CORVETTE MODELS
Corvette Generations:
C1 to C8, 1953 to Today
Eight generations in seventy-three years, from the 150-horsepower Blue Flame six of 1953 to the 1,250-horsepower ZR1X. This page explains what each generation is, when it was built, what made it different and what it costs, and sends you deeper: every generation has its own research hub, and every model year its own page. Start here if you are new to the Corvette; use the Quick Nav if you know which one you want.
Quick Nav: At a Glance · The Hubs · Every Year · C1 · C2 · C3 · C4 · C5 · C6 · C7 · C8 · Featured · Timeline · Tell Them Apart · The Names · The Engines · Head to Head · Which to Buy · Prices Then & Now · Values · Production · Racing · FAQs
The Basics
The Generations: C1 (1953–1962) · C2 (1963–1967) · C3 (1968–1982) · C4 (1984–1996) · C5 (1997–2004) · C6 (2005–2013) · C7 (2014–2019) · C8 (2020–present)
Model Years: 1953 to the present, every year except 1983; the 2027 is the seventy-third model year
Total Built: About 1.96 million through 2026: 69,015 C1, 117,964 C2, 542,861 C3, 358,180 C4, 248,715 C5, 215,123 C6, 189,507 C7 and about 220,000 C8 so far; the 1,000,000th was a 1992, the 1,500,000th a 2009
Layout: Front-engine, rear-wheel drive with a transverse leaf spring from 1953 to 2019 (rear transaxle from 1997); mid-engine with coil springs from 2020, all-wheel-drive hybrids from 2024
Engines: Blue Flame six (1953–55); small-block V-8 from 1955 (265, 283, 327, 350, LT1, LS1 to LS9, LT1 to LT7, LS6 6.7 L); big blocks 1965–74 (396, 427, 454); the DOHC LT5 (1990–95), LT6 and LT7 (2023–); hybrids from 2024
Horsepower: 150 (1953) to 1,250 (2026 ZR1X); the first 300-hp car was the 1962 327, the first 400 the 2005 LS2, the first 1,000 the 2025 ZR1
Built At: Flint, Michigan (1953); St. Louis, Missouri (1954–1981); Bowling Green, Kentucky (June 1981 to today)
Chief Engineers: Zora Arkus-Duntov (to 1975), Dave McLellan (1975–92), Dave Hill (1992–2006), Tom Wallace (2006–08), Tadge Juechter (2008–24), Josh Holder (2024–)
The Names: Sting Ray (C2, two words), Stingray (1969–76 and 2014–), Z06 (1963, 2001–), Grand Sport (1963, 1996, 2010–13, 2017–19, 2027), ZR1 (1970–72, 1990–95, 2009–13, 2019, 2025–), L88, LT-1, LS1, E-Ray, ZR1X
The Overview
The Corvette has been built continuously since 1953 and is sorted into eight generations, C1 through C8, each a new body and most a new chassis. The first three are the classics: the solid-axle C1 of 1953–62, the Sting Ray C2 of 1963–67 and the Shark C3 of 1968–82, the three together accounting for nearly 730,000 cars and almost every record price. The C4 of 1984–96 was the first all-new chassis since 1963 and the first with a six-figure model, the ZR-1; the C5 of 1997–2004 moved the transmission to the back and brought the LS1 and the Z06; the C6 of 2005–13 gave the Corvette 505 and then 638 horsepower; the C7 of 2014–19 was the last front-engine car and the last with a manual; and the C8, from 2020, put the engine behind the driver and now runs from a 535-horsepower Stingray to a 1,250-horsepower ZR1X.
Every generation shares the same formula, which is why the name has lasted: two seats, a V-8 (after the first two years), a fiberglass or composite body on a separate structure, rear-wheel drive and a price under the European cars it is measured against. What changes is everything around that: the C2 brought independent rear suspension and disc brakes, the C3 T-tops and the smog years, the C4 a digital dash and the ZR-1, the C5 hydroforming and the transaxle, the C6 aluminum frames and the ZR1, the C7 direct injection and the aluminum frame for all, the C8 the mid-engine layout, the dual-clutch and the hybrids.
This page is the map. The table below puts the eight generations side by side; the section for each generation says what it was and links to its research hub, buyer’s guide, production figures, engines and every model-year page; and the sections after that cover the timeline, how to tell the generations apart, which one to buy for what money, what they are worth today, production and racing. The hubs and the year pages carry the detail: specifications, options, colors, VINs, production, pictures and cars for sale, one page for every year since 1953.
The Eight Corvette Generations at a Glance
The quickest way to place a Corvette is by generation, and the quickest tells are the years, the engine and the body. The C1 is the only Corvette with a solid rear axle and the only one sold as a roadster alone; the C2 is the only one with the split window and the first with independent rear suspension; the C3 is the one with T-tops and the longest run; the C4 has the clamshell hood and the digital dash; the C5 the rear transaxle and the LS1; the C6 exposed headlamps; the C7 the aluminum frame on every car and the seven-speed; the C8 the engine in the middle.
The table gives each generation’s years, nickname, production, horsepower range, price when new and the car that defines it. Production totals are GM’s official figures; horsepower is SAE gross through 1971 and net from 1972, which is why the C3’s numbers fall mid-generation; prices are base list for the first and last year, including destination for the C8.
| GENERATION | YEARS | KNOWN AS | BUILT | HORSEPOWER | PRICE WHEN NEW | THE DEFINING CAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Corvette | 1953–1962 | The solid-axle Corvette | 69,015 | 150 to 360 hp | $3,498 (1953) to $4,038 (1962) | The 1957 fuel-injected 283 and the 1962 327 |
| C2 Corvette | 1963–1967 | Sting Ray | 117,964 | 250 to 435 hp | $4,257 (1963) to $4,389 (1967) | The 1963 split-window coupe and the 1967 427 L88 |
| C3 Corvette | 1968–1982 | The Shark | 542,861 | 165 to 435 hp | $4,663 (1968) to $18,290 (1982) | The 1969 ZL1 and the 1978 Pace Car |
| C4 Corvette | 1984–1996 | The fourth generation | 358,180 | 205 to 405 hp | $21,800 (1984) to $37,225 (1996) | The 1990–95 ZR-1 “King of the Hill” |
| C5 Corvette | 1997–2004 | The fifth generation | 248,715 | 345 to 405 hp | $37,495 (1997) to $44,535 (2004) | The 2001–04 Z06 and the C5-R |
| C6 Corvette | 2005–2013 | The sixth generation | 215,123 | 400 to 638 hp | $44,245 (2005) to $50,575 (2013) | The 2009–13 ZR1 “Blue Devil” |
| C7 Corvette | 2014–2019 | Stingray | 189,507 | 455 to 755 hp | $51,995 (2014) to $56,590 (2019) | The 2019 ZR1, the last front-engine Corvette |
| C8 Corvette | 2020–present | The mid-engine Corvette | about 220,000 so far | 495 to 1,250 hp | $59,995 (2020) to $73,495 (2027) | The 2025 ZR1 and 2026 ZR1X |
Go Deeper: The Generation Research Hubs
One hub per generation with the full story, a year-by-year table, every engine, the special models and race cars, a buying guide with current prices, and links to each model year’s own page and the research behind it. Pick your generation.
