1996 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition Guide
Chevrolet knows their clientele, and with the 1996 Corvette Collector’s Edition LT4, the automaker put together a special package that would entice hard-core ‘Vette fans with a unique tribute to the outgoing C4 model. The $1250 option brought unique Sebring Silver Metallic paint, 5-spoke wheels, and, of course, special badges and embroidery that left no secret about what it was. 5412 Corvette fans ultimately stepped up to the plate and took one home, making it a unique, low-production commemorative Corvette with a fantastic, timeless look. With a powerful 350 LT4 V8 engine, a quick-shifting 6-speed manual gearbox, and only 50K actual miles on the clock, this low-mileage sports coupe is a heck of a find – all for the price of a used Honda.
The Collector’s Edition received the upgraded LT4 powerplant available in the Grand Sport, and with 330 horsepower on tap, performance is explosive. Paired with the slick-shifting ZF 6-speed manual transmission (which was the only transmission available with the LT4), it remains a superlative highway cruiser and slices through rush-hour traffic like a scalpel. It’s also notoriously easy to modify, so finding one that hasn’t been hopped up (and by association, raced or abused) can be a challenge. GM engineers went the extra mile to make the LT4 look pretty under that big clamshell hood, with the red intake manifold setting the LT4 apart from the garden-variety LT1. T
