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Douglas Barton·
Anniversary Edition
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The State Of The Market: Anniversary Edition Corvettes In 2024 [Part Two]

In part two, CorvSport takes a closer look at the 40th and 50th Anniversary Editions, and their market journeys over the years

The 1993 40th Anniversary Edition Corvette. Photo Credit: Bring a Trailer

Welcome back, CorvSport readers, to another special feature covering our beloved Corvette. In part one of “The State of the Market,” we examined the market for the very first Anniversary Edition, the 1978 Silver Anniversary Coupe, and the 1988 35th Anniversary Edition Coupe. It was an interesting snapshot of the market since 2015. If you missed it or need a refresher, click here. Just how special are the Anniversary Edition Corvettes? As the Corvette brand pivoted from uncertainty to America’s Sports Car, our founder and contributor Scott Kolecki summed up these Anniversary Edition Corvettes best when he wrote:

“Although there was a lot of uncertainty about the Corvette’s long-term viability in its early days, the public’s perception of the brand had changed radically by the late 1970s.  The Corvette, which was now commonly referred to as “America’s Sports Car,” had gained traction with consumers across North America.  It had become known as the car driven by astronauts, celebrities, and people of influence.  It had appeared in movies, television programs, and in the lyrics of dozens of songs.  Simply – but accurately – put, the Corvette was now synonymous with American culture, and it was a car that countless millions, both young and old, aspired to own.  Recognizing Corvette’s success in the marketplace, it was decided that Chevrolet would begin introducing special “Anniversary Editions”  of the Corvette, starting in 1978 – the year the brand celebrated its 25th (silver) anniversary.” Read More Here

A Quick Review of Our Methodology

Trying to determine a Corvette’s value can be challenging, and it’s definitely not an exact science. Of course, the armchair experts on social media will have you think otherwise, as not one day goes by when a group of enthusiasts doesn’t chime in that an asking price is too high (this was especially prevalent when Corvette prices began to escalate exponentially heading into 2020).

But, at the end of the day, “comps” (i.e., previous sales) are the best measure of the market value at any given time, so we will use the top auction platforms to gather our market snapshots–Mecum, Barrett-Jackson, and Bring a Trailer. While not all of these auctions will be used for each Anniversary Edition, we will select the platform that is most representative of each period in history (and eliminate pricing anomalies). We also strived to select examples from each time period that were close in condition, miles, and provenance.

Let’s jump into part two of CorvSport’s special Anniversary Edition market analysis!

1) The 1993 40th Anniversary Edition Corvette

The 1993 40th Anniversary Edition Corvette. Photo Credit: Bring a Trailer

Introduction

“By 1993, the Chevrolet Corvette had become one of the oldest marques in automotive history.  It had also become the longest, continually produced passenger vehicle at General Motors.  On the event of the Corvette’s 40th anniversary, the team at Corvette celebrated a momentous occasion: production of the 1,000,000th Corvette, which rolled off the Bowling Green Plant’s assembly line on July 2, 1992.  It was on this date that Chevrolet both commemorated the brand’s significant milestone and announced the arrival of a 40th Anniversary Corvette for the 1993 model year.

The 1993 Corvette’s 40th Anniversary package was offered on all variants of the car that year including the coupe, convertible and ZR-1 models.  Each “40th Anniversary Edition” featured an exclusive interior and exterior finished in the same Ruby Red coloring.  Special commemorative badging was also created that featured the fourth-generation Corvette crossed flags as the “ZERO” in the number “40.”  These badges were installed on the car’s front fenders above the vents (behind the front wheels), and were also embroidered into the driver and passenger seat headrests.  The car’s wheels each received a special center insert that featured the C4 crossed-flags emblem with a Ruby Red field behind it.” Read More Here

1993 40th Anniversary Edition Market Values Over The Years

A) This Year:

B) Quadruple 2024 Snapshot from Bring a Trailer:

C) The Top Three All-Time Sales From Mecum:

D) 2020, As The Craziness Began:

E) Five+ Years Ago:

1993 40th Anniversary Edition Market Trend Summary

  • [7/09/2024] $17,000
  • [6/23/2024] $13,500
  • [6/16/2024] $10,250
  • [6/08/2024] $19,800
  • [5/16/2023] $20,900
  • [1/04/2023] $22,000
  • [1/15/2022] $35,200
  • [1/04/2020] $19,250
  • [3/25/2017] $15,400

2) The 2003 50th Anniversary Edition Corvette

A duo of beautiful 2003 Anniversary Edition Corvettes

Introduction

“Another decade – another milestone anniversary edition Corvette.  However, the 2003 model year was especially significant as it marked the 50th year of the Corvette’s production at Chevrolet.  To commemorate a half-century of manufacturing, every Corvette built in 2003 was adorned with special “50th Anniversary” badging – a unique “50” badge on each of the front fenders above the bodyside coves, and a special crossed flags badge on the nose and rear fascia that included “50 Anniversary” badging in the oval surrounding the crossed flags. 

A special “50th Anniversary Edition” package (RPO ISC) was also offered to consumers on the coupe and convertible models.  When so equipped, these cars came finished in a special 50th Anniversary Red exterior paint with an exclusive Shale interior that included specially embroidered seats and 50th Anniversary logoed floor mats.  Champaign-painted five-spoke wheels with special center caps were also included as part of the package.  Likewise, convertibles also received a Shale-colored soft top.  The 50th Anniversary package set consumers back $48,895 for a coupe and $55,370 for a convertible.” Read More Here

2003 50th Anniversary Edition Market Values Over The Years

A) This Year:

B) Quadruple 2024 Snapshot from Bring a Trailer:

C) The Top Three All-Time Sales From Mecum:

D) 2020, As The Craziness Began:

E) Five+ Years Ago:

2003 50th Anniversary Edition Market Trend Summary

  • [8/16/2024] $30,800
  • [2/17/2024] $23,000
  • [2/01/2024] $23,750
  • [1/25/2024] $20,500
  • [1/10/2024] $29,500
  • [1/16/2022] $39,600
  • [1/14/2022] $44,000
  • [1/06/2022] $44,000
  • [9/01/2020] $23,000
  • [10/07/2016] $25,000

As always, thanks for joining CorvSport on another trip down Anniversary Lane. Did any of the market trends surprise you? Be sure to tune in next week for part three, where we look at the 60th and 70th Anniversary Editions.

Wait no longer!

If you want to keep up to date with all the fresh Corvette news and maintain a pulse on the lifestyle and culture of this exciting, iconic brand, CorvSport has the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 171,000 followers (52,000 since January 2023!). Come join other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello, Douglas B.

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