Every Corvette Model Year, 1953 to 2027
Seventy-four model years, one page each: the story, specifications, options and prices, colors, VINs, production, pictures and cars for sale for that year. Pick the year you own or want.
C1 (1953–1962): 1953 · 1954 · 1955 · 1956 · 1957 · 1958 · 1959 · 1960 · 1961 · 1962
C3 (1968–1982): 1968 · 1969 · 1970 · 1971 · 1972 · 1973 · 1974 · 1975 · 1976 · 1977 · 1978 · 1979 · 1980 · 1981 · 1982
C4 (1984–1996): 1984 · 1985 · 1986 · 1987 · 1988 · 1989 · 1990 · 1991 · 1992 · 1993 · 1994 · 1995 · 1996
C5 (1997–2004): 1997 · 1998 · 1999 · 2000 · 2001 · 2002 · 2003 · 2004
C6 (2005–2013): 2005 · 2006 · 2007 · 2008 · 2009 · 2010 · 2011 · 2012 · 2013
C8 (2020–present): 2020 · 2021 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024 · 2025 · 2026 · 2027
C1 Corvette (1953–1962): The Solid-Axle Years
The first Corvette was a Motorama show car that Chevrolet rushed into production: 300 Polo White roadsters hand-built in Flint in 1953 with a 150-horsepower Blue Flame six and a two-speed Powerglide, at $3,498. It nearly died in 1955, when 700 were built, and was saved by the 265 V-8, by Zora Arkus-Duntov and by the 1956 body with its scooped coves, which gave it a manual gearbox, roll-up windows and a reason to exist. From there it became a sports car: the 283 of 1957 with Rochester fuel injection made one horsepower per cubic inch, the four-speed arrived the same year, the four-headlamp 1958 doubled sales, and the 1962 put the 327 in the last solid-axle body at 360 horsepower.
Chevrolet built 69,015 C1s, every one a convertible, and the generation is the Corvette’s pre-history: the SR-2 and Corvette SS race cars, Duntov’s Pikes Peak and Daytona records, the first Le Mans class win in 1960, and the cars Bill Mitchell and Larry Shinoda were already drawing for 1963. The 1953s and the 1957 fuelies carry the values; a 1958–62 carbureted car is the way in.
Explore the C1 Corvette
GO DEEPER
THE CARS
THE YEARS
C2 Corvette (1963–1967): The Sting Ray
Five model years and the most valuable Corvettes ever built. The 1963 Sting Ray put Larry Shinoda’s Mako Shark shape, drawn under Bill Mitchell, over Duntov’s new chassis with independent rear suspension, hidden headlamps and, for one year, the split rear window; it was the first Corvette coupe and the first to sell more than 20,000. Four-wheel disc brakes arrived in 1965 with the 396 big block, the 427 in 1966, and the 1967 closed the run with the 435-horsepower Tri-Power L71, the aluminum-head L89 and twenty 430-horsepower L88s. The five Grand Sports that Duntov built to fight the Cobras were killed by GM in 1963 and are the most valuable Corvettes of all.
Chevrolet built 117,964 C2s, 45,546 coupes and 72,418 convertibles, and the generation sets the records: a 1967 L88 coupe at $3.85 million, Grand Sport 003 at $18.7 million in 2026. A 300-horsepower 1964–66 is the driver’s Sting Ray at $50,000 to $75,000.
Explore the C2 Corvette
GO DEEPER
THE CARS
THE YEARS
1969 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray ZL-1 Convertible
Motorcar Studios ©2022 Courtesy of RM Sotheby'sC3 Corvette (1968–1982): The Shark
Fifteen model years, 542,861 cars and three cars in one body. The chrome-bumper Sharks of 1968–72 are the Sting Ray’s chassis under Shinoda’s Mako Shark II shape, with T-tops, a removable rear window and the strongest engines Chevrolet ever offered: the 427 Tri-Power, the L88, the all-aluminum ZL1, the solid-lifter LT-1 and the 454 LS6. The urethane-bumper cars of 1973–77 are the smog years, with the big block gone after 1974, the convertible after 1975 and horsepower as low as 165. The glass-roof cars of 1978–82 brought the first Indy Pace Car, the all-time record year of 1979 (53,807 cars), the first engine computer, the move to Bowling Green and the Collector Edition.
The C3 is the most plentiful Corvette and the widest market: a 1969 ZL1 convertible has sold for $3.14 million, and a sound 1976–81 coupe is the cheapest classic Corvette there is at $10,000 to $25,000. The 1978 Pace Car and the 1982 Collector Edition are the late specials; the chrome-bumper big blocks are the collectible ones.
C4 Corvette (1984–1996): The First All-New Chassis Since 1963
The C4 skipped 1983 and arrived as a 1984 with a uniframe chassis, fiberglass springs at both ends, a clamshell hood, a digital dash and the C3’s Cross-Fire 350, and sold 51,547 in its first year. Tuned-Port Injection made it a sports car in 1985, the convertible came back in 1986, Callaway’s twin-turbo went on the order form in 1987, and in 1990 the ZR-1 arrived with the 375-horsepower Lotus-designed, Mercury Marine-built LT5, a $58,995 price and a set of world records: the King of the Hill. The 300-horsepower LT1 of 1992 brought the base car most of the way there, and the 1996 Grand Sport and Collector Edition closed thirteen years.
Chevrolet built 358,180 C4s, 6,939 of them ZR-1s and about 500 Callaway B2Ks, and the generation is the cheapest way into a modern Corvette: driven L98 and LT1 cars sell for $5,000 to $20,000, ZR-1s for $15,000 to $85,000 and Grand Sports for $32,000 to $50,000.
C5 Corvette (1997–2004): The Transaxle and the LS1
The C5 nearly wasn’t built: cancelled and revived through GM’s 1991–93 crisis, it reached Detroit in January 1997 with hydroformed frame rails, balsa-cored floors, the transmission moved to the rear axle, run-flat tires in place of a spare and the first LS engine, the 345-horsepower all-aluminum LS1, at $37,495. The convertible with a trunk came in 1998 and paced Indianapolis, the fixed-roof hardtop in 1999, and in 2001 the hardtop became the Z06, 385 and then 405 horsepower at 3,118 pounds for $47,500, the first modern Z06. The 50th Anniversary Edition of 2003 brought magnetic dampers to a production car for the first time, and the 2004 Commemorative Edition marked the C5-R’s three Le Mans wins.
