There’s a dynamic I’ve experienced bidding on thousands of vehicles as a used car dealer. Over the countless auctions I’ve attended during my 17 years as a dealer, I’ve seen it happen more times than I can count. If you mix in ego with a no-reserve auction, prices can get messy. The inner conversation goes something like: “This Corvette will be mine! You are not going to get it!” In simple terms, no-reserve auctions can produce an ego-fueled frenzy of bidding. And you’ll see this dynamic exemplified when we dive into our 200,000-mile Corvette, recently offered at no-reserve on the popular (but pricey) Bring a Trailer auction platform. But first, let’s talk a bit about the Fixed Roof Coupe, as the review may give you a better idea of why the sales price ended up where it did.
What makes the FRC so special? Off the top of my head (I’ve owned three), the FRC is often referred to as the “precursor” to the C5 Z06, which debuted in 2001. With only 6,121 units produced over two model years (1999 and 2000), the FRC is the rarest of all fifth-generation Corvettes. Ironically, the FRC was originally intended to be a “stripped bargain Vette” and was offered with limited options (at one point, a lower horsepower engine was even considered). However, what it did get was remarkable for the entry price (1999s started at $38,320). The LS1, in concert with the 6-speed manual-only transmission, lighter hard-top body, and standard Z51 Performance Handling Package, made for a spectacular Corvette.
This makes the FRC more “collectible” and desirable, so they will typically bring more money. But, at the end of the day, 200,000 miles is 200,000 miles. Now, I’ll proudly proclaim that these C5s are well-engineered, and the LS1 is nearly indestructible. If you truly want to be inspired to buy a higher-mileage C5, click here for a lengthy Corvette Forum discussion, where members share their high-mileage C5 Corvettes, some with well over 200,000 miles (with a handful over 300,000).
Now, let’s take a quick look at this 2000 FRC with 200,000 miles. Then, I’ll show you two recent high-mileage sales from eBay, and after that, we’ll have a big reveal on the hammer price for this black beauty (with more pictures!).
High-Mileage eBay Example #1
- 1999 C5 Convertible
- 161,400 Miles
- Transmission: Manual
- Title Status: Clean
- Sold For: Less than $7,500
- Sold On: 4/28/2024
- Link to Listing
High-Mileage eBay Example #2
- 1998 C5 Convertible
- 182,300 Miles
- Transmission: Automatic
- Title Status: Clean
- Sold For: Less than $12,500
- Sold On: 4/04/2024
- Link to Listing
Well, tell us already! How much did this 200,000-mile FRC sell for?
$13,250!
Does this sound like a good deal? Keep in mind that BaT adds a 5% buyer’s fee of $662.50, and shipping/acquisition charges will likely hit $500, so now we are talking about an out-the-door price of $14,413.
Just how much of a frenzy surrounded this listing?
Bring a Trailer Auction Snapshot:
- 8,178 Views!
- 774 Watchers!
- 56 Comments!
- 35 Bids (higher than usual)
- Link to full BaT listing
That’s my comment about the insanity. Should I hit submit?!? These two posts below are a perfect, concise illustration of what a few thousand more could get an enthusiast. And Jcarbone’s sentiment that this was well-bought echoes many I’ve seen.
In closing, here are a few more pictures of this black beauty. Was this well bought? What C5 would you get with a $15,000 budget? I invite you to join us on Facebook, where we have lively discussions with other Corvette nuts. 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 173,000 followers (54,000 since January 2023!). Come join other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello, Douglas B.
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