The yearly production numbers might paint a terrible picture for Corvette fans when documenting the 1970 model year, but the main reason for this Chevrolet model to sell only 17,316 had nothing to do with its customer appeal.
The UAW strike caused the production to start later than planned, and the Corvette wasn’t the only model eventually impacted. However, the 1970 model year recorded the lowest production numbers since 1962.
On the other hand, the Corvette was also more expensive than ever, with the base coupe now available for at least $5,292. The convertible still sold for less than $5K, but at $4,849, the base configuration was still considered too expensive.
Most Corvettes that rolled off the assembly lines this year were coupes – approximately 61% of the entire production, with the convertible accounting for only 6,648 units.
The 1970 Corvette 454 in these photos landed on eBay with an intriguing promise. It’s a “true survivor” powered by a matching numbers 454 transmission paired with a 4-speed manual transmission. The car spent most of its life in Indiana, as the current family bought it from a dentist living in the same state who needed to sell the vehicle to pay for his daughter’s college.
Motorvault posted the Corvette on eBay, claiming the paint you see on the body is Mulsanne Blue finish sprayed by Chevrolet before it rolled off the assembly lines – hats off for the images, as their impressive quality makes it easy to inspect the car thoroughly without an in-person inspection; plus, it makes the Vette look gorgeous, confirming that patina fans could retain its current look without a respray.
The garage says the Corvette has recently received $4,696 maintenance service, so it now comes with a new battery, new oil, new spark plugs, and other miscellaneous parts that keep the car in good shape. It turns and drives, so you should be able to take it anywhere on its wheels.
It’ll certainly be interesting to see how fast this Corvette sells, but the selling price could be a problem, especially for someone who wants to start a restoration project (which could cost extra money so that the final price would be bigger). The garage will let this Vette go for $32,000, and the price is firm, as the Make Offer option is not available.
It’s an optimistic expectation, but someone who wants to drive this Corvette as it is without a full overhaul might consider it the right car, especially because the interior doesn’t require anything else but small occasional touches. It’ll be interesting to see what happens with this Corvette, but meanwhile, anyone can see it in person in Indianapolis, Indiana. The buyer won’t need transportation to take it home unless they live far from this location.