・As powerful, fast and attractive as many more expensive supercars

・Well-specified example with many optional extras and aftermarket upgrades

・Much recent work undertaken

Introduced in 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette is one of America’s few contributions to the sports-car field, but it’s also its greatest, most popular and longest-lived, with production spanning eight decades. Of course, it has evolved through a number of incarnations to keep up to date with technology and styling fashions and keep abreast with competition. The sixth-generation (C6) model was launched for the 2005 model year and remained in production until 2013, giving America’s blue-collar supercar a fresh lease of life.

Apart from its revised styling (it was the first Corvette since 1962 to feature exposed headlights), the C6 boasted improved suspension, a more spacious interior and a larger engine compared to its predecessor. The prodigiously powerful six-litre LS2 V8 would produce 400bhp and propel it to 186mph, but this was replaced for the 2008 model year with the 6.2-litre LS3 V8, giving an even more impressive 430bhp. This was just one of a number of improvements for 2008, which also included the six-speed automatic gearbox being upgraded for quicker shifts and a steering system designed to give a better feel for the road.

While Corvettes are occasionally subject to derisory stereotyping from advocates of their European supercar rivals, which portray American engineering as crude and unrefined, with great power but terrible handling, the C6 blew any such misconceptions out of the water with its enviable competition record. The C6.R racing version was developed to compete in international sports-car races and débuted in the 12 Hours of Sebring in 2005, where it finished second and third in class, just behind an Aston Martin DBR9. Subsequently, it went on to win both American Le Mans GT1 Championships – Teams and Manufacturers – in 2006, before going on to class wins in the 2007 12 Hours of Sebring and the 2011 and 2012 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The Corvette has always stood for affordable power and, today, a second-hand C6 is a cheaper alternative to European supercars which are its equal in looks and performance.

While there is no early history with the car, it was sold new to Dubai, hence the Arabic script on the door-mirror and tyre information label, where its owner had it tailored to his bespoke requirements.

The vendor imported it in December, 2020, to enjoy after the lockdown forced him to wind down his chauffeuring business, but it is now being offered for sale as he has since also imported a Mustang.

In addition to the V5, the Corvette comes with its import papers and an MoT certificate with no advisories from February. It has recently been entrusted to AD Car Care of Wimbledon for some maintenance and fettling, with an invoice for £1742 covering the cost of a new O2 pipe, brake hose, air-conditioning pipe and set of spark plugs.

A set of 3 keys is also included on the sale.

The Corvette’s interior presents very well, having just been subjected to a professional refurbishment, which included the replacement of the sill plates and the elbow-rests on the doors. The eye-catching red-and-black leather upholstery is in excellent condition and exceptionally comfortable. The steering wheel, fascia and centre console all present very well, appearing at first glance to be as good as new, although some very small marks are apparent upon closer inspection. After 81,000 miles, the condition of the floor mats is especially good; it doesn’t look like muddy shoes have been anywhere near them.

The multitude of dash controls and switches are in full working order, now the vendor has had a fault with the air-conditioning repaired. Additionally, the car benefits from an upgraded stereo with new Bose speakers. The boot is as clean and well-preserved as the passenger space, and included in the sale is a removable blind which can be stretched beneath the rear window to keep the sun off luggage.

Cosmetically, the Corvette has clearly been very well cared-for, with just a few barely-perceptible paint blemishes which any car is entitled to carry at 13 years old. Its appearance is enhanced by a number of extras and accessories which a previous owner specified, most notable of which is the wide-body kit which really makes the car hug the ground and gives it something of an aggressive look. Unfortunately, because the kit is so low to the ground, it and the front spoiler are the parts of the car most susceptible to superficial wear, but what chips and scratches they have acquired are only really visible when the car is on a ramp. The bodywork, of course, is fibreglass, so rust will never be a problem.

The alloy wheels are also aftermarket items and appear immaculate, set off by Punisher centre caps and sporting new tyres.

Bidders should note that the Z06 badges are for appearance only and do not denote Z06 mechanical specification.

The Corvette’s 6.2-litre V8 appears to be in superb order, rumbling away healthily with a mildly threatening tone. The vendor praises it for its all-round driveability, which is significant considering he frequently has to deal with the rigours of London traffic and not all high-performance cars behave well in slow traffic conditions.

After a flawless MoT, a full service and a lot of recent expenditure, it would seem that the Corvette needs nothing to do and is all ready to be used and enjoyed. Recent expenditure covers new brakes and a new battery and alternator. It also benefits from an aftermarket Borla exhaust system and upgraded front and rear lights.

Bidders should note that the engine cover reads ‘Corvette 5.7L’, but the 5.7-litre LS1 V8 was not used in Corvettes after 2004.

A criticism often levelled at more modern cars is that they lack any kind of identity of their own. Not so the Corvette: here is a car which unmistakably hails from the land of V8s and remains quite distinct from everything else in the supercar field. While one’s preference for a Corvette or a supercar in the more conventional European vein might always be a matter of purely individual taste, it has to be said that there is something uniquely satisfying about an American V8. The glorious, deep idle, the willingness to spin rubber and their relative accessibility compared to their more exotic counterparts are characteristics which have historically attracted people to American cars. Now that cultural identities within the automotive world are being eroded, it’s reassuring to know that the American identity has survived in Corvettes like this.

With a strong American car scene in Britain and an active enthusiast following in the Classic Corvette Club UK, there are plenty of opportunities to enjoy this Corvette in the company of like-minded owners, or simply drive it whenever you fancy, in the town or the country. It’ll be up to the job, however you want to use it.

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