Welcome to the fourth bout of In The CorvSport Ring, another exclusive from CorvSport, your leading digital Corvette magazine for all things different, fun, and educational. Every few weeks, you’re going to hear the announcer say, “Ladies and gentlemen, let’s get ready to rumble!” And we’re not talking the rumble of your Corvette’s exhaust, but the rumble between no-reserve and reserve Corvette auctions. Today’s feature, along with the majority of CorvSport’s digital content, is FREE and not behind a paywall. If/when any pop-ups appear, please click to dismiss them and continue enjoying the article.
For the fourth installment, we visit the online behemoth Bring a Trailer and find six more Corvettes to duke it out in our virtual ring. Our methodology is straightforward: Find three pairs of near-identical ‘Vettes, one with a reserve, one without, and pit each duo against each other for a three-round bout.
In our virtual boxing ring, CorvSport will attempt to answer these questions:
- Do no-reserve auctions with no bottom dollar floor garner more bids?
- Will a no-reserve auction generate more views and excitement?
- And most importantly, do no-reserve auctions bring more money?!?
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Our results after the first three bouts have proved to be perplexing if you entered this series with any preconceived notions. We have the full running tally below today’s bout, but so far, the reserve Corvettes are bringing more money! Now, let’s get this heavyweight fight started.
In The CorvSport Ring: Bout #4
The No-Reserve vs. Reserve Corvette Battle
ROUND ONE
♦ In The No-Reserve Corner:
- 1996 Corvette Coupe Collector Edition 6-Speed
- Miles: 6,367
- Date Sold: 8/9/2025
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Reserve Corner:
- 1996 Corvette Coupe Collector Edition 6-Speed
- Miles: 3,738
- Date Sold: 6/16/2024
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round One Decision Goes To!
The RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- Reserve Sales Price: $28,500
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $25,500
- Reserve Bids: 29
- No-Reserve Bids: 20
- Reserve Views: 8,490
- No-Reserve Views: 7,631
ROUND TWO
♦ In The No-Reserve Corner:
- 1962 Corvette 327/360 Fuelie 4-Speed
- Miles: 76k shown
- Date Sold: 1/11/2025
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Reserve Corner:
- 1962 Corvette 327/360 Fuelie 4-Speed
- Miles: 70k shown
- Date Sold: 1/18/2025
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round Two Decision Goes To!
The RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- Reserve Sales Price: $80,000
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $75,000
- Reserve Bids: 17
- No-Reserve Bids: 39
- Reserve Views: 14,672
- No-Reserve Views: 27,664
ROUND THREE
♦ In The No-Reserve Corner:
- 1996 Corvette Grand Sport Coupe
- Miles: 22,309
- Date Sold: 8/1/2025
- Link to full listing
VS
♦ In The Reserve Corner:
- 1996 Corvette Grand Sport Coupe
- Miles: 16,524
- Date Sold: 12/15/2024
- Link to full listing
♦ And The Round Three Decision Goes To!
The NO-RESERVE Corvette Wins!
- No-Reserve Sales Price: $47,000
- Reserve Sales Price: $31,000
- No-Reserve Bids: 19
- Reserve Bids: 16
- No-Reserve Views: 6,052
- Reserve Views: 7,601
BOUT #4 Summary
Woah, did that 1996 no-reserve Grand Sport blow out the lower mileage example, or what? The marketing and presentation of the $47,000 no-reserve GS was awesome, but was that the only reason? How many of the results surprised you? And how about that running tally, with the reserve Corvettes up by two over the no-reserve Vettes? 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 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
- Running Tally: No-Reserve 5 Reserve 7
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