When I hear people complain about the lack of affordable hobby cars, I generally can commiserate with them. However, there’s no denying that there are still plenty of bargains out there, and you don’t even have to look that hard for them. It continues to blow my mind that you can basically buy a brand new in the wrapper Chevrolet Corvette from the early 90s for relative peanuts. While it may not be your dream car, it makes the right noises, goes decently, and still looks great. The 1990 Chevrolet Corvette shown here on craigslist has 40,000 original miles and is listed for just $11,500.
The C4 is not a car you need to be educated on, except for perhaps realizing it’s not as bad as it’s often made out to be. The complains about the Corvette were not generally about its performance or reliability, but more the perception that it was cheap and over-built compared to its competitors (both true.) They made a ton of these, which perhaps led to some disappointment in the marketplace that the car wasn’t all that special. If you adjust your perception of what “special” means, however, the C4 begins to appeal. A sports car you can quite literally hop in and fire up without having to worry about some sort of catastrophic mechanical failure? That’s a desirable quality in any enthusiast vehicle.
The seller’s Corvette is a classic red on black example, and given the low miles, it’s in mint condition. The black interior is still quite fetching, and I always like seeing the C4 on the later “sawblade” wheels. The red paint shows no discernable flaws, but I imagine you’ll find some chips and scratches up close. The options list includes the somewhat rare bronze-tinted roof panel, which really gets into the weeds as it relates to rarity, but Corvette guys will dig it. Other features include Preferred Equipment Group #1, a Bose sound system, and the low tire pressure warning system. The seller notes the Goodyear Eagle F1s have plenty of tread left.
Despite all the complains about build quality, the C4 still provided plenty of grunt in the form of 245 horsepower and 345 lb.-ft. of torque. No matter how you slice it, that’s plenty of performance by even today’s high standards. Is it the fastest car on the street anymore? Hardly. But you will be hard pressed to lose ground to most cars on your local interstate on ramp. The value proposition is through the roof on a C4 Corvette like this one, and if you’re so inclined, they can make formidable track day cars as well. Find one with a manual and you have an outstanding weekend ride for well under $25,000. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the tip.
Gone!
Nothing seems to end discussion quicker than someone saying that the vehicle is sold. Perhaps the moderators could remove theses comments in 2026 to encourage more discussion.
Good suggestion Jack. I’ve noticed that on a number of write ups.
Quantity is a quality all its own, look at the competition at this price point and such a nice car for the price has me looking if I can scratch the doe together. Like a soft something is hard to beat !
It can be a bit frustrating, but if the ad was still live when it was posted it just goes to show, good deals don’t last. There are a lot of cars featured on this site that get a lot of praise, yet they have been listed for multiple weeks or longer, which highlights how superficial their support is. There are other cars where the prices seem out of line on the high side, yet the ads have been deleted and presumably sold. The contrast is interesting and helps demonstrate how the interest in niche cars is often not appreciated. The one complaint I have is about expired listing is if it’s an eBay auction that goes up on this site after it has already ended, which happens from time to time.
Steve R
Woulda been gone twice if I’d found it sooner! Sold my pretty nice 91 with 168K on it for $8500 a couple of months ago, and miss it already. This would have been a perfect replacement.
Someone scored a deal on the only one made on a Tuesday in April, that is red with a black interior, a bronze glass top, auto trans… They really pigeon hole these corvettes. I like them, they were the cool ones when I was a boy.
Great write up Jeff, really hits home just how affordable these corvettes are.
Car is in excellent shape, and quite a bargain. I would take one of these C4 s
over a C8 any day.
Totally agree. I love the C4’s and remember when they came out. A truly beautiful restyle in my eyes. The new ones look like some AI design program had a brain aneurysm. I wouldn’t take one as a gift. 😝
The owner was testing the price water b4 selling it locally.
His phone was probably ringing like a church bell when the priest rumored a special on weddings.
No offense, Paul but I wouldn’t refuse a gift C8. Heck, it doesn’t even have to be the Z version. Base ‘Vette is otay by me.
Different strokes for different folks Bob. I suppose if it was given to me for free I’d take it, sell it, get a beautiful C4 and still have a crapload of cash left over.
I have a ’95 red / red auto. 45k miles. Although it isn’t the fastest thing I have owned, it does know what to do when you hit the gas pedal. I bought it from a widow and had to get a bonded title, so I will keep it and have fun for a few years before selling it. It had some issues from sitting, but they are relatively easy and inexpensive to fix. Hard to get in and out of because of the high sill, but once in and all warmed up it is a great, dependable toy.