Back in 1953, Chevrolet introduced a model that would change sports car history forever - the first Chevy Corvette. Today, almost 70 years later, the Corvette is still in production as the first and best known all-American sports car.
Over seven decades, Chevrolet produced more than 1.5 million Corvettes, which is an impressive number. Some Corvettes are rarer than the others, though, which means that they are more valuable and sought-after by collectors.
Today, we'll tell you more about the 15 most unique Corvettes and their current value on the classic car market. So, check your garage, who knows, maybe you have one of these rare 'Vettes stashed somewhere.
15 Corvette 1953 - $660,000
There were only 300 the 1953 Corvettes made. All were white with red interior, powered by a six-cylinder engine. It is estimated that less than 100 are still around. That is why the prices for those early models are very high.
14 Corvette Z06 1963 - $1.1 million
1963 was the first year for the legendary split-window Stingray body style. All '63s are valuable, but the Z06 version is especially sought-after. Created for racing purposes, the 1963 Z06 was a limited production model (199 examples), equipped with a more powerful engine, bigger fuel tank, and larger brakes.
13 Corvette Grand Sport 1963 - $6 to 8 million (est.)
There were only 5 Grand Sport Corvettes ever made before the Chevrolet's racing program was shut down. All five are still around and look and sound magnificent. The Corvette Grand Sport was the biggest “what if” of the muscle car era. The original cars rarely came up for sale, so all we have is an estimate.
12 Corvette L88 1967 - $3.95 million
The 1967 Corvette was offered with an already potent 427 V8, but for those who wanted more, Chevrolet offered the L88 package. Only 20 cars were made, so, understandably, their prices are incredibly high.
11 Corvette L89 1967 - $1 million (est.)
Even rarer was the L89 package, which went to only 16 cars in 1967. However, it doesn’t have the same price as the L88 since L89 cars are easier to fake, so collectors are very reluctant to pay high prices for cars without any documentation.
10 Corvette ZL1 1969 - $2 million
The Corvette ZL1 was produced in just two examples and equipped with a monster all-aluminum 427 V8, which pumped out over 500 hp. The car was basically an experimental model and never advertised as a regular production option. Only guys close to Chevrolet or company insiders knew that it existed.
9 Corvette L88 1969 - $2,86 million
The closest thing to a racing Corvette C3 in 1969 was the L88 option, which was installed on only 116 cars. The option itself was expensive, and very few buyers actually order it. Today, the well-preserved and documented L88 Vette can bring you close to $3 million.
8 Baldwin Motion Corvette 1970 - $800,000 (est.)
If you wanted the best Corvette money could buy in 1970, you'd go shopping at Baldwin Motion, a specialized dealer/muscle car tuner, which turned already fast Corvettes into rocket ships. Very expensive when new and incredibly rare (only six built-in 1970), those cars rarely came up for sale.
7 Corvette ZR1 1971 - $400,000
Apart from big-block Corvettes of the early '70s, the ZR1 was a high revving small block V8 model intended for racing. Chevy made only 8 ZR1 cars in 1971, and only one of them was a convertible.
6 Corvette ZR2 1971 - $500,000
The ZR1 was a small block, but ZR2 was a 454 V8 powered model with all the racing goodies Chevrolet could sell to the public. In 1971, only ten such cars were made, so the price of half of million dollars is a steal.
5 Corvette C4 1983 – Priceless
Officially, the 1983 Corvette C4 doesn’t exist since Chevrolet never offered a 1983 model. However, a dozen cars were made, but none were offered for sale, and all were preproduction examples. Only one survives, and it is in the Corvette Museum.
4 Corvette C4 “Cooper Metallic” 1986 - $30,000
There is nothing mechanically special about this 1986 Corvette except its rare paint job. Called Cooper Metallic, this cool-looking color was applied on only 86 cars that year. Real collectors love such obscurities, so if you have one of those cars, you can get around $30,000.
3 Corvette Sledgehammer 1988 - $225,000
The Corvette once again made the headlines in 1988 when Callaway Sledgehammer broke the production speed record reaching 258 MPH. This heavily modified example with twin-turbochargers delivered over 800 hp to the rear wheels. Recently, the only example was sold for $225,000.
2 Guldstrand GS90 1995 - $200,000 (est.)
With the sticker price of almost $200,000 in 1995, no wonder that only six cars were ever sold. Dick Guldstrand was a famous Corvette racer that turned tuner and used the Corvette ZR1 as a basis for some remarkable but costly cars.
1 Corvette C4 Grand Sport 1994 - $50,000
The Corvette Grand Sport was the swan song of the C4 generation. Introduced as coupe or convertible, it featured a 330 hp engine and unique paint job, which was reminiscent of racing Corvettes of the past. The production was limited to 1000 examples.