Are C4 prices still falling or rising yet?

[benchrgw]

It will be interesting to see whether the C4 values rise mostly as a group or whether the early C4s will begin to rise first as the later C4s continue to depreciate. Early C3s began to appreciate and later C3s are only beginning to catch up. There were more later C3s made and more early C4s made so the C4s have a better chance of appreciating as a group. I'd like my 96 to not go all the way down to around $5,000 like some 84s are today. For the C3s it seems collectors tended to mostly favor the older cars initially but the C4 may be different, the cars in the best condition with lowest miles will be more valuable. As for when to buy, now is a great time in my opinion to scoop up an 80s C4, so what if you paid $7,500 for the car and it drops another $1,000 before moving back up in a few years. Personally I'd like to see more early C4s restored, how often do you see a pristine 84 looking as clean as a perfectly restored 67?

Rapril - my guess is they'll tend to rise somewhat as a group - I've owned C2's and C3's - the best of the breed always did better but the others followed their coat tails. So just my opinion C4 will be led by ZR-1, Grand Sports and LT-4 convertible. then LT4 Coupes, then the LT1's finally winding down to the lowly Cross Fire 84 unless its a 2000 mile Museum piece. Most of the C4's are near their bottom as a Corvette in GOOD condition from any generation is seldon worth much less than $10,000.

 

[rapril]

I agree, a good clean corvette with reasonable mileage should not sell for less than $10,000, any year. The Lt1s I'm sure still have a ways to go before they bottom out. The ZR1s, LT4s, and earlier C4s should be turning around sooner. But I don't think most C4s will ever be a goldmine. There are very nice clean C3s out there now for less than $15,000. So in 20 years there will likely be very nice clean C4s available for less than $15,000. I'm not expecting a lot of future appreciation from my car, but its nice to at least know when the depreciation has leveled off and the car at least starts holding its value.

 

[douglas foster]

father & son

We all know, value is in the eye of the beholder. So why care, about C4 value?Drive and have fun!!! No auto has great value untill we want the few that are left, or the few that are built unique. Corvettes, always catch a persons attention, and interest,

thats enough value to me.

 

[benchrgw]

I agree, a good clean corvette with reasonable mileage should not sell for less than $10,000, any year. The Lt1s I'm sure still have a ways to go before they bottom out. The ZR1s, LT4s, and earlier C4s should be turning around sooner. But I don't think most C4s will ever be a goldmine. There are very nice clean C3s out there now for less than $15,000. So in 20 years there will likely be very nice clean C4s available for less than $15,000. I'm not expecting a lot of future appreciation from my car, but its nice to at least know when the depreciation has leveled off and the car at least starts holding its value.

It really takes a crystal ball to know 10+ years out - will we even still be buying gas or hydrogen fuel cell cars - who knows. Not sure that much of the C3 generation is a very good guide - after 71 performance really suffered, 80, 81 & 82 were nice looking cars but they got their tails kick by every Mustang GT so who wanted that. OK I'm giving away my age but I could of bought a '67 big block for $7500 and thought that was way too much money and it would never appreciate - duh. Rarity has always played a role so later (better) C-4's that were in fact produced in lower numbers than some of the early C4's likely will do the best as earlier mentioned.

 

[ROCKYQ]

Barrett Jackson 90 c4 sells for $52,250

HERE IS A "9O"C4 BEING SOLD ON BARRETT JACKSON FOR $52,250 BUT ONLY HAD 800 MILES .

Barrett Jackson

Checkered Flag Corvette Club

 

[Roadster Guy]

A ZR1 almost new can command that money it seems...

HERE IS A "92"C4 BEING SOLD ON BARRETT JACKSON FOR $52,250 BUT ONLY HAD 800 MILES .

Barrett Jackson

Checkered Flag Corvette Club

That would be a 1990 ZR1...............or am I missing something here..... :ugh
RG

 

[ROCKYQ]

That would be a 1990 ZR1...............or am I missing something here..... :ugh
RG

My mistake, I made the change.

