More than a quarter-century after General Motors reset the performance playbook, the fifth-generation Corvette stands as a turning point that still echoes through today’s market. When the C5 arrived, it wasn’t a simple evolution—it was a clean-sheet rethink that blended a state-of-the-art hydroformed frame with the rev-happy LS1, instantly raising expectations for what an American sports car could deliver. Fast-forward over 25 years, and that same formula—innovation paired with accessibility—has become the lens through which today’s C5 market is best understood.
A Generation That Redefined The Corvette Formula
Built over an eight-year run, total C5 production reached 248,715 units, a volume that ensured availability while never diluting the car’s significance. The platform’s rigid hydroformed chassis and smooth, eager LS1 powerplant didn’t just modernize the Corvette; they created a performance baseline that competitors were forced to chase. That engineering foresight is exactly why the C5 remains such fertile ground for enthusiasts and collectors alike, especially as nostalgia and performance value intersect.
Bring a Trailer: Where The 2025 Market Story Unfolds
For this exclusive CorvSport market feature, we turned to the largest online marketplace for collector and enthusiast vehicles: Bring a Trailer. In 2025 alone, the platform hosted 49,486 total listings and successfully sold 40,465 of them—an impressive 81.8% sell-through rate—totaling a staggering $1.713 billion in sales. Compared with 2024, those figures represent a 12.9% increase in total auctions, a 16.2% jump in sold listings, a 3.5% improvement in sell-through rate, and a 14.3% surge in total sales dollars, underscoring just how strong and liquid the collector market was on BaT.
Bang For The Buck—Still The C5 Calling Card
Were there deals to be had in 2025? Absolutely—and that’s where the C5 continues to shine. After combing through hundreds of closed listings, the data confirms the long-held belief: the C5 Corvette remains “bang for the buck” on steroids. While a handful of standout cars pushed firmly into budget-buster territory, there were just as many compelling examples that delivered serious performance value without punishing enthusiast wallets. That duality—accessible entry points alongside eye-opening highs—defined the year.
Budget Busters, Bargains, And A Seller Surprise
Our deep dive revealed five headline-grabbing budget busters and five genuine bargains, all drawn from stock-only examples to keep the analysis pure. Perhaps the biggest surprise wasn’t just the prices achieved, but who was doing the selling. The balance between private-party sellers and dealers leaned in an unexpected direction, highlighting how grassroots enthusiasm continues to fuel the C5 market rather than purely retail-driven momentum. Twenty-five years on, the C5 Corvette isn’t just telling a performance story—it’s telling a market story, and in 2025, it spoke louder than ever.
The Top C5 BaT Bargains From 2025
5 — 2000 C5 Coupe
Hammer Price: $13,000 (No-Reserve)
“This 2000 Chevrolet Corvette coupe was first delivered to Don Hattan Chevrolet in Wichita, Kansas, and it was purchased new by a member of the seller’s family. The car is finished in Light Pewter Metallic over black leather and is powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 paired with a four-speed automatic gearbox. Equipment includes a limited-slip differential, 17″ and 18″ five-spoke magnesium alloy wheels, continuously variable adaptive dampers, removable roof panels, power-adjustable seats, a head-up display, dual-zone automatic climate control, a CD stereo, a remote CD changer, a Bose sound system, and cruise control. This C5 coupe has 65k miles and is now offered at no reserve with a window sticker, the owner’s manual, service records, spare parts, a car cover, a front-end cover, an award, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Kansas title in the seller’s name.”
Date Sold: 7/18/2025
Offered By: Private Party
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 7,089
- Watchers: 534
- Bids: 16
- Comments: 19
4 — 1999 C5 Convertible
Hammer Price: $12,912 (No-Reserve)
“This 1999 Chevrolet Corvette convertible is finished in Torch Red with a Light Oak convertible soft top over Light Oak leather and powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 linked to a four-speed automatic gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Equipment includes pop-up headlights, 17″ and 18″ polished five-spoke wheels, power-adjustable seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, a head-up display, a CD stereo, and a Bose sound system. The car remained registered to the previous owner for nearly two decades and has 80k miles after the selling dealer’s 2025 acquisition. This C5 convertible is offered at no reserve with a clean Carfax report and a clean Colorado title.”
Date Sold: 8/23/2025
Offered By: Dealer
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 8,705
- Watchers: 654
- Bids: 28
- Comments: 16
3 — 2004 C5 Convertible Commemorative Edition
Hammer Price: $12,850
“This 2004 Chevrolet Corvette convertible is one of 2,659 “24 Hours of Le Mans” Commemorative Edition convertibles produced from the 2004 model year, and it was purchased in 2024 by the seller as a gift to their wife for their 44th wedding anniversary. Indicating 26k miles, the car has spent a total of 20 years registered in Florida, and it is powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 paired with a four-speed automatic gearbox. Finished in Le Mans Blue Metallic over Shale leather, equipment includes a limited-slip differential, a Shale convertible soft top, 17″ and 18″ polished five-spoke wheels, continuously variable adaptive dampers, power-adjustable seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a Bose sound system. This C5 convertible is now offered with a 2025 Florida DMV inspection report, recent parts invoices, and a Florida title in the seller’s name.”
Date Sold: 8/22/2025
Offered By: Private Party
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 6,917
- Watchers: 556
- Bids: 37
- Comments: 70
2 — 1999 C5 Convertible 6-Speed
Hammer Price: $12,250 (No-Reserve)
“This 1999 Chevrolet Corvette convertible has spent a total of 21 years registered in California, and it is powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 paired with a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. The car is finished in Sebring Silver Metallic over Light Oak leather, and equipment includes a black convertible soft top, aftermarket exhaust outlets, Active Handling, 17″ and 18″ polished five-spoke wheels, power-adjustable seats, a head-up display, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a Bose sound system. This C5 convertible has 83k miles and is now offered by the selling dealer at no reserve with a clean Carfax report and a clean California title.”
