It’s not all that unusual to see Corvettes socked away with low mileage, but a number less than 300 on the odometer is pretty significant. This particular car is even more interesting due to the fact that it’s the same owner that posted the Chevy Eurosport VR we just featured. Someone clearly has a thing for red, low mileage Chevrolets. Find this 257 mile example here on craigslist, and thanks to Barn Finds reader Clark B. for the find.
The seller claims he bought it and then promptly stuck it in the garage. It’s never been used. He forked over a bunch of cash and then stared at this Corvette since 1995. I’ll be honest, I don’t get it – but as the saying goes, different strokes for different folks. And while I think the $32,000 asking price is fair, it’s not like the seller made any money by letting this car sit all that time. If it were me, I’d be content to have a car with 15,000 miles on it that I at least enjoyed from time to time.
As you’d expect, the plastic wrap is still on the seats and steering wheel, and the Torch Red interior is stunning. Unlike many Corvettes this age, there’s no sign of wear on the deeply bolstered bucket seats, nor are there any scuff marks on the door panels. Depending on your driving preference, it could be a let down to find this is an automatic car. In my opinion, if you’re going to buy a performance car as an investment, always opt for the manual transmission if it’s available. The automatic hurts the value here, in my opinion.
But if you like opening the hood to see a mint-condition engine bay, then the purchase price may not phase you one bit. With 300 b.h.p. on tap, you’re not likely to be wanting for power, even with the automatic. The seller also has for sale a set of (new) chromed C4 wheels and tires, which were also purchased and then never used. If you had this ‘Vette in your garage, would you continue to keep the mileage low or maybe add a few thousand each year? I know my answer; what’s yours?
In my opinion, if you’re going to buy a performance car as an investment, always opt for non-1980 chevy’s, if it’s available.
That’s why this guy bought a 1995 chevy
My answer is that I would allocate 32K towards something I could enjoy more rather than putting miles and wear on a car like this that would definitely deprecated in value by doing so. This is a specialty car, probably destined for a collection or museum. 32K is quite a chunk of change. IMHO. :-)
It’s a pretty nice car……
Best meme ever
But what if you are short fingered like a soon to be president? Would this rule still apply? After all how much wear and tear could there be in his case? (hehe)
Oh man I’m putting this on a t-shirt
Thought we were keeping this site family friendly.
And non political… I can get my fill of that and more of FB.
Should have bought the LT5 equipped car. He’d have something then. Not sure even that would have been a good investment.
There are reports of owners doing just that. Not aware of what these ZR-1s are bringing at auction, but it may be disappointing relative to expectations.
Ain’t nothing special about that car nor is it particularly collectible. You’ll need to change everything rubber on it anyways, from hoses to brake lines and have the engine gone through. If it’s never been run, expect some issues. Heck, the new owner will probably have to pull and flush the gas tank to get any residual old crap out of there. I could go on about improperly stored vehicles and what it’ll take to revive them. Buy it cheap and drive it like they were meant to be driven.
I would have to keep the miles the same. Save it for another 30 years and sell it.
Really? A collector level car on freaking Craigslist?? This should be at Barrett Jackson where the money is.
Something doesn’t add up.
This guy isn’t showing a whole lot of smarts to begin with so Craigslist makes sense.
What a shame. All that time spent in a garage, not enjoyed. Just my opinion.
I’d take the $32K and apply it to a 1963 Corvette….better investment.
I own an 89 Corvette convert. It will NEVER be worth big money…Mine is actually a rare C4, as far as those things go. GM decided late in 1988 while producing them, they dropped my color Gray, and replaced with a different Gray. They only made 54 Convertibles in my color gray. So for rarity, that is a pretty rare car. Compare it to a 63 – 67 that had some option,( like the big fuel tank was pretty rare) that only 54 were made, it would be worth a gazillion about now. Mine will never enjoy that benefit.
I’m ok with that, I didn’t buy the car to make money, I bought it because I liked it. They are very good cars, but have the stigma, perhaps attached to the 84 Cross Ram, I don’t know. Mine is pretty quick, and by 1989 standards, very quick. It does handle very well,
As far as the subject car, this 95 is far advanced over my 89, but it still is a C4. This poor owner probably thought saving this car would bring him retirement money, unfortunately, it never will. He might get $20k for this, maybe even $25K. It’s a beautiful car, a bargain at $32 k in my opinion, but I doubt he gets it. Hope I’m wrong, but doubt it. People pay that much for a Honda or a Toyota, and they are nowhere near the fun. I feel bad for the seller, his cost per mile for those 300 miles is astronomical. He should have taken it out and thrashed it from time to time.
4 or 5 years ago, my 89 failed a smog test. The guy tells me, “You know sometimes, if you take them out and run them hard, it might pass after that.” I can do that, took her out punished her for an hour or so, had a blast. Came back and she passed no problem. So C4 lovers, don’t try and protect your car, make it do what it was built to do, and have fun with your car.