Chevrolet built 248,715 C5s, 28,388 of them Z06s, and the generation is the entry point to a Corvette that keeps up with modern traffic: coupes from $8,000 to $30,000, Z06s from $16,000 to $55,000, the first modern Corvettes to appreciate.
C6 Corvette (2005–2013): 400 to 638 Horsepower
The C6 kept the C5’s frame and transaxle and fixed everything else: a body five inches shorter with the first exposed headlamps since 1962, a real interior, keyless start, a 400-horsepower 6.0-liter LS2 and a Z51 package as quick as the old Z06. The 2006 Z06 put a hand-built 505-horsepower 427-cubic-inch LS7 on an aluminum frame; the 2008 LS3 took the base car to 430; the 2009 ZR1 put a 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 under a window in the hood, ran 205 mph and cost $103,300, the first six-figure Corvette, launched the month GM went bankrupt; and the 2010 Grand Sport put the LS3 in the Z06’s body and became the volume car. More factory editions than any generation before it, and the C6.R won Le Mans four times.
Chevrolet built 215,123 C6s, 27,994 Z06s and 4,684 ZR1s, and the generation is the modern sweet spot: coupes from $10,000 to $40,000, Grand Sports around $40,000, Z06s around $48,000 and ZR1s around $100,000, with the 427 Convertible and the Carbon Limited Edition appreciating.
C7 Corvette (2014–2019): The Last Front-Engine Stingray
Revealed in Detroit in January 2013 as the Stingray, the C7 put the aluminum frame under every car, carbon fiber on the hood and roof, a direct-injected 455-horsepower LT1 behind the first seven-speed manual in a production car, and a body that looked like the race car. The 2015 Z06 made 650 supercharged horsepower and came as a convertible and an automatic for the first time; the 2017 Grand Sport put the Z06’s chassis under the LT1; the 2018 Carbon 65 marked the 65th year in a model year cut to seven months; and the 2019 ZR1 put 755 horsepower through the rear wheels, ran 212 mph and closed the front-engine era. The C7.R swept Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans in 2015.
Chevrolet built 189,507 C7s, 39,940 Z06s and 2,953 ZR1s, and the last one sold for $2.7 million for charity. The C7 has held its value best of the modern cars: Stingrays from $27,000 to $59,000, Grand Sports to $63,000, Z06s around $77,000 and ZR1s from $125,000 to $340,000, manuals on top, since the C8 has none.
C8 Corvette (2020–Present): The Mid-Engine Corvette
The engine moved behind the driver on July 18, 2019, sixty years after Duntov first asked. The 2020 Stingray carried a 495-horsepower LT2, an eight-speed dual-clutch and no manual on an aluminum spaceframe with coil springs for the first time, ran 0–60 in 2.9 seconds and cost $59,995, less than the car it replaced. Since then the C8 has become six cars: the 670-horsepower flat-plane Z06 of 2023, the 655-horsepower all-wheel-drive hybrid E-Ray of 2024–26, the 1,064-horsepower twin-turbo ZR1 of 2025 that ran 233 mph, the 1,250-horsepower ZR1X of 2026, and for 2027 the Grand Sport and Grand Sport X with a new 6.7-liter LS6 that also replaced the LT2 in the Stingray. The C8.R won two IMSA titles and Le Mans; the customer Z06 GT3.R has won Le Mans and the 2026 IMSA manufacturers’ championship.
Chevrolet has built about 220,000 C8s, 53,785 of them in 2023, the second-biggest Corvette year ever, and the generation is still in production. The ZR1 and ZR1X sell far above sticker; the Stingray and E-Ray have become ordinary used cars, which makes a 2020–22 Stingray the bargain modern Corvette at $47,000 to $70,000.
Every Corvette since 1953 has been built in one of three places, and the first ones in a makeshift line in Flint, Michigan, where 300 cars were assembled by hand between June 30 and December 24, 1953. St. Louis took over in December 1953 and built every Corvette for twenty-seven years; Bowling Green, Kentucky has built every one since August 1981, including the aluminum frames of the C7 and C8 and the hand-assembled LT6 and LT7 engines. The National Corvette Museum stands across the road, and in 2014 a sinkhole under it swallowed eight of them.
DID YOU KNOW
Featured Corvette Stories
Longer reads from the archive that cross the generations: the people, the cars, the records and the market. Most of these are members-only: an ad-free read and the full archive for the price of a tank of fuel. BECOME A MEMBER
The Corvette Timeline, 1953 to Today
Seventy-three model years in thirty lines. The pattern is a new generation every seven to fifteen years, a performance model inside each one, and a few turning points that changed the car for good: the V-8 in 1955, Duntov’s chassis in 1963, the move to Bowling Green in 1981, the all-new C4 in 1984, the transaxle in 1997, the aluminum frame in 2006 and 2014, and the mid-engine layout in 2020.
Each generation’s hub carries its own year-by-year table with production, prices, engines and what changed; this one picks the milestones.
