• imagine yourself in a bright teal v-8 convertible for less than the cost of a hyundai accent. this 1992 c4 corvette has about 25,000 miles.
• the car is up for auction on bring a trailer, and bidding is at only $9600 with five days to go.
• the auction ends monday, march 28.
in a time when used cars list for unacceptably high prices, sellers keep a straight face and ask 20 grand for a '91 buick century. today we're pouring bright aqua metallic on this runaway fire with the best car general motors made in 1992—and to be honest, in most any year since 1953: the corvette. just in time for warmer rays, this c4 florida special could be your tan-roofed, cassette-playing ticket to summer fun.
we've picked other c4 corvettes on bring a trailer (which, like car and driver, is part of hearst autos) that went for big money. a 1990 zr-1 sold for $45,500 in february, while last may, the record-speed 1988 callaway sledgehammer topped a half-million. this base convertible with 25,000 miles might not even touch the century's list price, and yet it's proof that gm knew how to build a world-class car while it peddled throwaway sedans.
the fourth-generation corvette, like the mako shark c3 before it, spanned a long life. first introduced for 1984 and tidied up for 1991, the c4 departed after the 1996 model year. the 1992 model year was memorable for two reasons. it marked the one-millionth corvette built and introduced the lt1 v8, which had the same 5.7-liter displacement but could finally breathe since the smog-choking '80s were over. with 300 hp, 330 pound-feet of torque, and a six-speed manual transmission, this car's $40,145 base price in 1992 equates to a loaded-up c8 in today's money.
it was first purchased in florida, and the first owner must have really used the luggage rack; it's missing a trim piece. since then, this vette had sojourns in texas, north carolina, virginia, west virginia, illinois, and now new jersey, where it's sitting with what appears to be a mildly worn beige leather interior and the c4's signature 17-inch dish wheels. the bright aqua paint isn't retro now that loud colors have made a triumphant return on high-end sports cars. just look at the belize blue on a mclaren 720s spider and tell us it's not inspired by this droptop c4. fiberglass, carbon fiber—does it matter when the sun's out and the top comes off?
according to corvsport, just 5875 convertibles left the bowling green plant for the 1992 model year. hagerty values this car at $9500 in good condition and more than $20,000 in excellent condition. this corvette may not be the last word among the c4 generation, but at this point, we dare you to find another desirable used sports car that's selling for such little money.