What is the Best Chevrolet Corvette for the Money?

In fact, Chevrolet Corvettes are legendary when it comes to being the most affordable sports cars out there. Also known as the 'Vette', most of us can't get enough of this ride which has been tearing up the streets for over 60 years and 8 generations.

Today, we’re diving into a straightforward question: out of all the generations and models, which Corvette offers you the most bang for your buck?

If you’re hunting for the best Corvette for your money, remember these three magic numbers: C3, C4, and C5.

They’re fantastic buys today, and even with some years under these generations’ belt, they’re rock solid reliable. Some are even starting to appreciate in value – better yet. You might be making a smart investment because snag one now.

1973 Corvette C3 454

Figure 5: 1973 Corvette 454 with some serious 70’s disco vibes. Source: Bring a Trailer.

1967 started the third generation of Corvettes continuing many of the engine and chassis elements of the C2. Plenty of these classics are still around because it smashed sales records right out of the gate. If you want best bang for your buck, however, the C3 454 is the first choice of this generation. The Stingray nickname was used for Corvettes from 1969 to 1976, and it's one of those sought after 'Stingray' models.

This C3 454 is iconic for the Bold body style and that monster 454 cu big block. It also went away from chrome front bumpers, replacing them with a urethane front piece to meet new regulations. Among other notable upgrades were side impact beams in the doors, and most importantly an air induction hood, and radial tires all of which made this Stingray a combination of power, style and safety for its time.

1967 saw the third generation of Corvettes begin and all the engine and chassis components from the C2 were carried over. That's why plenty of these classics are still around today, because it smashed sales records right out of the gate. However, if you’re after the best value for your money, C3 454 is the top choice from this generation. A sought after 'Stingray' model nickname used for 1969 to 1976 Corvettes.

These updates told us all that the Corvette was beginning to move away from being a raw sports car and into a more cruiser oriented car.' However, the V8 454 cu. big block (that’s 7.4L to you and me) still has a punch to it even by today’s standards. Chevy wasn’t shy about showing it off with these original big block C3 Corvettes: big '454' emblems hung proudly on the hood. With buyers able to pick between a 3 speed automatic or a 4 speed manual transmission, and if you really needed to stay right in the lap of luxury, there was an optional air conditioning system. Cool, literally.

A slight hit to its 0–60 time was easily made up for by an abundance of power, exceptional handling, and the sort of reliability associated with the six-pot, all of which came with that sixpots 275 HP net output.

This Corvette is one of those cars with its indisputable disco era style that isn’t for everyone, but that’s what makes it so charming. With its unconventional looks and its overlooked status in Corvette history, the 454 is a pearl less found (and a potential future investment).

The 454 is priced mostly from $16,800 to $24,900. But examples can hit $37,000 if kept in pristine condition. Want to spend less? Instead, opt for the small block version.

Sources: Aston Martin was featured in American Car Collector, Car and Driver, Carfolio.

1990–1995 Corvette C4 ZR-1

Figure 6: On the used Corvette market, the ZR-1 Corvette C4 might be the best bargain. Source: Hagerty.

Debutting in 1984, the C4 was the first full Corvette redesign since 1963, and its gratuitous use of chrome quickly became the aspirin of the muscle car enthusiast. It’s been years of secret testing and prototyping for this fourth generation model and Chevy finally revealed it last month and didn’t it disappoint.

Built in the 1984 C4, it came with a 5.7L 'Crossfire' V8 engine—a nice upgrade from the competition. It cut weight, and increased strength, rigidity, and performance by using aluminum brake calipers in its chassis and an all aluminum suspension. Rounding out the list is the electronic dashboard with LCD displays that are well, retro-cool and still have a bit of a draw these days.

Figure 7: 6 speed manual, with a 330 HP engine in a 1996 C4 Corvette. Source: Courtesy of GrandSport it's Wikipedia.

We spoke with Ron Ignelzi, a specialist at MacMulkin Corvette, which ranks as the second largest Corvette dealer in America, on the C4. "The C4 generation was one of the great performance cars of its time and it's still a fantastic car to buy today," said Ron. 'When it was first released, the C4 gave Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche a run for their money with a 375-HP engine,' he said.

