Is there a point at which a car that normally sells for safely under $20,000 has the most ideal combination of features possible that it pushes past the normal value boundaries? That’s the question I often have when looking at the best-of-the-best C4-era Chevrolet Corvettes in non-ZR-1 trim. The 1991 Corvette convertible listed here on eBay is one of those cars where you ponder whether it’s combination of features – desirable color scheme, rare manual transmission, and low miles – make it worthy of the $25,000 ask.
I’m not the judge and jury of automotive valuations, but in this instance, I’m inclined to give the seller an approving nod and endorse the asking price, even if he may have to wait a few weeks to find just the right buyer. The white-on-red color scheme is about as good as it gets for a classic American convertible, and the matching white top is an extra dose of 90s awesomeness. The luggage rack on the trunk is another reminder of how unique the early 90s were on the American muscle car landscape, as it was totally appropriate to own a downright quick performance car with a tacky decorative luggage holder drilled through the trunk lid.
Oh, that leather interior. Lipstick red was never a more accurate name for a shade of leather, and the matching seat belts are a nice tough (I think you have to pay upwards of $2,500 for red seat belts in a modern Porsche, FYI.) The sport seats in the C4 Corvette are unforgiving if you’ve got a few extra pounds around the middle and lower extremities, so don’t take it the wrong way if the car doesn’t love you when you sit down. The seller has swapped out the shift knob but I’m actually OK with it; it gives the drab 90s GM cabin a bit of personality beyond the eye-popping leather.
And yes, a C4 Corvette with a stick is still a darned strong performer by modern standards. 245 b.h.p. and 350 lb.-ft. of torque, with the manual cars getting an additional kick of 5 lb.-ft. over the automatic cars. With just 20,300 miles, this car is about as close to new in the wrapper as it gets for the price of a new economy car, and with minimal electronic nannies and infotainment features, it’s likely cheaper to run (outside of fuel) than most every modern luxury vehicle. The C4 Corvette is frequently overlooked due to the array of low-quality offerings on the marketplace, but the special examples like this one truly stand out.
If I were in the market for a C4, I would definitely try to snatch this one up. You’re not gonna find much of a better specimen. These get a bad rap from many and I never understood why. I have always liked them. They, like all models prior, showed how GM was continually improving the cars and looking to the future. More along the line of $20K would be a fair price for this Vette. We all know sitting isn’t good and you’re gonna dump at least 5 grand replacing, hoses, gaskets…etc. Hope it finds a good home and owner!
This is a very nice Corvette but a little high priced. If i was looking to buy a C4 i would look from a 1992-1995 starting from 1992 was the new engine with 300HP compared to 245HP for the 1991 model.