Thanks

RockyQ

 

[kingman]

The price for the ZR1 is about right!

This vette was never intended to be driven but only shown. It would look good in a 10 car garage that needed a bay to be filled real cheap.

Keep in mind that a lot of the BJ winners are private people who collect with a lot of money. And then there are people who own dealerships that use the car as focal part of their showroom.

It's a cheap form of drawing in people and if it goes up in value all the better.

But besides that the C4 is only a hohum vette unless it's more then a reg LT1 or CE.

Only my opinion.

alan

 

[tls630]

I think that C-4'S will rise in price slowly. All of the C-3'S are going up now, you can't hardly touch a steel bumper. The C-2's have gotten so high that it a natural that the others will follow.The Europeans are into 84's, so as these get collected up I think the following years will do well. I have an 88 convertible wlth 12k that I was offered 29k for, I did not take it. What would I replace it with?JMHO.

 

[urleycay]

if C4's are going up and collectors are wanting them "then why ain't they selling" i have been following C4's (namely 93 40th ruby red coupes low milege cars) sales since last september and anyone with a nice low milege car CANNOT sell them, no one is meeting there reserve price. thats a fact ! they either have to lower there reserve or keep them. Its like the housing market its either a sellers market or buyers market and right now i see it as neither the nice cars are just not selling. i noticed something else, at the Barrett -Jackson plam beach auction that just ended it seemed like the high prices have stalled and the same cars that brought big bucks in January in Scottsdale are no longer bringing the same money. its frustrating to own a nice low milege car that you have taken care of only to have it not worth spit. Just my opinion.

 

[gmjunkie]

if C4's are going up and collectors are wanting them "then why ain't they selling" i have been following C4's (namely 93 40th ruby red coupes low milege cars) sales since last september and anyone with a nice low milege car CANNOT sell them, no one is meeting there reserve price. thats a fact ! they either have to lower there reserve or keep them. Its like the housing market its either a sellers market or buyers market and right now i see it as neither the nice cars are just not selling. i noticed something else, at the Barrett -Jackson plam beach auction that just ended it seemed like the high prices have stalled and the same cars that brought big bucks in January in Scottsdale are no longer bringing the same money. its frustrating to own a nice low milege car that you have taken care of only to have it not worth spit. Just my opinion.

I've not had any problem selling Nice Low Miles C-4's!!!!!I've had problems buying them!!!! One persons Nice and another persons Nice is 2 different Nice's!!! I've landed 5-6 on E-bay and went to pick them up and TURNED them Down because of MISS-Representation!!!!!!!I've tried E-bay,and it's a Joke!!!!
Barrett Jackson has RUINED the Old Car market every dude with a Old Car thinks it's worth $50.000,ah just a little paint, body and some interior work!!!
"You can Only throw 1 Elephant through the Qtr Panels"!!!!

 

[rch105]

I seem to recall the Lionel train craze a few years back...seems every person who owned a Lionel train thought theirs was worth big bucks. Some did and do command high prices but surprisingly, a lot were so massed produced, they just weren't up there. But try to tell someone that!

 

[djh610]

This sure is a lively subject...
Must be because it addresses two out of three of men's passions: cars, money, but unfortunately not the other.

Like anything of value, the marketplace will always determine prices whether it's houses, cars, collectibles. Condition of the product rules.
Look on any Corvette-for-sale website and you get a good picture.
You'll see cars from folks who just think their cars are worth more than they really are. Then there are cars that are in excellent shape with low mileage, that command a good price and will get it. There's everything in between.

As far as future prices? Who ever thought C2's would get 100K?
Who wants to buy a C4 and park it for 20 years?
Buy it to enjoy it now....
We don't know how much time we have here........
DH

I seem to recall the Lionel train craze a few years back...seems every person who owned a Lionel train thought theirs was worth big bucks. Some did and do command high prices but surprisingly, a lot were so massed produced, they just weren't up there. But try to tell someone that!