| YEAR | WHAT HAPPENED | GENERATION |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 | The first Corvette: 300 Polo White roadsters hand-built in Flint, Blue Flame six, $3,498 | C1 Corvette |
| 1955 | The 265 V-8 and the first manual gearbox save a car that sold 700; Zora Arkus-Duntov joins | C1 Corvette |
| 1957 | Rochester fuel injection, 283 hp from 283 cubic inches, and the four-speed; the Corvette SS races at Sebring | C1 Corvette |
| 1960 | The first Le Mans class win, Cunningham’s Corvettes; the 10,000-car year | C1 Corvette |
| 1963 | The Sting Ray: independent rear suspension, hidden headlamps, the split-window coupe, the Z06 and the five Grand Sports | C2 Corvette |
| 1965 | Four-wheel disc brakes and the 396 big block; the last fuel-injected small block until 1982 | C2 Corvette |
| 1967 | The 427 L88 and the Tri-Power L71; the end of the Sting Ray after 117,964 cars | C2 Corvette |
| 1968 | The Shark: Mako Shark II body on the Sting Ray chassis, T-tops; 28,566 built, a record | C3 Corvette |
| 1969 | The two all-aluminum ZL1s and 116 L88s; the Stingray name returns | C3 Corvette |
| 1970 | The 454 and the solid-lifter LT-1; the first ZR1 package | C3 Corvette |
| 1975 | The catalytic converter, 165 hp, the last convertible for eleven years; Duntov retires | C3 Corvette |
| 1978 | The first Corvette Indy 500 pace car (6,502 replicas) and the glass fastback roof | C3 Corvette |
| 1979 | 53,807 cars, the all-time Corvette record year | C3 Corvette |
| 1981 | Production moves from St. Louis to Bowling Green, Kentucky | C3 Corvette |
| 1984 | The all-new C4 after a skipped 1983: uniframe, digital dash, 51,547 built | C4 Corvette |
| 1986 | The convertible returns and paces Indianapolis; anti-lock brakes | C4 Corvette |
| 1990 | The ZR-1: 375-hp Lotus-designed LT5, $58,995, the 24-hour world record at 175.885 mph | C4 Corvette |
| 1992 | The 300-hp LT1; the 1,000,000th Corvette, a white convertible, on July 2 | C4 Corvette |
| 1997 | The C5: hydroformed frame, rear transaxle, the 345-hp LS1; the convertible gets a trunk in 1998 | C5 Corvette |
| 2001 | The modern Z06, 385 then 405 hp; the C5-R wins Daytona outright and Le Mans | C5 Corvette |
| 2005 | The C6: exposed headlamps, the 400-hp LS2; the 2006 Z06 with the 505-hp LS7 on an aluminum frame | C6 Corvette |
| 2009 | The ZR1: 638 hp, 205 mph, $103,300, the first six-figure Corvette; GM’s bankruptcy; the 1,500,000th Corvette | C6 Corvette |
| 2014 | The C7 Stingray: aluminum frame for every car, the direct-injected LT1, the seven-speed manual | C7 Corvette |
| 2015 | The 650-hp Z06; the C7.R sweeps Daytona, Sebring and Le Mans | C7 Corvette |
| 2019 | The 755-hp ZR1, 212 mph; the last front-engine Corvette built on November 15 | C7 Corvette |
| 2020 | The mid-engine C8 Stingray: 495 hp, dual-clutch, no manual, $59,995 | C8 Corvette |
| 2023 | The 670-hp flat-plane Z06; 53,785 cars, 22 short of the record; the C8.R wins Le Mans | C8 Corvette |
| 2024 | The E-Ray, the first hybrid and all-wheel-drive Corvette, 655 hp | C8 Corvette |
| 2025 | The ZR1: 1,064 hp, the first turbocharged Corvette, 233 mph, the fastest American production car | C8 Corvette |
| 2026 | The 1,250-hp ZR1X; for 2027, the 6.7-liter LS6 and the Grand Sport return | C8 Corvette |
How to Tell the Corvette Generations Apart
Most Corvettes can be placed from across a parking lot. The headlamps are the first tell: exposed on the C1, the C6 and everything since; hidden on the C2, C3, C4, C5 and C7, with the C4 and C5 flipping theirs forward and the C7 the last to have them. The tail is the second: round lamps on every generation from the C2 to the C6, four of them, and the C7 the first to break the pattern since 1960. The roof is the third: roadster only on the C1, coupe with a split or one-piece rear window on the C2, T-tops on the C3, a single lift-off panel from the C4 on, and the engine under glass behind the seats on the C8.
Within a generation the year pages carry the details that separate one year from the next; between generations, this table is usually enough.
MORE: THE VIN DECODER / THE BEST CORVETTE OF EVERY GENERATION
| GENERATION | FROM THE FRONT | FROM THE BACK AND ABOVE | INSIDE AND UNDERNEATH |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Corvette | Exposed headlamps in chrome bezels (two 1953–57, four from 1958); toothy grille; no coupe | Rounded tail, two lamps per side from 1956, ducktail with four lamps 1961–62; coves on the sides from 1956 | Solid rear axle, drum brakes, Blue Flame six or 265/283/327 V-8; side curtains to 1955 |
| C2 Corvette | Hidden headlamps that rotate; pointed nose with a center crease; fake hood vents 1963 | Fastback coupe with the split window (1963) or one-piece glass; four round taillamps; boat-tail convertible | Independent rear suspension on a transverse leaf, discs from 1965; 327, 396 or 427 |
| C3 Corvette | Pointed Shark nose with vacuum pop-up lamps; chrome bumpers to 1972, urethane from 1973; four fender gills or egg-crate vents | T-top roof; vertical rear window with sail panels to 1977, glass fastback from 1978; four round lamps; Kamm tail | The Sting Ray chassis; 327/350 small blocks, 427/454 big blocks to 1974; 85-mph speedometer 1980–82 |
| C4 Corvette | Clamshell hood, flip-up lamps, a full-width rub strip; slimmer nose from 1991 | One-piece lift-off roof, glass hatch; convex ZR-1 tail with square lamps from 1991 | Uniframe chassis, fiberglass springs, digital dash to 1989, 4+3 or ZF six-speed; L98, LT5, LT1, LT4 |
| C5 Corvette | Flip-up lamps, low wide nose, no rub strip; fixed-roof hardtop and Z06 with a mesh grille | Four round lamps, quad exhausts in the center; convertible with a trunk; hatch on the coupe | Rear transaxle, hydroformed rails; LS1 or the Z06’s LS6; run-flats and no spare |
| C6 Corvette | Exposed headlamps, the first since 1962; shorter overhangs; Z06/ZR1/Grand Sport with brake ducts and a wide body | Four round lamps, center exhausts; the ZR1’s hood window and carbon splitter | LS2, LS3, LS7 or the supercharged LS9; aluminum frame on the Z06 and ZR1; six-speed paddle automatic from 2006 |
| C7 Corvette | Hidden-lamp look with exposed lamps in sharp pods; vented carbon hood; the ZR1’s halo hood | Angular taillamps, the first non-round since 1960; quad exhausts at the corners; big wings on the Z06 and ZR1 | Aluminum frame for all, direct-injected LT1, seven-speed manual or eight-speed automatic; LT4 and LT5 supercharged |
| C8 Corvette | Short nose, no hood over an engine; a front trunk; the E-Ray and ZR1X with hybrid badges | Engine under glass behind the seats; the ZR1 and ZR1X’s split rear window and halo hood; a retractable hardtop convertible | Mid-engine, dual-clutch only, coil springs; LT2, flat-plane LT6, twin-turbo LT7, hybrid front axle, the 2027 LS6 |
The Corvette Names, Generation by Generation
Most of the Corvette’s famous names are Chevrolet option codes that outgrew the order form, and most of them recur: Z06 was a 1963 racing package before it was a 2001 model, ZR1 a 1970 race package before it was the 1990 King of the Hill, and Grand Sport has been revived four times. Knowing which generations carried which name is the fastest way to place a car and to find its page: each name links to the hubs that built it and to its own section there.
The special editions, pace cars and anniversary cars have their own site-wide pages, linked below, and every generation hub carries its special-models grid.
