If you’re going to buy a car built in high production numbers, the general rule of thumb is to either find one that was a high-performance model or had some sort of near-unrepeatable options. This 1995 Chevrolet Corvette has low miles, but so do most of them; the real attraction to it is the rare color, which appears to be the shade known as Dark Purple Metallic, of which some sources claim under 1,100 were made in 1995. The Corvette is obviously in mint condition given it has just 15,000 original miles, and is listed here here on craigslist for $17,500.
Now, the C4 Corvette is well known as a car that was produced in large quantities and can be had for a pretty low buy-in. There is no shortage of reds and blacks for sale at a given time, along with the occasional white C4. The scale usually tips in favor of limited-production high-performance models like the ZR-1 and the Gran Sport if you want to seek out the most valuable C4 variant, but outside of those, snagging a rare color is the way to go. Finding a limited-production color and the elusive manual transmission is an absolute home run, but fairly hard to come by.
Now, you’ll note I have this Corvette listed with an asking price of $17,500; that was from a now-expired ad that has been updated via the link above where the seller has removed the price and mentions that it has been reduced. If he’s come down to around $15,000, that’s worth taking a look at in terms of a potentially smart buy. Let’s not forget it has just 15,000 miles on the clock, and the fact that the seller has to market this Corvette as “price reduced” due to the limited demand shows you just how saturated the 90s Corvette market is. In 1995, the Corvette’s LT1 V8 made 300 horsepower and 340 lb.-ft. of torque.
The interior was nothing to write home about – blame 90s GM standards for interior materials and build quality – so even with a low mileage example, you’re still dealing with a fairly dismal sensory experience inside. The black interior is almost a let-down with that colorful paint job, but I don’t know what Chevrolet would have let you combine this purple color with a white leather interior (who knows, though – given how many custom orders for Corvettes have been made over the years, it very likely does exist.) The seller sounds ready to deal, so don’t waste any time if you have a hankering for a purple muscle car. Thanks to Barn Finds reader Mitchell G. for the find.
Thanks for the reminder of how bad domestic car interiors were in the 90s. I think they really started to improve once manufacturers such as VW started putting near-luxury interior features and materials into their economy cars.
I fixed the door panels on my ’95. There’s ribs at the upper edge that crack and leaves it to flop around at the upper edge against the window. Epoxy adnesive and aluminum doublers riveted in. The rest of it seemed OK, but I was shocked at how much the windshield shook over bumps with the top removed. That’s why it bolts on instead of clamps. The LT1 has good power and torque, and the suspension is light years ahead of the C3, though a bit harsh for me. Super low miles on this one, but I still wouldn’t be interested in an automatic.
Sounds like a good deal to me near new Corvette with decent power for 15 grand or less what could go wrong?
C4’s are a performance car bargain.
Manual? Looks like a automatic transmission to me.
If your going to ask 15 to 17k for a car, you should replace the 30 year old tires to make it safe to drive. Those tires are rock hard and shaped like an octagon. Beautiful car, even in purple.
Now that I know a lot more about the 1996 LT-4 engines, the 1995 is kind of in No-man’s land to me and I own one! The $17K was too high for an automatic. $17K will get a base 1996 330 + hp, LT-4,that only came with the ZF-6 transmission. That is peak C4 without all the 1995 ZR-1 and 1996 CE and GS edition price premuims. Next time you see me, kick my butt for missing out on the base 1996 with an LT-4. Thank you.
I owned a 1995 for 6 or 7 years and never felt suicidal over the interior quality. Mine had the optional sport seats which are infinitely adjustable and very comfortable. The foot wells are narrow so adding a 3rd pedal can be a bit dodgy, especially if you have wide feet. The automatic seemed to work just fine. The fact that only 1,100 were painted this color is probably for a reason, the reason being that not very many people wanted one. The color was introduced in 1993 as part of the 40th Anniversary package and had run its course by 1995.
So, it’s not particularly rare, doesn’t have the LT4, etc, etc. Mine only had 11,000 miles on it when I got it in 2008. For the most part it was a 14-year-old new car and gave me very little trouble. This one is a good deal at >$15K. Not a steal, but will deliver so much satisfaction that the buyer will never regret it.
No LT-4 in 1995.