The ZR1 version of the C4, built from 1990 to 1995, is what Ron had a lot to say about. "It’s cheap now. You can get a ZR 1 right now for $20,000 and you’re getting a lot of car for $20,000" he said.

Why is the ZR-1 one of a kind? “It’s a double overhead cam engine, with 16 fuel injectors in it," Ron notes. The why its so cool part is how it shifts—its smooth and docile at lower RPMs but once the secondary port vacuum system goes, its as if you flip a switch. Quarter-mile times of 11.5 seconds (with heads up timing) and high 13s (with spool time thrown in) have occurred at the edges of these turbos, earning people to call it the "Jekyll and Hyde" Corvette because it goes from tame to wild, as if there's a turbocharger under the hood."

The 'ZR-1' is derived from Z (enhanced performance) and it can satisfy delirious demand for the same. The best part? There’s no astronomical price tag to all this cutting edge performance tech. In fact the ZR-1 could very well be the best bang-for-the-buck Corvette on the market.

Sources: A phone interview with Ron Ignelzi of MacMulkin Corvette garage, MotorTrend, (09/14/2020).

2001–04 Corvette C5 Z06

Figure 8: A high performance sports version of the C5 was the Z06 Corvette built as such. Source: Autoevolution.

So let’s talk fifth generation. Yet, of all the C5 Corvettes ever built, none have compared to the Z06 from 2001 through 2004, for reasons that will soon be apparent.

Recent history shows the value of Z06 Corvettes climbing, and you won’t be surprised why. With a fully re–tuned suspension, a 5.7L 385HP and 6 speed manual transmission are standard equipment. The cherry on top? A titanium exhaust system. How often would you see that?

In later versions of the Z06, the ante was upped to 405 HP and 385 lb-ft of torque, allowing a rather impressive change from 0 to 60 in just four seconds. 'The 405-HP C5 Z06 was more tuned to track use and a fine performer,' Ron Ignelzi said. And in some ways it might just outshine the C4 as a deal.

In a word, you can buy a Z06 for right around $22,000, and some are going for less than $20,000. While these cars were marked over $50,000 back when new (in inflation adjusted dollars). On the performance car world, it is a total steal with a raw power, its quick acceleration and sporty design.

Sources: Autoevolution; Hagerty.

What are the Best Corvettes of All Time?

10) 1970 Corvette LT-1

At the height of the muscle car era, the most aggressive Corvettes weren't lightweight, highreving thinblocks. Just when you thought all Corvette glory hinged on nothing more than sheer displacement, the LT-1 appeared: a finely tuned, sweetly balanced powerhouse. It didn’t take a big engine to be mean and fast; with a 370 horsepower, the 350 cubic inch smallblock V8 proved that.

Of course, I don't think that that 370 hp rating was on the conservative side. With solid lifters, an 11.0:1 compression ratio and a four barrel carburetor, the LT1 (the same powerplant in the 1982 Camaro Z/28) was probably producing just under 400 horsepower. With insurance premiums rising, however, Chevy had minimal motivation to endorse the truth. Solid lifters were less practical as compression ratios dropped to accommodate looming emissions regulations and the switch to low lead and unleaded gas (by 1971). The following year, the LT-1’s rating dropped to a more realistic 330 hp, and when it went out with a whimper in 1972 it was actually rated at 255 hp.

And, interestingly enough, the LT1 name (without hyphen) returned with the 2014 C7 Corvette. This new 6.2-liter small-block V8 (around 378 cubic inches) boasts an 11.5:1 compression ratio, direct fuel injection, and projected 450 horsepower, there’s no denying that the LT1 has a legacy that continues in current-day form.

9) 1953 Corvette

The original Corvette was a true pioneer; The magic was of it was that it was the first of its kind.

America’s first sports car — the Corvette — was an instant showstopper when it debuted at GM’s Motorama in New York City on January 17, 1953. That wasn’t due to cutting-edge mechanics—Chevy’s long-running 'Stovebolt' inline 6 from 1941, with 150 hp and a two speed automatic transmission, and a suspension borrowed from Chevy sedans. The fiberglass body was absolutely stunning and what really stuck out. It was sleek, confident, distinctly American—not delicate or extremely European such as the MG-TF, or many other sports cars of the era.