Exactly, these things have wheels and tires on them for a reason! My wife used to give me grief because I take my C5 out just for the heck of it. I bought it cheap, have fun with it, and there’s no reason I can see to park it and let it get dusty.
The look on her face when I came home in a thunderstorm was a Kodak moment. Hey, these things have windshield wipers too! And south Florida is the perfect place to own a plastic drop top.
It’s my opinion that these cars don’t hold much value as it is, and these cars have enough problems on their own. Ive owned a 91 with 68k and in very good condition and couldn’t give the car away. One thing after another I was fixing something. But it took me a very long time to sell and dealing with low ballers and hagglers was stressful. My brother owns a 92 in beautiful Aqua Green,, and been trying to sell for over a year. You cant get any money back of what you put into these cars and have way too many gremlins waiting to make trouble. Like the other fellow said, I rather put 32k into a 68-69 vett or even a 69 Camero that’s worth investing into. Good luck trying to sell that for 32k man,,,really,,,,good luck LOL
After 22 years of non-activity on a not so collectable C4, sorry but wouldn’t pay that kind of dollars – low mileage or not. Actually the low mileage is a negative factor rather than positive in most cases. You would want to have another $5K ready to tear everything down and replace all the dried out seals in it.
No denying it looks nice but sorry but unable to justify those numbers. That’s from someone that has a red C4 Convertible 5 speed in the garage.
Back in 1995 should have just taken a picture of the car and invested the money in Microsoft. Now for $32K I suggest the same.
Now THATS funny………so true.
I bet he loses sleep over those frivalous 255 miles after delivery—which cost him potential re-sale money.
I own a ’95 that had 10K on the clock when I bought it 8 years ago. It’s up to 41K now and I’ve finally gotten over treating it like it’s a 250 GTO. These are Great Cars and Fun to Drive, but they’re like all old Corvettes: Not worth nearly as much as their owners think they are. Buy a used one that’s been taken care of and drive it like you stole it. You will not be disappointed. But don’t think you’re gonna sell it for anything more than what you paid for it.
All of the above comments are true. The red one in question doesn’t even have the sport seats option, it’s an automatic, it listed for about $43K new, but No One is going to give you $32K for it now.
You guys would not be a little jeleous would you. I am I have a 2002 sitting in garage with 5400 miles on it under a car cover. The car has never seen rain. The Corvette in my garage will sell some day along with the 1997 Z28 Anniversary edition and the 2002 SS 35th Anniversary edition Z28. The cars don’t eat much lol
“THIS IS THE LAST OF THE FIBERGLASS CORVETTES !!!!!!!”
Excuse me, but I thought that Corvettes still have fiberglass bodies. Am I missing something here, or is the seller just fuzzy from sniffing old gasoline fumes?
It’s actually not fiberglass. They weren’t since 84. It’s made of a composite material like fiberglass.
So what you get is a brand new old Corvette with no warranty. right?
Don’t get it. I can think of a hundred sports cars I would rather have for the money. This would be the last one.
Now if it was 10k I’d spank the hell out of it until it broke up, which wouldn’t be long.
I had a ’95 Corvette. Red with a black interior. Mint condition. The problem is GM made so many of them, they just keep going down in value. I sold it in 2008 as I was only driving it a thousand miles every year. The value dropped significantly and really tanked a couple years ago. I wish this guy luck, but I think the car is overpriced by about 12 grand.
Bill, I always thought production numbers was the thing too, but it isn’t. I just compared the numbers to the web site Vette Facts, com and this is what I found, comparing to a 67. In 67 there were 8500 coupes, and 14,500 Ragtops. In 95 there were 15700 Coupes and 5000 rag tops. So there were actually more 67’s built than 95’s. I was really surprised.
Another example, I have always been very fond of 66 Chevelles. Well, they made over 400,000 of various model 66 Chevelles, and they are bringing big money, sometimes $50-60 grand for a restored SS396 that was what $4 grand new? 10-15 times their original cost. So, I guess I’m saying, I don’t understand the logic, but I accept that C4’s are unloved. As I’m sure you know, you can find a clean C4 with less than 100,000 miles for.. what $5000? It’s a steal I think, The performance per dollar is so largely overlooked, and I’m ok with that.
BRAKTRCR, very enlightening statistics, thank you. I wish I had a crystal ball looking out 50 years when autonomous electric vehicles are the sole mode of transportation. Our love of American iron will be a footnote in history and the cars we love will be in museums or reconstituted as appliances.
Bill needs a hug.
I don’t think you can compare a 25 year old car to a 50 years or more. It’s just what people like. What ever corvette you own.