 

[B17Crew]

I still think a well cared for, OEM C4 Corvette will fare well in the far future. These are automobiles that have an established reputation for being something other than just a car. These aren’t your everyday, run of the mill vehicles. They’re a reward for hardwork, they’re many peoples ongoing dream. Who goes out and buys a Toyota to pat one’s self on the back?

If you look at C3’s even the high volume ’79’s are listing at decent prices (I’m referring to OEM good condition cars only).

There’s too large of a fan base for these cars to ever turn into has beens. One of the mainstays of the Corvette hobby is restoration. I think one day, you will eventually see enthusiast who are just being born, (or, who aren’t even born yet for that matter) restoring what we nonchalantly pass-off as a common car. Some model year C4’s will fare better than others, just as previous generation Corvette’s are doing now.

Will we make a bundle on our C4’s? A select few will, but that will be far, far, far in the future, and you can bet it will be the GS, red interior, vert owner with 52 miles showing on the odo.

B17Crew

 

[B17Crew]

Hey... I forgot, C4 prices should be rising... it’s springtime!

B17Crew

 

[rch105]

And don't forget, there are some of us that just like to own and drive Corvettes, regardless of the year or the value. I had to laugh when my 28 year old son bought a new "left-over" 2003 Cobra SVT in 2004 and just couldn't wait to "run one off" with me. All I heard for weeks was how it accelerated, stopped, and cornered. Then I asked what he paid for it, what automotive advancements took place since 1987, and where was this car in 1987! I then showed him the window sticker which showed the original owner's MSRP was a few dollars short of $32K...then said, Let's compare your Cobra to a new Corvette." Of course, he said that wasn't fair because he has a '03. It took a little bit but he finally got it! In closing, I can say I'm getting my money's worth...it turns heads and my wife and I get comments and questions all the time, like the one young lady (I'd guess her to be mid 20's) who said what do you have to do to get one of those...my response, "Don't do like me and wait, cause I missed out on a lot more fun...get one as soon as you can!"

 

[milehigreg]

Don't Care! Ain't Sellin'!

I Love My Vette! It is a reward for hard work. I waited for years. When my kids were younger I bought a 1970 Malibu convertible. It was a compromise from a Vette because it would hold all five of us. I wrenched on that thing for ten years and then two Decembers ago discoverd that C4s were very affordable. Within a couple of weeks I found mine and then sold the Mailbu for enough to pay for the Vette and a laundry room remodel project! I couldn't be happier. I got more thumbs up and " Nice Car" comments in the Mailbu but there is no comparison between the driving experience. I sold the Malibu for about what I had put into it over the years, not counting all my hours of labor. I have less in the Vette and enjoy it much more. It is funny to talk to others with more modern cars. "My turbo charged Volvo will out run your Vette" My ricer ( pick a brand) is faster than a Vette. I just smile and think, yeah maybe in a straight line for 3 timres the money!

 

[Greg Gore]

Jealous envy! They are missing out on the: and the

plus Volvos and Ricers are just not

. Corvettes are though and they know it!

 

[nelson84]

C4 vettes are so well made, there will always be alot of them. They don't rust, have fairly simple engines compared to European crap. And they are easy to work on and have alot of parts available. The only way for them to really jump in value if more start to be sold for parts or smashed up or some gov't to say they are unsafe and crush them(hopefully not in the US or Canada).

You should all enjoy the low prices and buy them up and hold on to them.

10 years you will double you money.

 

[tls630]

Nelson I agree with you hold onto them. I do not agree with you on the parts availability part though. There are a lot of parts that are no longer available, and some of the more expensive parts will never be repoped.You can get a lot of the parts used right now but what about 5 or 10 years down the road?The C-3'S are going up very fast right now. The C-4'S will be next.