General Motors might be preparing the Corvette for a mid-engine spin-off, but the seventh-generation still does its job fine as a front-engined car. And the Corvette to thank for how the breed evolved up to now is the C5.
Compared to the hit-and-miss C4, the fifth generation one-upped the recipe with an integrated transaxle that made possible the 50-50 percent front-rear weight distribution. Structural rigidity also improved thanks to the hydroformed box frame. What’s more, the C5 is the last Corvette to feature an element of design consigned to the history books: pop-up headlights.
Chevrolet manufactured close to 250,000 examples in the period from 1997 to 2004 at the Bowling Green assembly plant in Kentucky, with the last model year holding a base price of $43,835. The pictured C5, which is the last unit produced, is a lot more expensive than that. More to the point, the seller wants $1,000,000 on it, which is top dollar for a fifth-gen ‘Vette.
A Commemorative Edition 1SC finished in Lemans Blue over a Shale interior, the final C5 features a posi rear end, automatic transmission, and a 350-horsepower LS1. Including the destination charge, the original price printed on the window sticker stands at $48,840. Grosso modo, the asking price listed on Buyavette.net is a mind-boggling 21 times the car’s original price.
The vendor tries to sweeten the deal by highlighting that the car is “AS NEW, and is truly a time capsule, complete with all of its factory plastic, stickers, and labels.” The pictures don’t lie, and bearing in mind the odometer shows 29 miles from new, the description is bang on the buck as well.
Having said these, will the final example of the C7 Corvette be worth one million green dollar bills in 13 years’ time, just like the pictured C5? But more importantly, do you consider that $1,000,000 is a bit of a stretch for a fifth-generation Corvette that might or might not hold its value over time?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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