These Half-Dozen Represent The Cream Of The Corvette CropA half-dozen of the best Corvettes around were inducted into the Bloomington Gold Hall of Fame in June. This year's crop of inductees features a cross-section of vehicles representative of high standards of excellence within the Corvette hobby.
Hall of Fame inductees are selected from vehicles that were a part of prior Special Collection events at Bloomington Gold. The "Special Collection XX," on display during this year's Bloomington event, highlighted the cars of Reeves Callaway, and both this year's Special Collection and Hall of Fame inductees were dedicated to the memory of Chip Miller, cofounder of Carlisle Productions, who passed away earlier this year.
This year's Hall of Fame inductees are:
On The BlockThe Mecum Auction Company provided Corvette enthusiasts an opportunity to own virtually any year or model Corvette during the three-day auction at Bloomington Gold. Over 300 Corvettes crossed the auction block, with 182 selling to the highest bidder.
Corvettes with rare high-performance motors, special editions, low mileage, and celebrity owners were offered. Also, many Corvettes in average street-driven condition were available. For example, the high sale price went to a rare '63 Sebring Silver split-window Corvette coupe with the Z06 option (fuel-injected motor, 36-gallon gas tank). It found a new home for $245,000. At the other end of the spectrum was the sale of a '76 T-top in average street-driven condition with the L48 motor, automatic transmission, air conditioning, optional factory wheels, and 78,000 original miles. It was sold on a no-reserve basis, and changed owners for $4,500.
The early models, '53-'62, sold well, with top honors going to a '57 Corvette roadster for $170,000.
A unique offering of the early models included a package of seven '57 Corvettes in restored condition. All were fuel-injected, Bloomington Gold certified, and represented each of the seven paint colors offered in 1957. The total sales figure for the seven Corvettes was $746,000, and nobody bid on the entire package. Thus, the collection went to happy individual buyers.
The ever-popular mid-years, '63-'67, were well represented also. A few sold for over $100,000. These all had the optional high-performance motors. Conversely, a '64 roadster with a 327-365 motor and four-speed in average street-driven condition sold late in the day for $22,000.
A rare '69 T-top with the L88 option, 427-430 with only 2,534 original miles found a new home for $172,500. Another L88, a '68 T-top, sold at $103,000. Noteworthy was the sale of a '78 Pace Car with only 82 miles. It was an L48 with automatic transmission and sold for $27,000.
The '84-'96 series offered Callaway Turbos, Pace Cars, Collector Editions, and Anniversary models, among others. The high sale went to a Red '95 ZR-1 with only 1,450 miles for $41,100. A '96 Collector Edition roadster with the LT4 motor, six-speed transmission, removable hardtop, and 6,000 miles sold at $34,000. An '86 White coupe previously owned by Johnny Carson had 55,000 miles and sold for $20,000.
The C5s, '97-'04, reflected active bidding. A '99 hardtop with a Callaway Turbo conversion, the only one built, represented the high sale for the series at $147,500. A '98 six-speed Pace Car with only 16 miles sold for $42,000. An '03 Anniversary coupe with a six-speed transmission and only 134 miles sold for $49,250.
Corvette auctions provide an abundance of opportunities to buy a collector or entry-level Corvette to match your budget.
Legend: C=Coupe, R=RoadsterTT=T-top, PC=Pace CarCE=Collector EditionAN=AnniversaryZR=High Performance CoupeCR=Collector Edition RoadsterGS=Grand Sport Coupe, HT=HardtopZ6=High-Performance Hardtop.
Source: A&B Investments, Ltd., publishers of the Vette-N-Vestments Corvette Price Guide and monthly Corvette Market Letter.To get pricing information on your Corvette, go to www.corvettefever.com. Click on "What's It Worth?" and you'll find additional information and instructions on securing a personal response from Bob Kroupa regarding your Corvette's value. You can also send a letter to: Bob Kroupa, Corvette Fever, On The Block, P. O. Box 77764, Greensboro, NC 27417-7764.
Chevrolet Announces 2005 Corvette PricingLower Base Prices For Both ModelsHow about having your cake and eating it too? The new '05 Corvette will have a lower base price for the coupe and convertible over the previous '04 models. Yes, a drop in price despite increased content in the new Corvette. The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for the base Corvette coupe with a standard manual six-speed transmission will be $44,245 including a destination charge of $800. This represents a $1,305 reduction compared to the base '04 coupe equipped with the optional extra-cost manual transmission.
The MSRP for the base '05 Corvette convertible equipped with standard manual transmission will be $52,245 including destination charge. This price is $305 less than the base '04 convertible with optional extra-cost manual transmission.
"When we debuted the new Corvette in January, we announced the sixth-generation models would deliver more power, more passion, and more precision than any of their predecessors," said Jim Campbell, Chevrolet's director of car marketing. "Now we can add a fourth 'P' to the equation: more competitively priced when compared to others in the high sport market segment."
On the list of new standard features found on all sixth-generation Corvettes are:* LS2 6.0L V-8 with 400 hp* Six-speed manual transmission* Larger tires and wheels(18 in. front, 19 in. rear)* HID Xenon lighting* Twilight sentinel/automatic headlights* Keyless access with pushbutton start* Cabin air-filtration system* Power hatch pull down* RDS AM/FM CD/MP3 player with7 speakers* Additionally, side airbags move to the list of standard features on convertibles.
New options for "America's performance icon" include:* XM Satellite radio, $325* On Star, $695* DVD-Navigation system with voice activation, $1,400* Power convertible top, $1,995
The 4L65-E four-speed automatic transmission (a no-charge option) is an upgraded version of the previous 4L60-E design. Featuring a new Performance Shift Algorithm, the 4L65-E automatic can capably handle the LS2 V-8's 400 lb-ft of torque.
Corvette's available Z51 Performance Suspension for 2005 ($1,495) continues to feature specific springs, shocks, stabilizer bars, and oil, power steering, and transmission coolers, but is now enhanced with inclusion of larger cross-drilled brake rotors, specific Goodyear F1 Supercar tires, and performance gear ratios (manual transmission) and axle ratios (automatic transmission).
The price of the popular Magnetic Selective Ride Control option ($1,695) is unchanged from 2004.