to assemble such engines, Chevrolet handed that task to Mercury Marine in Stillwater, Oklahoma. That company’s experience with aluminum made it ideal, with each hand-built V8 finding its way back to Chevrolet for installation. Was the effort justified? A “standard” Corvette delivered 250hp and 350 ft/lbs of torque. The ZR-1 placed 375hp and 370 ft/lbs at the driver’s disposal. It didn’t end there; Chevrolet adopted a holistic approach. Power is fed to the rear wheels via a unique ZF six-speed manual transmission, while major suspension and brake upgrades include a Bilstein-developed FX3 suspension system and Bosch ABS, creating a total driving package. The seller confirms that this ZR-1 is a turnkey proposition. They supply this YouTube video of the car in action, and it sounds glorious and purposeful.
The ZR-1 added a whopping $27,016 to the Corvette’s sticker price, and Chevrolet delved deep into its toybox to ensure that the interior met buyer expectations. This car features airbags, climate-controlled air conditioning, power operation for the windows, locks, seats, and mirrors, cruise control, a trip computer, low tire pressure warning, and a Delco Bose Gold Series stereo with a cassette and CD player. The interior presentation is all that you would expect, with no wear on the seat leather and no signs of other physical damage or deterioration. It is in as-new condition, as I would expect from this particular classic.
The toughest sentences we will ever utter often begin with the words “I wish I had,” or “If only I had.” They usually represent missed opportunities and are tinged with regret. If you have ever spoken those words about a 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 because you chose not to buy one, you have the chance to consign those regrets to history by purchasing this low-mile survivor. I doubt there are many with a two-figure odometer reading kicking around, so this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Are you willing to let a ZR-1 slip through your grasp for a second time? Come on, you only live once!
These ZR-1s attracted a number of collectors who stashed away low-mile examples because they knew the car would be a relatively low production model, with fancy performance stats. I love this model but I don’t need to pay the price for a double digit mileage reading. A quick glance at Classic.com turns up at least a dozen C4 ZR-1s for sale with fewer than 40k on the clock, at significantly lower prices.
Ditto
And to add to what you said Michelle, a Vette with 40K miles you could drive and enjoy whereas this one…… Well…… Not so much. I wouldn’t want tk be the guy to make it turn over to 100 miles.
Absolutely. <40K miles is the sweet spot for a 1st year ZR-1. You can drive it as it was meant to be driven and hopefully any of the traditional weak spots have been corrected. The BIN price is in line with low-mileage ZR-1's and this may be one of the lowest mile ones seen, but it is a museum piece now. A production run of 6500 ensured they would never be true collecibles. It seems as if 3500 are for sale at all times.
If I got bit I’d drive it and enjoy it.What’s the fun of having a vehicle
with low mileage just to look at?
A friend bought one new, he used it sparingly and eventually parked it in his garage for years while he was focused on his business. He put around 20,000 miles on it by the mid-2000’s, about 5 or 6 years ago he was thinking of selling it, but the prices for others with similar mileage was in the low-$20k. He said why bother, it isn’t costing me much to keep. He bought new tires, put in new plugs and changed the fluids then started taking it out for occasional weekend drives. A few years ago prices started to rise, he found something he liked, a TRX Ram pickup, then put it up for sale to help towards the down payment. He eventually got close to $30,000, he doesn’t miss it since he’d thought through his decision before letting it go. I think there are a lot of ZR1’s with similar stories and mileage to his. If someone wants one to drive, buy one like my friends, they likely weren’t abused and will last for the life of the next couple of owners.
Steve R
The engine only puts out 20 lb/ft more torque than a stock 350, that tells me to get that much horsepower you have to rev the engine a bit. And that’s what this car is all about. Take it to the track and drive it like you stole it. If the miles are genuine you’d be hard pressed to find another like this car, and the buyer very likely will not use it as it was intended.
The LT-5 engine was designed and built for high-reving. Very sweet sounds from that engine when it is used as Lotus/GM intended.
Ooof! If the original owner squirreled this away as a long-term investment, I wouldn’t let him anywhere near my finances! The original MSRP on this was $58,995 ($146,600 adjusted). So even if they get the ask, which they won’t, it was a terrible investment.
The main problem (beyond the C4 just generally being not particularly desirable) is that pretty much everybody who bought one of these did this, as the commenters here are noting. So you can find these with low miles all day long, and for a heck of a lot less than they’re asking for this.
What would be way cooler would be a high mileage beater version that was actually driven and enjoyed. Truth be told, I don’t think i’ve ever seen one LOL!
I’d treat it as a new car and drive it. If I had more money and could afford to dump money on another “new” car. My concern is the particulars of the ZR1 engine – mechanics with the technical know how to work on these may be rare today. I’d prefer a regular C4 as I like C4 Corvettes.
Corvette museum in Bowling Green, KY, candidate??? GLWS
I love the C4’s but would prefer one a bit older to this. As low as the mileage is, finding a similar example probably wouldn’t be overly difficult. I personally would prefer something that had been driven but very well maintained and cared for as opposed to a total trailer queen like this. We know the market for C4’s isn’t what other Vettes are, which I actually like as if you want to get one you can find a really nice example for not crazy money, so I really can’t see this car getting it’s current asking price.
In 1990, 375 HP seemed like a miracle. Nobody would have guessed that the current ZR1 would put out 1064 HP and the ZR1X would electrify that to 1250 HP.
True, but unless you’re going to the track every weekend, does any truly need a car that puts out over 1000hp? We’ve gotten to the point of ridiculousness today.
I don’t disagree with you, but my point is, a lot of these were stored or used very sparingly because people believed performance levels had peaked again, like they did in 1970. It didn’t help that Chevrolet was perpetually threatening to kill the Corvette in the early 1990s. Nobody expected the car to survive, let alone achieve the level of performance it achieves today.