We just love “firsts & lasts” of any important performance car. Why? Because there are only ever two – the first and the last ones to roll off the assembly line.
Dateline: 7.22.17 – The First C1 and C2 Corvettes are not known, however, the Last C1, a black 1962 model sold for $150,000 at the 2014 Mecum Seattle Auction. We covered the Last Sting Ray, HERE. But today, we honor the “Last C5 Corvette”, which if you are looking to add an important Corvette to your stable of Vettes, just happens to be For Sale at BuyAVette.net! More about where you can pick up this piece of unique Corvette history for only, $1,000,000. (Karen, call the Credit Union!)
But for now, lets step into the CorvetteReport.com Time Machine and dial it back 13 years to 2004. To celebrate the success of the C5-R Corvettes winning Le Mans in ’01, ’02 and ‘03, Chevrolet dished up the 2004 Commemorative Edition option. This was an intense option to put into the production schedule because it was an open option on all three models of 2004 Corvettes – coupes, convertibles, and Z06s. On top of that, plant managers knew that as soon as the Last C5 was rolling through its journey of assembly, the production line was disassembled.
“Special Edition” Corvettes are always a tedious enterprise because all of the unique parts of a package have to be on hand. For Limited Edition Corvettes, at least it is known ahead of time that X-number of parts will be needed. However, with “open production” Special Edition Corvettes, the marketplace determines how much resources will be needed. From a sourcing and production position, it is a difficult task. To complicate things even more, the 2004 Commemorative Edition Corvette was available on all three model Corvettes; coupes, convertibles, and the Z06.
At the close of 2004 a total of 6,899 Commemorative Editions were built. The grand total for 2004 production was 34,064, and the 2004 Commemorative Edition Coupe featured here was “The Last C4”. From 1999 to 2004 Chevrolet sold 33,270-plus Corvettes every year, with 2002 the best year with 35,767 units sold and 35,469 in 2003. Pretty good considering the car had been around relatively unchanged since 1997! And from 1997 to 2004 Chevrolet sold a total of 248,715 Corvettes.
The unique Le Mans Blue paint was only available on the Commemorative Edition Corvettes. The interior was Shale Gray and was equipped with a 4-speed automatic transmission, full power accessories, air conditioning, a Delco-Bose sound system and exterior special emblems and interior embroidery on the seats, emblems on the wheel center caps, and polished 5-spoke wheels. Considering that the car originally cost around $50,000 new, it was well sold and bought for $??,???
Related to the Last C5 is the Last C5 Corvette Convertible that was sold in January 2009 to Bob McDorman for only $32,500. But unlike the “Last C5” this car was a driver and had 2,600 miles on the odometer.
In 2013 the car surfaced at the Mecum 2013 Kissimmee auction and was very Well Bought for just $50,000. That was an astonishing sale considering that this one-of-a-kind unique nine-year-old Commemorative Edition Corvette sold for as much as it cost new!
Four years later, BuyAVette.net has the Last C5 For Sale for only $1,000,000! The car has never been registered and the odometer shows just 29 miles! I’m surprised the car even has that many miles. BuyAVette.net in Atlanta, Georgia typically only has well enjoyed, cream puff Vettes. With the asking price set at a million dollars, it’ll be interesting to see how long BuyAVette.com has the car and if at some time in the near future the Last C5 will make its way to one of the top auction houses, if it isn’t sold by BuyAVette.net. We’ll see. – Scott
Here’s the 2013 Kissimmee Auction info for The Last C5… https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0113-142846/2004-chevrolet-corvette-coupe/
Here’s the 2009 Kissimmee Auction info for the Last C5 Convertible… https://www.mecum.com/lots/FL0109-77233/2004-chevrolet-corvette-convertible/