MORE: ALL THE SPECIAL EDITIONS / THE RACE CARS / CONCEPTS & PROTOTYPES
| NAME | GENERATIONS | WHAT IT WAS | THE CARS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Z06 | C2 / C5 / C6 / C7 / C8 | Duntov’s 1963 racing package (199 built); the fixed-roof performance model from 2001; the Corvette’s track car ever since | 1963 Z06 tanker; 2001–04 LS6 405 hp; 2006–13 LS7 505 hp; 2015–19 LT4 650 hp; 2023– LT6 670 hp |
| ZR1 / ZR-1 | C3 / C4 / C6 / C7 / C8 | A race package in 1970–72 (53 cars); the flagship of the C4, C6, C7 and C8, each the fastest Corvette of its day | 1990–95 LT5 375/405 hp (6,939); 2009–13 LS9 638 hp (4,684); 2019 LT5 755 hp (2,953); 2025– LT7 1,064 hp |
| Grand Sport | C2 / C4 / C6 / C7 / C8 | Duntov’s five 1963 lightweights; since 1996 the wide-body car between the base model and the Z06 | 1963 (5); 1996 (1,000); 2010–13 (28,004); 2017–19 (26,280); 2027 Grand Sport and 721-hp Grand Sport X |
| Stingray / Sting Ray | C2 / C3 / C7 / C8 | The C2’s name (two words, 1963–67), the C3’s badge (1969–76), and the base model since 2014 | Every C2; 1969–76 C3s; every C7 and C8 base car |
| Pace Car | C3 / C4 / C5 / C6 / C7 / C8 | The Indianapolis 500 pace car, a Corvette more often than any other car since 1978; replicas in some years | 1978 (6,502 replicas); 1986 (every convertible); 1995 (527); 1998 (1,163); 2007–08 (500 each); 2015–26 unreplicated |
| Anniversary & Collector Editions | C3 / C4 / C5 / C6 / C7 / C8 | Silver Anniversary 1978, 35th 1988, 40th 1993, 50th 2003, 60th 2013, 65th 2018, 70th 2023; the Collector Editions of 1982, 1996, 2013 (427 Convertible) and 2017 | 1982 CE (6,759); 1988 35th (2,050); 1993 40th (6,749); 1996 CE (5,412); 2003 50th (11,632); 2013 427 (2,552); 2018 Carbon 65 (650); 2023 70th (5,601) |
| L88 / ZL1 | C2 / C3 | The 427 race engines of 1967–69, rated at 430 hp to discourage buyers and making about 550; the ZL1 all-aluminum | 1967 L88 (20); 1968 (80); 1969 (116) and the two ZL1s; the record cars of the C2 and C3 |
| E-Ray / ZR1X | C8 Corvette | The hybrids: an electric front axle on the Stingray (E-Ray, 655 hp, 2024–26) and on the ZR1 (ZR1X, 1,250 hp, 2026–) | E-Ray (5,747); ZR1X from 2026; the 2027 Grand Sport X takes the E-Ray’s place |
Corvette Engines by Generation
One family of engines for seventy years. The Chevrolet small-block V-8 arrived in the 1955 Corvette at 265 cubic inches and 195 horsepower and, through four redesigns, is still what a Stingray runs: the 283 and 327 of the C1 and C2, the 350 of the C3 and C4, the LS family of the C5 to C7, the LT family of the C7 and C8 and, for 2027, the 6.7-liter LS6. Around it came the big blocks of 1965–74, the overhead-cam LT5 of the C4 ZR-1 and the flat-plane LT6 and LT7 of the C8, and the hybrids. The table runs through them by era, each linked to its engine guide.
Every generation hub carries an engine table by RPO code with the guides; the site-wide engines page covers the families.
| ERA | ENGINES | HORSEPOWER | GENERATIONS |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–55 | Blue Flame 235 six | 150–155 hp | C1 Corvette |
| 1955–62 | 265 V-8 / 283 V-8 and Rochester fuel injection / 327 V-8 | 195–360 hp | C1 / C2 |
| 1963–67 | 327 small blocks / 396 big block / 427 big block / L88 | 250–435 hp (430 rated for the L88) | C2 Corvette |
| 1968–74 | 350 small block / LT-1 / LS5 454 / LS6 454 / 427 and ZL1 | 270–435 hp gross; 165–275 hp net from 1972 | C3 Corvette |
| 1975–84 | L48 and L82 350 / L81 / L83 Cross-Fire Injection | 165–230 hp | C3 / C4 |
| 1985–96 | L98 Tuned-Port 350 / LT5 32-valve (ZR-1) / LT1 Gen II / LT4 | 230–405 hp | C4 Corvette |
| 1997–2004 | LS1 / LS6 (Z06) | 345–405 hp | C5 Corvette |
| 2005–13 | LS2 / LS3 / LS7 7.0 L (Z06) / LS9 supercharged (ZR1) | 400–638 hp | C6 Corvette |
| 2014–19 | LT1 Gen V / LT4 supercharged (Z06) / LT5 supercharged (ZR1) | 455–755 hp | C7 Corvette |
| 2020– | LT2 / LT6 flat-plane (Z06) / LT7 twin-turbo (ZR1) / E-Ray and ZR1X hybrids / LS6 6.7 L (2027) | 495–1,250 hp | C8 Corvette |
Corvette Generations Head to Head
The questions buyers actually ask are comparisons between neighbors: is the C8 worth the jump from a C7, is a C6 enough over a C5, does a C3 give up much to a C2. The short answers are below, with what you gain and what you give up going to the newer car and what the difference costs in 2026; both hubs carry the long version.
Within a generation the same question applies between the base car and the Z06 or ZR1, and each hub’s Buying & Market section takes that one.
MORE: THE BEST CORVETTE OF EVERY GENERATION / THE BUYER’S GUIDES
| THE MATCHUP | GOING NEWER YOU GAIN | GOING NEWER YOU GIVE UP | THE MONEY (2026) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 / C2 | Independent rear suspension, discs from 1965, hidden headlamps, a coupe, the 327 and the big blocks | The roadster-only simplicity, the fuelie 283s, the lowest entry price of any classic Corvette | A 1958–62 driver $55,000–$90,000 against a 1964–66 300-hp car $50,000–$75,000; the C1 fuelies and the C2 big blocks both go past $100,000 |
| C2 / C3 | T-tops, a bigger cabin after 1969, the 454 and the LT-1, fifteen years to choose from, parts for everything | The Sting Ray body and the values that go with it; the C3 runs hot and rusts in the birdcage like the C2 | A chrome-bumper C3 small block $20,000–$41,000 against a C2 at $50,000 and up; the cheapest C3 coupes $6,600–$28,600 |
| C3 / C4 | An all-new chassis, real handling, anti-lock brakes, Tuned-Port and then LT1 power, the ZR-1 | The classic look and the classic values; early C4 dashes and 4+3 gearboxes are the trade | A 1985–96 C4 $5,000–$20,000 against a late C3 $6,600–$28,600; the C4 is the cheaper car with twice the pace |
| C4 / C5 | The rear transaxle, the LS1, a trunk, a convertible that needs no bracing, the modern Z06 | Nothing much; the C4’s ZR-1 and Grand Sport are the only C4s that bring more than a C5 | A C5 coupe $8,000–$32,000 against a C4 $5,000–$20,000; a C5 Z06 $16,000–$55,000 against a C4 ZR-1 $15,000–$85,000 |
| C5 / C6 | A real interior, 400 hp at the base, the 505-hp LS7 Z06, the 638-hp ZR1, the Grand Sport, magnetic ride | The C5’s lower prices and simpler electronics; the C6 Z06’s LS7 valve guides are the known risk | A C6 coupe $10,000–$40,000 against a C5 $8,000–$32,000; a C6 Z06 about $48,000 against a C5 Z06 about $28,500 |
| C6 / C7 | Direct injection and 455 hp, the seven-speed, the aluminum frame on every car, a cabin that matches the price, 650- and 755-hp Z06 and ZR1 | Money: a C7 costs about twice a C6 of the same model; the C6 ZR1 has held value better than the C7 Z06 | A C7 Stingray $27,000–$59,000 against a C6 Grand Sport about $40,000; a C7 Z06 about $77,000 against a C6 Z06 about $48,600 |
| C7 / C8 | The mid-engine layout, 2.9 seconds to 60 in a base car, the dual-clutch, the hybrids, 1,064 and 1,250 hp at the top | The manual gearbox, the front engine, the C7’s stronger resale; the C8 Stingray has depreciated and the C7 ZR1 has not | A 2020–22 C8 Stingray $47,000–$70,000 against a C7 Z06 about $77,000; a C8 Z06 about $134,000 against a C7 ZR1 $125,000 and up |
Which Corvette Generation Should You Buy?
