There were many emission regulations and severe economic downfall and rise. Further, the fuel crisis in the 1970s caused many of the world’s most capable sports cars to suffer from performance issues.

This led to the production of the C3 Corvette, which was much underpowered. Further, the chassis was overweight, leading to poor driving performance. However, things need to change to bring back the American icon.

This is when Chevrolet paired with General Motors, known best for its military Humvee, to develop the C4 Corvette jointly.

They launched this vehicle at the end of 1983 and went on sale in 1984. This is when the Corvette regained its greatness. However, why are C4 Corvettes so cheap?

Story of The Development of the C4 Corvette

The company took a major turn when chief engineer Dave McClellan took over Zora ArkusDuntov. He was recognized as the father of Corvette.

Moreover, he took over in 1975 and brought tons of strategic changes to the company to see the rise of American iconic sports cars again.

Further, this leads to outselling all other sports cars worldwide and becoming the American icon again.

The C4 Corvette was replaced by the C5 Corvette. Moreover, the C4 was so successful that it was sold for 12 years before being replaced by the C5 Corvette.

So, are you thinking of bringing a c4 corvette in your car garage while the prices are comparatively cheap?

You need to know what comes in the package with the cheap price tag. Below, we will discuss the package explaining why C4 Corvettes are so cheap.

The C4 Corvette

Sure, the C4 Corvettes aren’t the best-looking sports car in the market. Further, they are not even the best performing sports car in the market.

However, they are among the cheapest sports cars to purchase today. A good-conditioned C4 Corvette can be had for less than $10,000.

However, you cannot judge a car by its cheap price tag. The C4 Corvette was one of the best-listed motor vehicles in 1984 and won the Car of the Year tag.

The earlier C4 Corvette produced around 205 horsepower. Sure, this is not very high horsepower compared to other sports cars.

Moreover, the old C4 Corvette had a 5.7-liter V8 engine that had reliability issues, too. It had a cross-fire fuel injection problem.

It also had a four-speed automatic gearbox and an electric overdrive on the forward three gears.

The C4 Corvette’s body style was boring. It had a one-piece removable top and a Targa-style roof. The interior style of the C4 Corvette was chunky. It featured a digital display, which was one of the rages in the 1980s.

The company noticed some severe problems with the old-school problematic crossfire injection system.

Therefore, they changed the system to tune port injection. This was beneficial for the engine and dismissed the reliability issues.

Further, a slight bump in horsepower resulted in 230 combined horsepower. This means the new injection system gave the Corvette a bump in horsepower of about 25.

Later, the suspension system was also softened as the previous complained about a firmer suspension. Car magazines and reviewers trashed the old suspension.

The ride was uncomfortable, and the cabin was jerky. This meant that long-distance traveling became a big no for the old Corvette.

Therefore, they decided to change the structure of the old firm suspension and make it softer so that it could comfortably handle bumps.

However, some people preferred the firmer, heavy-duty Z51 suspension. Therefore, they did not fully eliminate the firm suspension and kept it as an option for those who wanted to have them.

SEE MORE: C4 Corvette Years To Avoid

The Return of Corvette Convertible

In the 1980s, the Corvette convertible was introduced, and it gained a lot of success. Further, it featured several advanced engineering features that impressed car enthusiasts.

The 1980 convertible Corvette featured an all-new ABS system. ABS stands for the anti-lock braking system and is a revolutionary feature for protecting against car thieves.

Other features, too, like a full aluminum chassis, eliminated one of the major complaints of the older C4 Corvette, which was its weight.

The cheap Corvette has some problems, too. A cheaper price tag means the build quality wasn’t that great. Let’s see some problems below.

The Problems of Cheap C4 Corvette

People often wonder why C4 Corvettes are so cheap. Cheaper products also have some drawbacks, which we will discuss now.

The interior of the C4 Corvette feels cheap and inexpensive. The build quality isn’t that great, and the Bose music system is not workable.

Moreover, the headlights are unreliable and can be damaged due to normal wear and tear. There are tons of other problems which you can find in research, too.

Conclusion

Now you know why C4 Corvettes are so cheap. However, you cannot judge a book by its cover.

The C4 Corvette was one of the American masterpieces. It featured many impeccable features, like an anti-lock braking system and a full-body aluminum chassis that made the car lighter.

Moreover, the C4 Corvette eliminated the injection system problem and increased horsepower.

It featured a digital display, one of the selling points in the 1980s. It also featured a convertible system and softer suspension for a comfortable ride.

However, the cheap price tag resulted in a poor-quality interior and subpar build quality. This is why the C4 Corvette was so cheap.