The crowd went nuts and Chevrolet didn't waste a minute. The production was greenlit and 300 examples of 1953 Corvette were quickly built, all in Polo White.

What a bold beginning – not perfect, but it was good enough to get a legend going.

8) 1957 Corvette Fuel Injection

With the arrival of Rochester mechanical fuel injection under the guidance of Zora Arkus Duntov, Corvette’s legendary chief engineer, Chevy’s two seater truly arrived in 1957. Years ahead of its time, this groundbreaking system developed 283 horsepower out of the 283 cubic inch small block V8, an impressive 1 hp per cubic inch, unheard of in a time when most engines generated less than ½ that number.

The “Ramjet Fuel Injection” setup was an engineering marvel and immediately became an icon, derived from the injection system used by John Fitch’s 1956 B-Class winning Corvette at Sebring. If you were one of the 6,338 Corvettes built for 1957, only 1,040 were made with this forwardthinking system.

When Road & Track tested a fuel-injected '57 Corvette with a 4.11:1 rear gear, the results were stunning: 5.7 seconds to hit 0 to 60 mph. That’s seriously quick, even by today’s standards.

7) 1984 Corvette C4

The Corvette was something of a punch line by the early 1980s. Introduced way back in 1968, the C3 generation had become a soft, cushy boulevard cruiser over the years. Now it wasn’t cars like Porsches and Ferraris it was more about an middle aged driver in the left seat and her lap dog shotgun.

The C4 evolution takes us into the C4 generation, a game changer in style and performance. With the swoopy curves of the C3 gone, there was a sleek knifelike profile. Not only was the engine revealed, but cast-aluminum suspension components exposed, and they looked like sculpture of the massive clamshell hood. The Goodyear Gatorback directional tires wrapped the 16 inch wheels. On the inside, the cabin was a futuristic place, with a digital dashboard that glared like a Frogger game.

But the early C4 was no different. Unimpressive was the 5.7 liter small block V8, 'Cross Fire Injection' scraping out a minuscule 205 horsepower, the crude Doug Nash '4+3' manual transmission, and the suspension simply unbearable in its stiffness. Flaws, but even with those, the new Corvette could run rings around some Porsches, and it dominated showroom stock racing almost immediately. Yeah, it was back to being a real sports car again.

6) 1967 Corvette 427 L88

You can practically feel the Holley 850 carb. pulling the air straight out of your lungs standing next to an L88 Corvette when it roars to life. It settles into a menacing idle and after a few growls the engine roars, waves of heat that radiate from the exhaust turning your nostrils into a red, blistered mess. True there may have been faster Corvettes, none that were as unapologetically aggressive as the L88.

A warning label on the L88 laid it out plainly: 'Fuel, minimum research octane of 103 and minimum motor octane of 95 or engine damage may result.' It wasn’t exaggerating. The aluminum heads on the 427-cubic-inch iron big-block V8 housed combustion chambers with a jaw-dropping 12.5:1 compression ratio. Chevrolet rated the L88 officially at 430 horsepower, but anyone ever near one knows it was making every bit of 550.

Of these race bred monsters, only 20 were built in 1967, each impressive with all the best that General Motors had to offer, but strangely for a high performance hot rod they did not include a heater or a defroster. Because comfort? That wasn’t on L88’s agenda.

5) 1997 Corvette C5

The C4 Corvette had its moments but it wasn’t until the C5 showed up in 1997 that Chevrolet hit the right mix of performance and touring comfort. It was the first Corvette to feel as much at home while carving a racetrack as it does cruising coast to coast.

The C5’s secret? Engineered from the ground up, Balance. Its all new backbone frame used a transaxle design in which the transmission was placed at the rear to offset the mass of the engine at the front. That meant near perfect weight distribution which revolutionized the Corvette’s handling dynamics.

