When we set out on this journey four months ago, we tried not to have any preconceived notions, but did initially think that the no-reserve auctions we featured would result in higher sales figures. We call it the “Bright lights at Barrett-Jackson effect,” the king of high-energy no-reserve auctions. To date, we have tossed 36 Corvettes in our virtual boxing ring, and the results have been enlightening. Our methodology is straightforward: Find 3 pairs of near-identical ‘Vettes, one with a reserve, one without, and pit each duo against each other for a three-round bout. Today’s feature, along with the majority of CorvSport’s digital content, is FREE and not behind a paywall. When any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article.
As always, we visit one of the largest online collector car auctions in the world, Bring a Trailer, and tap into their extensive database of sold Corvettes. Not only do they provide relevant sales data, but they also provide additional statistics that enhance our analysis, such as bidding activity and auction views.
In The Ring, CorvSport will continue to address these lingering questions:
- Do no-reserve auctions garner more bids?
- Will a no-reserve auction generate more views and excitement?
- And most pertinent, do no-reserve auctions bring more money?!?
And how about those results? We have our full archives and running tally below today’s fight, but let’s just say that the reserve Corvette auctions have a considerable lead! Before we move on to today’s bout, we thought you may enjoy seeing a sample of our exclusive market features.
CorvSport Originals: A Sample of Our Top Market Features
- Wholesale Corvette Market Report: C6-C8 Z06 Edition With A Bonus 2026 ZR1!
- MECUM Auction Watch: The Top Corvette Sales & Duds From The Indy Fall Special
- The Top 10 Cheapest First-Generation Corvettes Sold On Bring a Trailer In 2025
- Garage Queens In The Corvette Market: Our Lowest Combined Miles For 2025 At Under 200 Clicks
- CorvSport Original: Real-Time Dealer-To-Dealer Wholesale C8 Corvette Sales
- In The Ring: Join CorvSport’s No-Reserve vs Reserve Corvette Auction Battle
- Corvette Bargain Hunting: How Cheap Are The C7 Grand Sports?
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In The CorvSport Ring: Bout #7
The No-Reserve vs. Reserve Corvette Battle
ROUND ONE
♦ In The No-Reserve Corner:
- 1967 Corvette Convertible L71 427/435 4-Speed
- Miles: 83k shown
- Date Sold: 10/13/2025
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Reserve Corner:
- 1967 Corvette Convertible L71 427/435 4-Speed
- Miles: 17k shown
- Date Sold: 6/17/2025
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round One Decision Goes To!
The RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- Reserve Sales Price: $96,500
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $93,000
- Reserve Bids: 41
- No-Reserve Bids: 28
- Reserve Views: 13,827
- No-Reserve Views: 12,783
ROUND TWO
♦ In The No-Reserve Corner:
- 1995 Corvette ZR-1
- Miles: 23,479
- Date Sold: 10/01/2025
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Reserve Corner:
- 1995 Corvette ZR-1
- Miles: 38,537
- Date Sold: 8/10/2025
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round Two Decision Goes To!
The NO-RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $35,000
- Reserve Sales Price: $32,250
- No-Reserve Bids: 33
- Reserve Bids: 34
- No-Reserve Views: 8,098
- Reserve Views: 7,725
ROUND THREE
♦ In The No-Reserve Corner:
- 1990 Corvette ZR-1
- Miles: 24,098
- Date Sold: 9/29/2025
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Reserve Corner:
- 1990 Corvette ZR-1
- Miles: 23,465
- Date Sold: 9/14/2025
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round Three Decision Goes To!
The RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- Reserve Sales Price: $25,600
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $25,000
- Reserve Bids: 24
- No-Reserve Bids: 25
- Reserve Views: 9,988
- No-Reserve Views: 7,748
BOUT #7 Summary
The beatdown from the reserve Corvettes continues, with two out of the three rounds going to the sellers who decided to put a bottom dollar on what they would take for their ‘Vette. Did you see how close round three was?!? How about that running tally, and did you have any preconceived notions? Thank you for joining us today. As always, it’s worth noting that CorvSport recognizes this is not a scientific study and is primarily intended for entertainment purposes. While we attempted to find nearly identical models with sale dates and miles that are close to each other, the auction market databases do limit how perfect our comparisons can be.
In The CorvSport Ring: Running Tally
[Updated and archived after every episode–click each bout to see the whole fight]
- BOUT #1 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 1 Reserve 2
- BOUT #2 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 1 Reserve 2
- BOUT #3 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 2 Reserve 1
- BOUT #4 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 1 Reserve 2
- BOUT #5 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 0 Reserve 3
- BOUT #6 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 2 Reserve 1
- BOUT #7 High Sales Scorecard: No-Reserve 1 Reserve 2
- Running Tally: No-Reserve 8 Reserve 13
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