A lot of finding the perfect collectible car is timing.  If you time it right, you purchase a great example of the car of your choosing when they are still considered used cars.  Then, when the herd begins to notice the positive attributes of the make and model in question, prices start to rise exponentially.  With that in mind, it may be time to pick up an excellent example of the fourth generation of Corvettes.  A good candidate would be this 1994 Chevrolet Corvette convertible for sale on eBay in New Braunfels, Texas.  This Admiral Blue drop-top has a six-speed manual transmission and is loaded with options.  The best part is that it has traveled a scant 43,800 miles.  With the car currently sitting at a high of $15,300 with 42 bidders, does that mean that at least 42 other people have the same plan to pick up a nice C4 before prices go up?  Or are they the ones driving the market?

Most people see the Corvette as an evolutionary car that is revolutionary in nature every time a new generation comes around.  By the end of the C3 model’s production run in 1982, it had developed into more of a luxury car than a sports car.  It was also well beyond its expiration date.  A new Corvette was finally promised.  Rumors flew as to just what this next Corvette would look like, and not having one in the showrooms for the 1983 model year through fuel on the fires of speculation and anticipation.  Finally, when the car debuted in 1984, it was a bases-loaded home run.  More importantly, the new Corvette was a world-class sports car that could be realistically compared to its European and Japanese competitors.  What mattered most was that it gave no quarter in both handling and straight-line performance.

From 1984 through its retirement in 1996, the C4 continually evolved into an incredibly capable sports car.  Horsepower rose nearly every year, special editions kept the public’s interest, and build quality slowly improved.  What also happened was that the price kept rising, putting the Corvette out of the realm of the everyday sports car enthusiast and into the hands of people for whom their Corvette was their hobby.  White New Balance sneakers, jorts, and polo shirts jokes aside, the average Corvette owner got older and was generally more well off by the time C4 production ended on June 20, 1996.

So, what does that mean if you are looking for a C4 Corvette today?  It means that the survival rate on these cars is high, and you stand a good chance of getting a car that was pampered, polished, and garaged its whole life if you are patient.  The 1994 Chevrolet Corvette convertible you see here is more than likely to be one of those well-kept hobby cars.  Coated in an almost perfect layer of Admiral Blue paint, this Corvette is said to be capable of being driven home to anywhere in the country by the lucky new owner.  It is equipped with a 300-horsepower LT1 small block Chevrolet V-8, a six-speed manual transmission, and an adjustable ride control suspension.

The seller tells us that it came with every option available.  Among them are a CD player with an auxiliary CD changer, cruise control, leather interior with sport seats, and just about anything else you could imagine checking off when ordering such a vehicle.  Looking at the pictures reveals a car that likely needs nothing to present as showroom new.  The only obvious concern would be the seat foam appears to be getting tired, especially in the driver’s seat area.  There is also some discoloration of the grey leather.  However, that is to be expected as grey isn’t exactly an easy color of dyed leather to keep clean.

Perhaps the most interesting aspect of this auction is the attention it has received.  It is a nice car that is still more of a used car than a long-term collectible at this stage in its life.  Still, it is a Corvette and a well-taken-care-of example at that.  The number of bidders and the price to which it has been bid up to may indicate that collectors are starting to gather up excellent examples of the C4 Corvette.  They were amazing cars in their time, and history will consider this the generation that the Corvette became America’s sports car in more than just name.

Do you think this auction is evidence that collectors are now gathering up good examples of the C4 Corvette?  Would you store this convertible away, or drive it and enjoy it?  Please share your thoughts in the comments.