Date Sold: 11/17/2025
Offered By: Dealer
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 5,239
- Watchers: 508
- Bids: 7
- Comments: 15
1 — 1999 C5 Coupe
Hammer Price: $8,000
“This 1999 Chevrolet Corvette coupe is finished in Sebring Silver Metallic over Light Oak leather and is powered by a 5.7-liter LS1 V8 paired with a four-speed automatic gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Equipment includes a removable glass roof panel and black-finished 18″ and 19″ multi-spoke wheels, while further details include power-adjustable seats, an aftermarket head unit, a Bose sound system, air conditioning, and cruise control. This C5 coupe has 136k miles and is now offered on dealer consignment with the owner’s manual, a clean Carfax report, and a clean North Carolina title.”
Date Sold: 10/13/2025
Offered By: Dealer
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 6,183
- Watchers: 389
- Bids: 36
- Comments: 14
The Top C5 BaT Budget Busters From 2025
5 — 2004 C5 Z06 Commemorative Edition
Hammer Price: $40,000
“This 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was purchased by the seller in 2010, and it has 3,600 miles. The car is one of 2,025 Commemorative Edition models produced to celebrate the C5-R’s class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It is powered by a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 linked to a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential and is finished in Le Mans Blue over black leather. Equipment includes Commemorative Edition-specific polished lightweight wheels, a carbon-fiber hood, racing stripes, and a titanium exhaust system as well as dual-zone climate control, cruise control, a head-up display, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a Bose sound system, and a CD stereo. This C5 Z06 is now offered with manufacturer’s literature, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Washington title in the seller’s name.”
Date Sold: 5/6/2025
Offered By: Private Party
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 6,711
- Watchers: 699
- Bids: 24
- Comments: 27
4 — 2001 C5 Z06
Hammer Price: $41,500 (No-Reserve)
“This 2001 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 was purchased new by the seller’s brother in Utah and placed in storage until the seller acquired it in 2021, and it now shows 49 miles. The Black-over-Black coupe is powered by a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 linked to a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Equipment includes the Memory Package, pop-up headlights, 17″ and 18″ wheels, cruise control, a Bose sound system, and a power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory settings. This C5 Z06 is now offered at no reserve with a window sticker, the owner’s manual, accessories, an accident-free Carfax report, and a clean Utah title in the seller’s name.”
Date Sold: 11/25/2025
Offered By: Private Party
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 7,363
- Watchers: 786
- Bids: 9
- Comments: 58
3 — 2004 C5 Z06 Commemorative Edition
Hammer Price: $42,000
“This 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is one of 2,025 Commemorative Edition models produced to celebrate the C5-R’s class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and it was purchased new by the seller. Indicating 1,400 miles, the car is powered by a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 linked to a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential, and it is finished in Le Mans Blue over black leather. Equipment includes Commemorative Edition-specific polished lightweight wheels, a carbon-fiber hood, racing stripes, and a titanium exhaust system as well as the Memory Package, heated side mirrors, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, a head-up display, a Bose sound system, and dual-zone automatic climate control. This C5 Z06 is now offered with a window sticker, the owner’s manual, accessories, a car cover, a damage-free Carfax report, and a clean New York title in the seller’s name.”
Date Sold: 11/3/2025
Offered By: Private Party
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 9,555
- Watchers: 960
- Bids: 19
- Comments: 45
2 — 2004 C5 Z06 Commemorative Edition
Hammer Price: $43,500
“This 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is one of 2,025 Commemorative Edition models produced to celebrate the C5-R’s class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It was sold new at Atzenhoffer Chevrolet Cadillac in Victoria, Texas, and was purchased by the seller in 2015, who has added fewer than 1k of the under 7k indicated miles. Finished in Le Mans Blue over Black leather, the coupe is powered by a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 linked to a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Edition-specific features include polished 17″ and 18″ lightweight wheels, a carbon-fiber hood, racing stripes, and a titanium exhaust system. Other features comprise pop-up headlights, a head-up display, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a Bose sound system. This C5 Z06 is now offered with the owner’s manual, an information card, two keys, a clean Carfax report, and a Texas title in the seller’s name.”
Date Sold: 7/30/2025
Offered By: Private Party
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 5,108
- Watchers: 630
- Bids: 8
- Comments: 26
1 — 2004 C5 Z06 Commemorative Edition
Hammer Price: $44,500
“This 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is one of 2,025 Commemorative Edition models produced to celebrate the C5-R’s class victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and it has 12k miles. The car is powered by a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 linked to a six-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential, and it is finished in Le Mans Blue over black leather. Equipment includes Commemorative Edition-specific polished lightweight wheels, a carbon-fiber hood, racing stripes, and a titanium exhaust system as well as pop-up headlights, a Hurst shifter, a Kenwood touchscreen head unit, dual-zone climate control, a head-up display, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and a Bose sound system. Purchased by the seller in 2025, this C5 Z06 is now offered with a window sticker, manufacturer’s literature, a 2024 service record, a model car, a clean Carfax report, and a clean Idaho title in the seller’s name.”
Date Sold: 7/23/2025
Offered By: Private Party
The BaT Community Reaction:
- Views: 10,159
- Watchers: 874
- Bids: 47
- Comments: 74
In an unusual twist, 7 of our 10 C5s were sold by private party, including all of the budget busters. Did you see that happening? As the Z06 ruled the day, were there any 2025 C5 sales that took you by surprise? Let’s make 2026 our best year yet and join the CorvSport movement!
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