Quote:

Corvettes were never inexpensive cars, but Corvettes from the eighties were especially pricey. From Lincoln Highway 101, Second Edition:

None of this impressive equipment and capability came at all cheap. Despite being Chevrolets and thus theoretically part of the Detroit manufacturer’s traditional “low-priced three,” Corvettes have never been inexpensive cars. When they debuted at $3,744.55 in 1953—a lofty and aspirational price when every other Chevrolet model’s base price was between $1,524 and $2,273—the first Corvettes cost as much as or more than some Cadillacs, Lincolns, Packards, and Porsches of the day. Eighties Corvettes were even pricier in constant dollars—Lauren’s base price with destination charge was $24,878 (approximately $57,800 in 2017 dollars).