It depends on what you want the car for and what you want to spend, and the generations sort themselves neatly along both. For a classic to drive, the C3 is the cheap way in and the C2 the one that holds value; for a classic to collect, the C1 fuelies and the C2 and early C3 big blocks are where the records are. For a modern car on an old-car budget, the C4 and C5 start under $20,000; for a modern car that keeps up with anything, the C6 and C7 run from $30,000 to $80,000 with the Z06s on top; and for a new or nearly new Corvette, a used C8 Stingray now costs less than a C7 Z06.
The buyer’s guides linked from each generation’s section and hub go year by year, and every year page carries current auction and dealer prices. The table is the short version, with 2026 money.
MORE: THE BEST CORVETTE OF EVERY GENERATION / ALL THE BUYER’S GUIDES
| IF YOU WANT… | BUY A… | BUDGET (2026) | WHY, AND WHAT TO WATCH |
|---|---|---|---|
| A first classic Corvette to drive | C3 Corvette | $10,000–$30,000 | A 1976–81 coupe or a 1973–77 L82 four-speed: parts for everything, the Shark shape, the least money of any classic Corvette. Check the birdcage and frame for rust. |
| A classic that holds value | C2 Corvette | $50,000–$135,000 | A 1964–66 300- or 350-hp small block, or a fuelie if you can; coupes above convertibles. Buy the engine and the paperwork before the color. |
| The record-setting cars | C1 / C2 / C3 | $150,000 and up | 1953s, 1957 fuelies, split-windows, L88s, LS6s and the ZL1; NCRS or Bloomington history is the price. |
| A modern car for the least money | C4 Corvette | $5,000–$20,000 | A 1992–96 LT1 six-speed is the pick; the 1984 Cross-Fire and the 4+3 cars are the cheapest. The ZR-1 and Grand Sport are the collectible C4s. |
| Modern pace on a budget | C5 Corvette | $8,000–$55,000 | A 2001–04 coupe with the six-speed, or a 2002–04 Z06 at $25,000–$40,000, the first modern Corvette to appreciate. Column-lock and Optispark are the known faults. |
| The sweet spot | C6 Corvette | $17,000–$100,000 | A 2008–13 Grand Sport six-speed for the money, a post-2012 Z06 for the pace, a ZR1 for the keeper; check the LS7 valve guides on 2006–11 Z06s. |
| The last manual Corvette | C7 Corvette | $30,000–$110,000 | A 2017–19 Grand Sport manual, or a 2017–19 Z06; every manual C7 carries a premium that grows because the C8 has none. |
| A new or nearly new Corvette | C8 Corvette | $47,000–$130,000 | A 2020–22 Stingray is the depreciated bargain, a 2024–25 Z06 trades under sticker; the ZR1 and ZR1X are over sticker and the ones that hold. |
What a Corvette Cost New, Then and Now
The base Corvette has cost the same thing for seventy years once inflation is taken out: between about $42,000 and $78,000 in 2026 dollars, from the $3,498 1953 to the $73,495 2027. What has moved is the top of the range. The 1967 L88 was a $65,000 car in today’s money and the 1969 ZL1 a $90,000 one; the 1990 ZR-1 was $148,000, the 2009 ZR1 $158,000, the 2019 ZR1 $153,000 and the 2025 ZR1 $179,000, so the flagship has sat near $150,000 in real terms since 1990 and only the ZR1X has gone past it.
List prices are base, first and last year of each generation; the 2026-dollar figures use the U.S. consumer price index and are rounded to the nearest thousand. The year pages carry every year’s prices and option costs.
| GENERATION | BASE PRICE, FIRST YEAR | IN 2026 DOLLARS | BASE PRICE, LAST YEAR | IN 2026 DOLLARS | THE FLAGSHIP, THEN | IN 2026 DOLLARS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Corvette | $3,498 (1953) | about $43,000 | $4,038 (1962) | about $44,000 | 1957 fuel-injected 283, about $4,000 with the engine | about $47,000 |
| C2 Corvette | $4,257 (1963) | about $45,000 | $4,389 (1967) | about $43,000 | 1967 L88 coupe, about $6,600 | about $65,000 |
| C3 Corvette | $4,663 (1968) | about $44,000 | $18,290 (1982) | about $62,000 | 1969 ZL1, over $10,000; 1978 Pace Car $13,653 | about $90,000 / $69,000 |
| C4 Corvette | $21,800 (1984) | about $69,000 | $37,225 (1996) | about $78,000 | 1990 ZR-1 $58,995 | about $148,000 |
| C5 Corvette | $37,495 (1997) | about $76,000 | $44,535 (2004) | about $77,000 | 2004 Z06 $52,385 | about $91,000 |
| C6 Corvette | $44,245 (2005) | about $74,000 | $50,575 (2013) | about $71,000 | 2009 ZR1 $103,300 | about $158,000 |
| C7 Corvette | $51,995 (2014) | about $72,000 | $56,590 (2019) | about $72,000 | 2019 ZR1 $119,995 | about $153,000 |
| C8 Corvette | $59,995 (2020) | about $76,000 | $73,495 (2027) | $73,495 | 2025 ZR1 $174,995; 2026 ZR1X $207,395 | about $179,000 / $209,000 |
What Each Corvette Generation Is Worth Today
Corvette values run from a $5,000 C4 to an $18.7 million Grand Sport, and the generation is the first sort. The classics carry the records and the cheapest classics are inside the same generation as the records; the C4 and C5 are the affordable modern cars; the C6 and C7 hold; the C8 splits into cars that lose money and cars that make it. The figures below are completed sales tracked by Classic.com and the auction houses between late 2025 and October 2026, as reported on each generation’s hub and year pages; check whether a result includes the buyer’s premium, and treat asking prices and unsold high bids separately.
