Chevrolet Corvette
As with a mutual fund, a car's past performance doesn't
guarantee future results. But today's Corvette comes close.
Since its debut in 1951, the original Corvette design has
spawned classic after classic. Think of the '50s convertible
with the proto-Nike swoosh carved into the door panels. Or
the '60s Stingray, as in demand today as it was decades ago.
Even the once-ridiculed '70s models are now attracting
collectors, according to Lentinello of Hemmings Motor
News. In short, the Corvette deserves to be called the
quintessential American sports car.
As for the future desirability of today's Corvette,
Lentinello is very optimistic, especially with regard to the
souped-up Z06 hardtop, relatively few of which will be
produced and which offers performance on a par with cars
that cost far more than the $48,000 you'd pay for one. (The
powerful but basic convertible goes for $46,805.) It still
evokes the classic Corvette look -- "long, lean and low," in
the words of one owner I spoke with. And unlike many sports
cars that emerge as watered-down versions of a concept car,
this design still has a futuristic feel several years after
being introduced. Some people no doubt see it as a
caricature of sports cars, with its brawny rear, steeply
sloped pitch and Batmobile-esque cockpit. But somehow it all
comes together gracefully, even sublimely.
Odds: Excellent -- the blue chip of American sports cars
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