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Douglas Barton·
Auctions
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Corvette Watch: CorvSport Presents Exclusive Dealer-To-Dealer Wholesale Market Report

We've got an interesting mix of Corvettes at the wholesale auction today, including a first-year C6 with 12 owners and two mint first-year C8s--how many will sell?

Will this gorgeous 2023 Z06 sell at the wholesale auction? Photo Credit: Manheim

If you’re new to CorvSport’s exclusive dealer-to-dealer wholesale report, welcome to market data you won’t find anywhere else in our community! And don’t worry if you have missed any prior reports, because after this week’s Corvettes, we have our full archives–with the sales percentages so you can track trends over the last year. [Author’s Note: This wholesale market report is FREE and not behind a paywall. Yes, FREE! If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the report. One may require two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]

We’ve got an interesting mix of Corvettes at the wholesale auction today, including a first-year C6 with TWELVE owners–yikes! We also have a couple of mint first-year C8s, along with a C7 Z06, which have been selling well at the wholesale auction.  Let’s get after it!

A Quick Review Of The Process:

In preparation for each installment, I start a list of Corvettes from that week’s runlist that catch my eye. As a retired owner/operator of a used car dealership, I’ll use my 17 years of experience (and industry access) to give you insights into the market. My search is focused on the nation’s largest dealer-only wholesale auction, and all the Corvettes featured are from the Texas market. Corvettes end up at a dealer-only wholesale auction for many reasons, but most are trade-ins that the dealer decided not to retail on their lot. Some may also be repossessions or coming off leases. It’s also common for dealers to dump problem (or slow-selling) units at an auction.

For Fun (and Insights):

Compare the MMR (estimated wholesale value) to the actual hammer price (if sold). It’s also interesting to compare the wholesale purchase price (if it sells) to the Cox Automotive estimated retail value, as this will give you an idea of the margins used-car dealerships are working with.

[5/22/2025 Edition]

Top 7: Wholesale Dealer-Only Auction Activity Report

#7

2005 C6 Convertible

48,531 Miles

Condition Report: 3.6/5.0

Announcements:

Autocheck History Report: 12 owners, 0 accidents

MMR: $18,400

(MMR=estimated wholesale value, based on vehicle, miles, condition, and recent auction sales)

Historical Wholesale Averages

  • Past 30 Days: $16,100 (71,742 average miles)
  • 6 Months Ago: $15,050 (60,835 mi)
  • Last Year: $14,150 (83,184 mi)

Estimated Retail Value: $23,600

(Based on Cox Automotive retail transactions)

Auction Results: NO SALE

(Insights: This no-sale doesn’t come as a surprise, especially since each of the 12 owners appears to be playing hot potato with this first-year C6.)

#6

2016 C7 Z06 Coupe 2LZ

12,567 Miles

Condition Report: 4.5/5.0

Announcements:

Autocheck History Report: 2 owners, 0 accidents

MMR: $64,200

(MMR=estimated wholesale value, based on vehicle, miles, condition, and recent auction sales)

Historical Wholesale Averages

  • Past 30 Days: $63,800 (15,797 average miles)
  • 6 Months Ago: $52,000 (36,729 mi)
  • Last Year: $55,300 (33,594 mi)

Estimated Retail Value: $70,000

(Based on Cox Automotive retail transactions)

Auction Results: Sold for $63,250

(Insights: What a sharp-looking C7 Z06, and well bought under MMR. As mentioned in the introduction, these C7 Z06s have been hot lately at the wholesale auction!)

#5

2020 C8 Stingray Coupe 3LT

12,875 Miles

Condition Report: 4.7/5.0

Announcements:

Autocheck History Report: 2 owners, 0 accidents

MMR: $64,600

(MMR=estimated wholesale value, based on vehicle, miles, condition, and recent auction sales)

Historical Wholesale Averages

  • Past 30 Days: $63,300 (19,294 average miles)
  • 6 Months Ago: $60,700 (16,755 mi)
  • Last Year: $65,200 (9,172 mi)

Estimated Retail Value: $67,100

(Based on Cox Automotive retail transactions)

Auction Results: Sold for $66,250

(Insights: At $1,650 over MMR, this was a strong sale for a first-year C8–“resell red” strikes again!)

#4

2020 C8 Stingray Coupe 3LT

2,902 Miles

Condition Report: 5.0/5.0

Announcements:

Autocheck History Report: 2 owners, 0 accidents

MMR: $67,700

(MMR=estimated wholesale value, based on vehicle, miles, condition, and recent auction sales)

Historical Wholesale Averages

  • Past 30 Days: $63,300 (19,294 average miles)
  • 6 Months Ago: $60,700 (16,755 mi)
  • Last Year: $65,200 (9,172 mi)

Estimated Retail Value: $70,200

(Based on Cox Automotive retail transactions)

Auction Results: Sold for $68,250

(Insights: The 2020s are on a roll, and well bought! I know some say white is boring, but this is one sharp-looking C8!)

#3

2022 C8 Stingray Coupe 2LT

8,577 Miles

Condition Report: 5.0/5.0

Announcements:

Autocheck History Report: 1 owner, 0 accidents

MMR: $67,700

(MMR=estimated wholesale value, based on vehicle, miles, condition, and recent auction sales)

Historical Wholesale Averages

  • Past 30 Days: $64,700 (20,805 average miles)
  • 6 Months Ago: $62,300 (11,333 mi)
  • Last Year: $64,700 (13,896 mi)

Estimated Retail Value: $69,000

(Based on Cox Automotive retail transactions)

Auction Results: Sold for $70,250

(Insights: Woah, big money for this 2LT, but she was loaded! The C8 Stingrays are hot today!)

#2

2023 C8 Z06 Coupe 2LZ

20,407 Miles

Condition Report: 4.2/5.0

Announcements:

Autocheck History Report: 1 owner, 0 accidents

MMR: $107,000

(MMR=estimated wholesale value, based on vehicle, miles, condition, and recent auction sales)

Historical Wholesale Averages

  • Past 30 Days: $109,000 (5,420 average miles)
  • 6 Months Ago: Not available
  • Last Year: $121,000 (5,062 mi)

Estimated Retail Value: $115,000

(Based on Cox Automotive retail transactions)

Auction Results: NO SALE

(Insights: With higher miles and a condition report with some blemishes, this no-sale is no surprise.)

#1

2023 C8 Stingray Convertible 3LT

7,358 Miles

Condition Report: 4.4/5.0

Announcements:

Autocheck History Report: 1 owner, 0 accidents

MMR: $77,600

(MMR=estimated wholesale value, based on vehicle, miles, condition, and recent auction sales)

Historical Wholesale Averages

  • Past 30 Days: $79,800 (5,683 average miles)
  • 6 Months Ago: $73,300 (8,546 mi)
  • Last Year: $85,300 (5,345 mi)

Estimated Retail Value: $78,500

(Based on Cox Automotive retail transactions)

Auction Results: Sold for $78,500

(Insights: Another “resell red” Stingray, and this one blew right past MMR! But dang, doesn’t she look beautiful?!?)

Summary: Another respectable week, with 71% of our Corvettes moving from one dealer to another–hopefully, these beautiful Vettes will find their way to enthusiasts’ hands soon. Despite some of the internet chatter that C8 sales are flattening out, the sales trend since late February has been strong, with every week 71% or better. And if dealers are buying them up at the wholesale auctions, that typically means retail sales are good. Let’s see how the market is as we move into summer! Thanks for joining CorvSport today, and we’ll see you in two weeks!

Sales Ratio Tracker (click date for report archives):

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*All images and information are credited to Manheim Auction

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