Each hub’s Buying & Market section goes model by model, and each year page carries that year’s own results.
| GENERATION | DRIVER-GRADE CARS | THE BEST CARS | THE RECORD |
|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Corvette | 1958–62 carbureted cars $55,000–$90,000; 1956–57 $64,000–$95,000; 1954s $39,000–$80,000 | 1957–62 fuelies $95,000–$240,000; 1953s $150,000–$302,500 | The 1957 Corvette SS, $7.7 million (2025) |
| C2 Corvette | 300-hp Sting Rays $50,000–$75,000; fuelies $89,000–$135,000 | 1963 split-windows $170,000–$300,000; 1966–67 427s $111,000–$200,000+ | Grand Sport 003, $18,705,000 (August 2026); a 1967 L88 coupe $3.85 million |
| C3 Corvette | 1975–81 coupes $6,600–$28,600; 1978 Pace Cars $9,300–$44,000; chrome-bumper small blocks $20,000–$41,000 | LT-1s to $81,400; 427/435s $49,500–$110,000; L88s $330,000–$860,000 | The 1969 ZL1 convertible, $3.14 million (2023); ZR2 convertibles to $962,500 |
| C4 Corvette | L98 and LT1 cars $4,000–$20,000; 35th and 40th Anniversary cars $9,000–$26,000 | ZR-1s $15,000–$85,000 (benchmark $37,240); Grand Sports $32,500–$50,000; Callaways $34,000–$50,500 | The Callaway Sledgehammer and the best ZR-1s |
| C5 Corvette | Coupes and convertibles $8,000–$32,000; hardtops $21,000–$25,000 | Z06s $16,000–$55,000 (benchmark about $28,500); 50th Anniversary cars to $46,200; Pace Cars to $41,000 | Delivery-mileage 2004 Commemorative Z06s, $40,000 |
| C6 Corvette | Coupes $10,000–$40,000; Grand Sports $29,000–$61,000 (benchmark $40,635) | Z06s $25,000–$82,500 (about $48,600); 427 Convertibles to $93,500; Carbon LEs to $123,750 | ZR1s $74,000–$151,250 (benchmark $100,221) |
| C7 Corvette | Stingrays $27,000–$59,000; Grand Sports $27,500–$63,000 | Z06s $41,500–$110,000 (about $76,600); Carbon 65s to $110,000; C7.R Editions to $119,500 | ZR1s $125,000–$340,000, manual ZTK coupes on top |
| C8 Corvette | Stingrays $47,000–$88,000; E-Rays $83,500–$103,000 (benchmark $98,131) | Z06s around $134,000; 70th Anniversary cars near sticker after $302,500 in 2023 | ZR1s $233,500–$320,000 (benchmarks $284,000–$294,000); ZR1Xs $315,000–$452,000; the Stars & Steel ZR1X $2,605,000 |
Corvette Production by Generation
About 1.96 million Corvettes have been built in seventy-three model years, and the generations are not equal: the C3 alone is more than a quarter of them, the C1 under four percent. The record year is still 1979 (53,807), missed by 22 cars in 2023; the lowest full year is 1955 (700), and the lowest since is the 2018 C7 (9,686), cut short by a plant shutdown. The 1,000,000th Corvette was a 1992, the 1,500,000th a 2009, and the two-millionth will be a C8.
Every generation hub carries a production summary and a year-by-year table, and every year page the official count by body style, engine and option; the eight production summaries are in the grid below.
| GENERATION | BUILT | BEST YEAR | LOWEST YEAR | SHARE OF ALL CORVETTES |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| C1 Corvette | 69,015 | 1962 (14,531) | 1955 (700) | 3.5% |
| C2 Corvette | 117,964 | 1966 (27,720) | 1963 (21,513) | 6.0% |
| C3 Corvette | 542,861 | 1979 (53,807, the record) | 1970 (17,316) | 27.7% |
| C4 Corvette | 358,180 | 1984 (51,547) | 1992 (20,479) | 18.3% |
| C5 Corvette | 248,715 | 2002 (35,767) | 1997 (9,752) | 12.7% |
| C6 Corvette | 215,123 | 2007 (40,561) | 2012 (11,647) | 11.0% |
| C7 Corvette | 189,507 | 2016 (40,689) | 2018 (9,686) | 9.7% |
| C8 Corvette | about 220,000 through 2026 | 2023 (53,785) | 2020 (20,368) | 11.2% and rising |
Corvette Racing by Generation
The Corvette has raced since 1956, privately for the first forty years and with Chevrolet’s name on the car since the C5-R of 1999. Each generation’s hub carries its racing section with the cars, the results and the race-car guides; this is the short version.
Since 1999 Corvette Racing has won Le Mans nine times in class, the 24 Hours of Daytona outright in 2001 and in class repeatedly, Sebring, and championships in the ALMS, IMSA, the WEC and the ELMS; since 2024 the customer Z06 GT3.R has put more Corvettes on more grids than ever before.
MORE: THE CORVETTE’S RACING LEGACY / THE RACE CARS / CORVETTE RACING NEWS
| GENERATION | THE RACE CARS | THE HIGHLIGHTS |
|---|---|---|
| C1 Corvette | SR-2, Corvette SS, Cunningham’s 1960 Le Mans cars | Sebring 1956 and 1957; the first Le Mans class win, 1960; Duntov’s Pikes Peak and Daytona records |
| C2 Corvette | Z06 tankers, the five Grand Sports, Penske’s and Guldstrand’s L88s | Nassau 1963; Sebring and Daytona class wins; the L88 at Le Mans 1967 |
| C3 Corvette | Owens-Corning and Greenwood L88s, the Greenwood wide-bodies | SCCA A-Production titles 1968–71; Sebring GT 1971; 215 mph on the Mulsanne, 1976; the 1975 Trans-Am title |
| C4 Corvette | Corvette GTP, the Corvette Challenge cars, Callaway’s Le Mans Corvettes | Showroom Stock domination 1985–87; the 1988–89 Challenge series; the 1990 ZR-1 records; Callaway 2nd in GT2 at Le Mans 1995 |
| C5 Corvette | Corvette C5-R, Corvette Racing from 1999 | Daytona overall 2001; Le Mans GTS 2001, 2002, 2004; four ALMS titles |
| C6 Corvette | C6.R GT1 and GT2 | Le Mans 2005, 2006, 2009 and 2011; ALMS GT1 2005–08; ALMS GT 2012–13 |
| C7 Corvette | C7.R | The 2015 Daytona–Sebring–Le Mans sweep; IMSA GTLM titles 2016–18 |
| C8 Corvette | C8.R, the customer Z06 GT3.R | IMSA GTLM 2020–21; Le Mans and the WEC 2023; ELMS 2025; Le Mans LMGT3 2026; IMSA manufacturers’ title 2026 |
Corvette Production Summaries, Generation by Generation
The eight production summaries, one per generation: every year’s count by body style, with the options and engines that make the rare ones rare. The hubs and year pages carry the VIN ranges, option take rates and build dates behind them.