The LS1 5.7 liter V8, at the heart of the C5, was the real revolutionary bit. This was GM's first all-aluminum V8 for a volume production Corvette and its first all new small block since 1955. The LS1 was a game changer, 345 horsepower and a smooth and consistent wave of torque. It wasn’t just powerful, it was fast, too. The C5 was paired with a four speed automatic and could get from 0 to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds. With the option of the six speed manual, it dropped it under 5 seconds. The C5 was the proof that a Corvette could really be everything to everyone.

4) 1955 Corvette

The 1955 Corvette doesn’t appear to be much different, at first glance, than the ’53 or ’54 cars. But looks can be deceiving. While the body and chassis remained largely the same, the big news was under the hood: This was the first Corvette that could have V8 engine.

A V8 other than that was the famous Chevrolet small block. It only had a displacement of that initial displacement of 265 cubic inches or 4.3 liters and rated at 195 horsepower. Those horses meant something, however, as they delivered enough torque to make the Corvette into a real sports car at last.

No, the ’55 Corvette wasn’t startlingly fast. However, the car set the stage for the fast Corvettes to be.

3) 2009 Corvette ZR1

The numbers are simply overwhelming. A supercharged 6.2-liter version of the LS-series V8 rated at 638 hp rockets this Corvette coupe to 60 mph in just 3.5 seconds and obliterates the quarter-mile in 11.5 seconds at 128.3 mph. Top speed is beyond 200 mph. Massive tires allow it to stick on a skid pad beyond the force of gravity. And it's the first factory Corvette to carry a six-figure price tag.

But despite all that insane performance ability, the ZR1 is also among the most civilized Corvettes yet built. It's a car that can be used as a regular commuter during the week, and for setting low lap times at any road course in the world on the weekends.

Even as the ZR1 was leaving production just as 2013 began, it was still winning comparison tests and burning down tires befitting the legend it had established. This is the fastest, most capable Corvette ever built.

2) 1990 Corvette ZR-1

Under the clamshell hood of the wide bodied ZR-1 an all new, DOHC, 32 valve, called the power of dream, Mercury Marine co developed with Lotus designed, LT5 V8 went high tech. Crack the throttle open on the LT5’s 4.0 in 4th gear at 70 mph and it would blow its skirts off and break traction on its massive 54mm P315/35ZR17 Goodyear Eagle GS-Cs with a blue gray swirl of rubber. It remains to this day the only Corvette factory car to use an engine that was not configured with overhead valves.

The final 1995 ZR-1 clocked by Motor Trend features a 405 hp LT5 and prompted a quarter mile time of 13.0 seconds, over 117 mph. Its 0-60 time? A mere 4.9 seconds. Where the LT5 really shone, however, was for midrange power—the ZR 1 jumped from 60 – 100 mph in just 4.8 seconds. In the early ’90s, those numbers were jaw dropping, and still are worthy of respect today.

Never diminishing the achievement by any means, the C5 and C6 Corvettes have since rolled past the ZR1’s performance, but it still stands as an excellent leap ahead.

1) 1963 Corvette Fuel-Injected Coupe

Fifty years after its introduction, the 1963 Corvette coupe is still one of the most breathtaking automotive designs ever. It is gorgeous and aggressive: razor sharp fender shapes, a somewhat tapered tail and a sharklike mouth. The most beautiful of the fixed roof Corvettes and the first, was this 'vette.

But unlike the original, solid rear axle C1, the difference isn't just the looks. All we had was all-independent, all new chassis with transverse leaf springs and immediately the Corvette was competitive with other sports cars around the world, as far as a car you'd drive and use daily up to its performance on the track. The Corvette was again competitive with Shelby's new Cobras, specifically.

In 1963, the best engine available in the Corvette was the highly developed 327–cubic inch small block V8 with 360 hp and Rochester mechanical fuel injection on top. Yet, while that year’s most powerful engine in the range, it was also easygoing and flexible. If the buyer wanted to wring all possible performance from that engine, he could add the Z06 option, a chassis stiffening, ratio tightening, suspension firming, drum brake enlarging, 36.5 gal. fuel tank, aluminum wheel and center knock off option.

The only 1963 Corvette coupe that was fitted with a split rear window, however, it was great in the way that it's the standard model for every following Corvette.