The Chevrolet Corvette is not for everyone.
But it is for us.
In the pantheon of American sports cars, past and present, it is without equal.
Certainly the Ford Thunderbird was a superior automobile in the early years of Corvette development. And high-end Mustangs can more than hold their own. The Viper? Outstanding. But not financially accessible for most car enthusiasts.
And that would be, in our opinion, the top selling point for the Corvette. We’re not saying it’s affordable the way a Chevy Aveo might be.
But when you consider the level of horsepower and performance you’ve always been able to get from a base-model Corvette right off the factory line?
It’s a whole lotta bang for your buck.
Time to revisit the evolution of America’s first sports car.
The C1 – 1953-1962
1953
The very first Corvette was a bit of a dog. And it was only available as a convertible. But, c’mon. It was the first one. That’s gotta count for something.
Price: $3,500
1956
The C1 gets a major facelift. A hard top becomes an option. Some side scallops were added for radness. It’s powered by a V8. Now, we’re getting somewhere.
Price: $3,170 (Not a typo! It got cheaper!)
1958
Can they make it cooler? Yes they can. In 1958, General Motors added a studly beefy grille to the ‘Vette and some killer quad headlights, officially kicking off the Corvette Is Not To Be Trifled With Era.
Price: $3,591
The C2 – 1963-1972
1963
Yeah, baby. The first Stingray. Unless the C7 rocks our freaking world (and it just might), this is our favorite Corvette generation, even though we are fans of exposed headlights. And the ’63 is the obvious choice because of the awesome split window which is relatively rare these days. It kept the same engine from the 1962 (327 V8), but that wasn’t such a bad thing.
Price: $4,252
1966
Welcome to the party, big-block V8. In 1966, the Corvette was available with a 427-cubic-inch, 450 horse option. Chevy intentionally underestimated its power for insurance reasons.
Price: $4,295
The C3 – 1968-1982
1968
A new Corvette generation was introduced with the 1968 C3. Talk about a car that’s aged gracefully. We remember seeing these things growing up and thinking they looked a little ehhhhhhhhhh compared to the sleek and modern C4. But today? The C3 is undeniably awesome to look at.
Price: $4,663
1970
This was the first Corvette to be powered by the LT1 (an engine designation that’s been resurrected for the new C7), and there was also an option for a 454 V8—the largest-capacity V8 ever fitted under the hood of a Chevy sports car.
Price: $5,192
1973
The bumper was removed and the soft nose was introduced in 1973. The LT1 was replaced. An oil crisis led to fears about a gas shortage, and the government cracked down on driving speeds and capped speedometers at 85 miles-per-hour.
Price: $5,561
1978
The 25th anniversary of the Corvette. The car featured a wraparound rear window, which dramatically increased the amount of light that could come through the windows, and a fastback roofline. There were 6,500 limited-edition Indy pace car replicas made that are collector items today.
Price: $9,446
Limited-Edition Price: $13,653
The C4 1983*-1992
1984
The story of the missing 1983 Corvette is an interesting one. It technically exists, only not really. For all intents and purposes, the Corvette skipped a year. The C4 joined the automotive fray in 1984 with its modern-for-its-day, and much more-efficient body style.
Price: $21,800
1990
This year introduced the Lotus-developed ZR-1, proving the Corvette could compete on the world stage with the European supercars. It was the fastest, most-powerful, and most-expensive Corvette ever built. The automotive press dubbed the ZR-1 “The King of the Hill.”
Price: $31,979
ZR-1 Price: $58,995
The C5 – 1997-2004
1997
The smooth lines and aerodynamic design of the C5 made an impact on Corvette enthusiasts. It was an improvement by almost every measurable standard over the C4. It launched the era of the GM LS engine, which has proved to be wildly popular ever since.
Price: $37,495
2003
The Corvette’s 50th anniversary. The Z06 option was all the rage.
Price: $43,895
Z06 Price: $51,155
The C6 2005-2013
2005
The sixth-generation Corvette reintroduced exposed headlights. More importantly, it brought eye-popping design back to America’s flagship two-seater. The LS2 engine was no slouch, either.
Price: $44,245
2006
GM reintroduced the Z06 and the LS7 for the 2006 model year. The car got tough. The front fenders got flared. Our hearts beat faster.
Price: $43,690
Z06 Price: $65,690
2009
The new LS3 was introduced for the base model the year prior, and 2009 brought with it a new ZR-1 which for the first time would eclipse the $100,000 price point. The ZR-1 was powered by a 6.2 liter LS9 V8 spitting out 638 horsepower.
Price: $46,225
Z06 Price: $71,000
The C7 2014-19
2014
Some of us are absolutely giddy about this car to be powered by the all-new LT1 engine. While being criticized for looking like a Viper in the front and a Camaro in the back, we think it looks like a massive pile of girlfriend-getting, race-winning, head-turning awesomesauce.
Price: $51,995
Happy 60th birthday, Chevy Corvette. Here’s to many more.
Sell the Car
With a price range set, you can now sell your car at auction. Generally you have two choices. You can sell your car in a live auction, or online. Classic and antique cars are generally sold at classic car auctions, which are more rare. Other vehicles can be sold at public and private dealer auctions, some of which may require a dealer’s license to get into.
Public auctions have the benefit of buyers being able to observe the vehicle in person, but you also will have less of an audience shopping for your car. Online auctions have the benefit of thousands of potential buyers, but a sale may fall through or you could have problems with shipping the vehicle, incurring more costs.
When selling your car it always behooves you to be completely honest about the condition and realistic about the price you expect to get. Another factor to consider is that auction fees will have to be paid, and in some cases shipping, which can reduce the amount of profit you generate from the sale of your car.
repokar.com
biggest collection of Chevy Corvette of the year 1953 to 2014 amazing………!!!!!
Where can I get in touch with the owner of the 1956 The C1 gets a major facelift. A hard top becomes an option. Some side scallops were added for radness. It’s powered by a V8. Now, we’re getting somewhere.
Price: $3,170 (Not a typo! It got cheaper!)
Any news on above or the 1958 one as well…Can they make it cooler? Yes they can. In 1958, General Motors added a studly beefy grille to the ‘Vette and some killer quad headlights, officially kicking off the Corvette Is Not To Be Trifled With Era.
Price: $3,591