FAQs
What are the Corvette generations?
Eight so far, each a new body and most a new chassis: the C1 (1953–1962), the solid-axle roadster; the C2 Sting Ray (1963–1967); the C3 Shark (1968–1982), the longest-running; the C4 (1984–1996), the first all-new chassis in twenty years; the C5 (1997–2004), with the rear transaxle and the LS1; the C6 (2005–2013); the C7 Stingray (2014–2019), the last front-engine Corvette; and the mid-engine C8, from 2020 and still in production. The letters are enthusiast shorthand that Chevrolet adopted; there was no 1983 model year.
What years is each Corvette generation?
C1: 1953 to 1962. C2: 1963 to 1967. C3: 1968 to 1982. C4: 1984 to 1996 (no 1983 was sold). C5: 1997 to 2004. C6: 2005 to 2013. C7: 2014 to 2019. C8: 2020 to the present; the 2027 is the current model year. Each generation’s hub on this site has a page for every one of those years.
How many Corvettes have been built?
About 1.96 million through the 2026 model year: 69,015 C1s, 117,964 C2s, 542,861 C3s, 358,180 C4s, 248,715 C5s, 215,123 C6s, 189,507 C7s and about 220,000 C8s so far. The 1,000,000th Corvette was built on July 2, 1992 and the 1,500,000th in 2009; the two-millionth will be a C8. The record year is 1979, with 53,807, and 2023 came within 22 cars of it.
Which Corvette generation is the best?
There is no one answer, which is why there are eight hubs. By the records, the C2: the Sting Ray holds the auction records and the split-window is the most recognizable Corvette. By numbers, the C3 and the C8: the C3 sold the most and the C8 is the fastest. By driving, most owners pick the C6 or C7 for modern pace with a manual and a front engine, and the C5 for the same on a budget. The best-of-each-generation list on this site picks one car per generation; the hubs explain why.
What is the difference between the Sting Ray, the Stingray and the Corvette?
They are the same car. Sting Ray, two words, was the name of the second-generation Corvette of 1963–67; Stingray, one word, was used on the C3 from 1969 to 1976 and came back on the C7 in 2014 and on the base C8 from 2020. Every one of them is a Chevrolet Corvette; the name marks the generation and, since 2014, the base model below the Z06, ZR1 and Grand Sport.
Which Corvette generation is the cheapest to buy?
The C4 (1984–1996): driven L98 and LT1 cars sell for $5,000 to $20,000 and a 1984 can be had for under $10,000, which makes it the least expensive Corvette of any generation. Among the classics the C3 is the cheapest, with 1976–81 coupes at $10,000 to $25,000; among the modern cars the C5 starts around $8,000 and a 2020–22 C8 Stingray has fallen to $47,000. The ZR-1, Z06 and special editions inside each generation are a different market.
Which Corvette generation is the most valuable?
The C2. Grand Sport chassis 003 sold for $18,705,000 in August 2026, the most ever paid for a Corvette, a 1967 L88 coupe has made $3.85 million and 1963 split-window coupes bring $170,000 to $300,000. The C3’s 1969 ZL1 convertible ($3.14 million) and the C1’s 1957 Corvette SS ($7.7 million) are the other generations’ records; among modern cars the C7 and C8 ZR1s and the ZR1X bring the most, $125,000 to $452,000.
What is the rarest Corvette generation?
The C1, with 69,015 cars over ten years, and inside it the 300 cars of 1953 and the 700 of 1955. The rarest individual Corvettes are the five 1963 Grand Sports, the two 1969 ZL1s, the twenty 1967 L88s, the 1957 Corvette SS, the 1988 Callaway Sledgehammer, the 180 2025 ZR1s and the one-of-one cars. The C3 is the most common generation, with 542,861 built.
What was the first mid-engine Corvette, and why did it take so long?
The 2020 C8. Zora Arkus-Duntov proposed a mid-engine Corvette from CERV I in 1960 and built running prototypes through the 1970s, and the Aerovette was approved for 1980 and cancelled; the reasons were always cost, the lack of a transaxle that could take a V-8 and buyers who kept buying the front-engine car. By the C7 the front-engine layout had reached its limit at 755 horsepower, and the C8 arrived with a 495-horsepower Stingray at $59,995 and has since reached 1,250 horsepower in the ZR1X.
Which Corvette generations had a manual gearbox?
Every generation from the C1 (from 1955) to the C7: three-speeds and four-speeds through the C3, the 4+3 and ZF six-speed in the C4, six-speeds in the C5 and C6 and the seven-speed in the C7. The C8 is dual-clutch only, and Chevrolet has said a manual is not coming, which is why manual C7s carry a premium.
What do Z06, ZR1, Grand Sport, L88 and the other names mean?
They are Chevrolet option codes that became model names. Z06 was Duntov’s 1963 racing package and has been the Corvette’s performance model since 2001; ZR1 (ZR-1 on the C4) was a 1970–72 race package, then the top car of the C4, C6, C7 and C8; Grand Sport was Duntov’s 1963 racer, revived in 1996, 2010, 2017 and 2027; L88 and ZL1 were the 427 race engines of 1967–69; LT-1, LS1 and LT1 are small-block engine codes; E-Ray and ZR1X are the C8’s hybrids. Each generation hub has a section on its own special models.
Will there be a C9 Corvette?
Not yet announced. The C8 is in its eighth model year, which is average for a Corvette generation, and Chevrolet has shown electric and hybrid concepts and said a Z06X is possible; the news section of this site covers every rumor and reveal. The C8 hub carries the current lineup and is updated as model years are added.
All The Research
C1: C1 Hub / Production / VIN / Engines (All) / Build Dates / Buyer’s Guide / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
C2: C2 Hub / Production / VIN / Engines (All) / Build Dates / Buyer’s Guide / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
C3: C3 Hub / Production / VIN / Engines (All) / Build Dates / Buyer’s Guide / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
C4: C4 Hub / Production / VIN / Engines (All) / Build Dates / Buyer’s Guide / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
C5: C5 Hub / Production / Engines (All) / Build Dates / Buyer’s Guide / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
C6: C6 Hub / Production / Engines (All) / Build Dates / Buyer’s Guide / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
C7: C7 Hub / Production / Engines (All) / Build Dates / Buyer’s Guide / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
C8: C8 Hub / Production / Buyer’s Guide / 2024 Corvette Overview / Specials / For Sale / Research / Videos / All Posts
