Just days ago, one of the many online publications for the masses had a piece explaining why the fifth-generation Z06 is expected to go up in value in 2024. Usually, these articles tend to lean on the click-bait side, but since CorvSport has been following the C5 Z06 market closely since last year, I wanted to compare notes. They had some good observations that coincided with my experience, like lower mileage examples trickling into the market (likely from collections/storage), and the one-year-only 2004 Commemorative Edition Z06’s propensity to land as a true collectible.

They also fancied the C5 Z06 as much as I do, calling it the “greatest C5 Corvette ever built.” What’s not to love, right? With the robust former king-of-the-hill 405 hp V8 required to propel just 3,118 lbs, it was the second-lightest Corvette ever, with the C6 Z06 only slightly lighter at 3,073 pounds. Perhaps the most enlightening part of the feature was how the C5 Z06 faired on Hagerty’s Bull Market List, which takes an “annual deep dive into the collector cars climbing the value ranks.” Not only did the C5 Z06 make the 2023 list, but at the end of the year Bull Market List report card, the Z06 placed second (out of 11) for the best-annualized return, with 12%.

With all this talk about what the C5 Z06 market will do this year, I thought it would be interesting to show the top 10 Bring a Trailer sales from 2023. I chose Bring a Trailer because they tend to get the nicest lowest-mileage examples, and have knowledgeable savvy buyers who aren’t as persuaded by the big lights (and liquor) associated with auctions like Barrett-Jackson. For this Top 10, we did not include highly modified Z06s (supercharged, turbocharged, track-specific, custom, etc.)

Top 10 BaT C5 Z06 2023 Sales

#10

#9

#8

#7

#6

#5

#4

#3

#2

#1

So, what trend do you see with the C5 Z06? Are you like me and remember when you could get a fairly low-mileage C5 Z06 for the mid-$20,000 range? Let me know on our Facebook page what your thoughts are. It’s the place to be for Corvette enthusiasts, so come join the hottest and fastest-growing Corvette Community on Facebook, with over 48,000 new CorvSport followers since January of 2023! Click here to become one of CorvSport’s 167,000 followers, and to engage other hardcore Corvette enthusiasts. See you around, Douglas B.

I’m still kicking myself for passing on this 2002 Z06 with 9,000 miles for $26,500 in 2020.