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What’s a Cream Puff? 2003 Corvette Convertible

As a child who loved cars, I was overjoyed when the next-door neighbor bought his wife an almost new 1978 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car.  When showing it to me, he described the car as a “cream puff.”  I had to ask what that meant.  Well, if you couldn’t use words and were only able to provide a physical example, this 2003 50th Anniversary Corvette convertible for sale on Barn Finds Classifieds would explain the concept perfectly.  This incredibly beautiful car is currently waiting for a new owner in Springfield, Illinois and can be yours for $29,500.  Is this the kind of cream puff you’d like to have in your garage?

The phrase “cream puff” is often used in describing Corvettes.  The reason why is Corvette owners tend to baby their cars.  A Corvette is a bucket list buy for many owners, and they treat the cars better than they ever would another car.  While Corvettes have almost always been able to run with far more expensive sports cars, most owners end up ordering cars that are loaded with luxury features and automatic transmissions.  Not that there is anything wrong with that.  You just aren’t going to see those folks on track days at your local road course.

When the C5 Corvettes came out in 1997 we saw a sharp increase in the number of “luxurious Corvettes.”  This generation of Corvettes was much more refined than any of the preceding generations.  It rode smoother, handled better, and little touches like lower door sills made these Corvettes much more appealing to an older, more affluent customer that may have been considering a Porsche or Mercedes.  As you would expect, sales soared.

The Corvette we see here is a perfect example of the luxurious C5 described above.  With just 32,950 miles on the odometer and an almost perfect Anniversary Red Metallic paint job, this Corvette most definitely qualifies for “cream puff” status.  This 50th Anniversary Edition boasts the standard shale two tone leather interior and matching convertible top.  All of these commemorative Corvettes also came with the F55 Magnetic Selective Ride Control Suspension and the usual badges and embroidery needed to celebrate 50 years of production.

Under the hood is the ubiquitous Small Block Chevrolet V-8 putting out 350 horsepower.  This car is also equipped with the buttery smooth 4L60E automatic transmission and traction control.  The seller also tells us of a 12-disk cd changer,  a heads up display, memory seats and even more options in the ad.  An interesting addition is that the car has been outfitted with a set of C6 chrome wheels.  We are told that the original wheels for the car are available.

The pictures don’t lie.  This car has been kept in fantastic shape.  It is hard to believe that C5 Corvettes have been around for over 20 years, and this red stunner will have its own 20th birthday next year.  C5 Corvettes are held in high regard in the enthusiast community for their performance and the ability to transform them into fire breathing monsters on the track.  There are also a number of garage kept and pampered C5s out there just waiting for their next caretaker to come along.  A commemorative cream puff like this Corvette could be the perfect cruiser for someone looking for luxury more than speed.

Comments

  1. Avatar Bud Lee

    Grainy pics might turn off potential buyers.

    Like 3
  2. Avatar SirRaoulDuke

    Nice Vette, but that’s Z06 money…and I know which one I would buy.

    Like 5
  3. Avatar Al

    Cream puff & all, its just about $10k more than I would offer. Sure its nice, but for that kind of money like another said, you can get a Z06 with double the miles for about the same if not less. If you got the next gen in a conv in ’05+ models, at least you get a power top, as having had a ’70 conv, that manual top is a pain to put up & down a few times a day if out & about & don’t want to leave it exposed to elements & criminals.

    Like 1
    • Avatar wMotor

      This top can be put up or down in less than a minute with one person.

      Like 1
      • Avatar PRA4SNW

        Same with on the ’70. About a minute to put the top up. Faster if you get caught in the rain.

        Like 1
  4. Avatar ken

    I agree with SirRaoulDuke…it’s priced a little high. I’ve seen some C5’s with under 10k miles sell in this price range or lower. It looks nice and appears to have been taken care of, but hard to say babied miles when there’s 30k of them.

    Like 0
  5. Avatar Jay E. Member

    Awful photos of a clean car, why bother posting garbage shots. The nicest rims Corvettes ever had, I think they are from a later version.

    Like 0

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