He needs to find someone as gullible as he is to unload this car. At this point it is just a 1995 Chevrolet. $30-something money is 1995 ZR-1 territory. Buy any other C4 at your own risk. I have an 84 Z51, four speed with 70K miles, black over graphite leather. Purchase price? $5000 and I probably paid too much, but I love driving it.
The seller is missing a golden opportunity here. While it appears from the comments on this page, this isn’t a particularly rare car in the USA (regardless of the mileage) it was never marketed in Australia. If it were to be shipped to Australia it would cause a sensation. It would be able to be registered here as a lhd import, and a Corvette with this sort of mileage would be snapped up here. The seller would have no problems making significantly more than $32,000 + shipping. I wish I had the money, because I’d do it myself.
I doubt it would be the only Corvette in Australia. Aren’t there heavy import duties to bring this car over? Hardly worth the hassle for seller or buyer. This car is the poster child for driving a car versus storing one. Especially one that is part of a 30,000 member cohort. The car wouldn’t be worth $32,000 if it was found in a storeroom in Bowling Green. This is just my opinion, I could be wrong.
It didn’t say that it would be the only Corvette in Australia, but it would almost undoubtedly be the lowest mileage one. Import duties for private importers are lower than those for a company/corporation. Corvettes have a strong following in Australia. I think that importing it as a private owner and selling it here would be worth investigating. I’ve just looked at online prices, and a much used ’87 C4 is currently up for auction with a starting bid of $35,000. What would an example like this pull?
Hello Adam- Thank you. I am aware that Corvettes are popular in Australia. A low-mileage pig is still a pig. Asking price means nothing. In the US, three 1987 C4’s would not be worth $35,000 unless they were Callaways or Malcom Konner editions. C4’s are the automotive equivalent of the Taliban unless they are ZR-1 editions and you probably know how storing a ZR-1 in 1990 worked out. The really smart folks who paid $100,000 to put one in storage have only lost about $65,000 so far.
Squanto, I appreciate you comments but I still think that I’m right on this. That’s the beauty of this site: It allows us all to have and express differing opinions. I personally don’t get buying a car like this (pig or not) and then squirreling it away. The Australian market is going through some enormous changes right now. Ford have ceased local manufacture in the last 3 months (they are importing a limited number of Mustangs, but that will be the only V8 that they will offer). GM (Holden) will cease local manufacture in the 2nd week of October, and have no confirmed plans to import any V8’s at this stage (although there are unconfirmed rumours). Low mileage V8’s are going to become an increasingly rare commodity here. Enjoy your own Corvette. Even though I’m a blue-blooded Ford man, I envy you.
I enjoyed the discussion also. Speaking of Holden, I wish I had the funds to purchase one of the last SS Chevrolets. Enjoy the rest of your summer. My Corvette is tucked in for the remainder of the upstate New York winter. It is usually safe to bring them back out in early April and they go back in storage in early November.
Hey Squanto, how does a 2004-2006 Pontiac GTO compare price-wise to the Chevrolet SS? The GTO is actually the re-badged Australian Holden Monaro. Mechanical components are interchangable between the GTO and the Chev. I know that Pontiacs tend to have a cheaper resale value than Chevs, so that might be an option. I will certainly enjoy the remainder of our Summer mate. As I sit here typing it’s just on 7:00pm, and the temperature is a rather pleasant 25 degrees Celsius…..and I’m in Tasmania, the southern-most (and therefore coldest) state!
G-day mate! (Too cliche?) Without looking it up I would guess that a GTO could be had for less than $20K. Still way out of my range to park it for six months a year. With three boys at University, I’m thrilled the Quality Manager let me indulge $5000 in the 1984 Corvette. In fact, she encouraged it. That’s why I married her.
Have fun!
No mate, not too cliche. I fully understand where you’re coming from from a dollar perspective. My “Minister for War & Finance” allows me a certain amount of lee-way (she allowed me to race speedway for a while) but I wouldn’t stretch the friendship. If you follow the attached link, it will give you a heap of information on the Holden Monaro. It was the third generation of this that became the Chev SS/Pontiac GTO. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Monaro
An interesting fact about the third generation which is not in the article revolves around the original development of the car before it broke cover as a concept in 1998. The prototype was based on the then current VT Commodore sedan, which was Holden’s market leading family sedan. Three guys from the styling department got their hands on a pre-production sedan that was scheduled to be destroyed (standard practice) and in their own time hand-built the car into the prototype car as a hobby! It was never intended for production, but as something for these guys to do in their spare time. Someone in upper management got wind of it and went to look at the completed car. They were so impressed that they displayed the car at the International Motor Show in 1998. The car caused a sensation, and Holden decided to develop and build the car. It is one of the few cars in recent history that wasn’t designed on a computer or built as a clay model. The original styling exercise was a working, drive-able car.
Now that’s a link! Thanks.
My pleasure my fine friend!
Ad was deleted by it’s author…. Now we are all curious