If you’re in the business of buying and selling memorabilia like trading cards or vintage toys, your most sought-after pieces would be those that are undamaged, untouched, and still in their original packaging. The same applies to cars, with lower-mileage examples in pristine condition generally securing the highest prices. However, take that ideal to its extremes, and it gets a bit ridiculous, as demonstrated by this Corvette on Bring a Trailer.
Yes, this listing is pure bait for the New Balance brigade. It’s a 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 convertible with the 70th Anniversary Edition package. Corvette buyers can’t get enough of special editions, so this one’s already an attractive specimen—even if it’s finished in the least interesting color option of White Pearl Metallic. It’s got the 5.5-liter LT6 V8 good for 670 horsepower, an electronic LSD, and the 3LZ equipment group, which gets you some nice leather touches in the interior and a better sound system. The real magic, though, is that this example is about as untouched as you can get. It’s still wrapped in its delivery diaper, it’s got just 4 miles on the clock, and it still has the plastic on the seats. It’s the Extra Extra Virgin Olive Oil [EEVOO] of Corvettes.
![Vidframe Min Top](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/vidframe_min_top1.png)
![Vidframe Min Bottom](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/vidframe_min_bottom1.png)
As you might suspect by the car’s unspoiled condition, it’s actually being sold by a dealership. Rather than going through the usual sales channels, the dealer has instead elected to list the vehicle on Bring a Trailer. The idea seems to be to secure a higher sale price via the auction process than would otherwise be achieved by selling the car in the usual manner. It’s an interesting move, and one that perhaps was made in response to the prevalence of owners flipping high-demand vehicles of late.
![2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible B7393706 7f8b 4454 A7f5 32e21c7a130d 5mcma7 38208 38210 Scaled](https://images-stag.jazelc.com/uploads/theautopian-m2en/2023_chevrolet_corvette-z06-convertible_2023_chevrolet_corvette-z06-convertible_b7393706-7f8b-4454-a7f5-32e21c7a130d-5McmA7-38208-38210-scaled-1.webp)
Notably, the dealership hopes to guard against the buyer flipping the vehicle after purchase. The listing states that the car will not be sold “to a broker, a wholesale dealer, or a retail dealer,” and that it must be sold and registered in the US. The dealership also expects the buyer to hold on to the vehicle for a minimum of six months, or else the factory warranty will be considered null and void for the new subsequent owner.
Fundamentally, it’s a sweet deal for potential bidders. You get a Corvette in white (yawn), you get to pay over and above the recommended retail price, and you get an onerous condition placed on the vehicle for six months. What’s not to love? Plus, don’t forget the dust and dirt that it comes with, despite the original delivery covers being intact.
Oh, and before you get too excited about it being fresh in original packaging, just know that someone has been in there poking around before you. The cover has been lifted in places to take photographs for the sale listing, particularly at the rear. In response to questions about the condition of the vehicle under the cover, the selling dealer also noted that the car has been looked over. “We have fully inspected the car as it came off the carrier with three of our most experienced managers and are certain the vehicle has no transportation issues,” said the dealer in a comment on Bring a Trailer.
For a certain kind of buyer, picking up a car that hasn’t been through the usual pre-delivery process can be alluring. To be fair, there are some potential benefits. It does give the new owner the opportunity to have the car detailed for the first time in the manner of their choice, rather than leaving it to the whims of the dealership staff and their potentially dirty soap buckets. Plus, you can drive it to your golf club with the pre-delivery cover still on and listen to it rustling in the wind. Then you can bask in the jealous stares of your fellow clubgoers, none of whom have a unique 70th Anniversary ZO6Â in White Pearl Metallic with the plastic still on the seats.
If you’re getting the general sarcastic thrust here, it’s because cars are supposed to be used and enjoyed. Carpenters would laugh uproariously at a fellow tradesperson who kept their special hammer in its original plastic, never to strike a nail. It’s the same case for cars; they’re born to run. They’re not supposed to be left in the packet like a limited-edition Star Wars action figure.
In this case, though, with such low mileage and the wrapper still on, this Corvette is in serious danger of becoming a… *shudders*… investment. Of course, most astute investment bankers will tell you that conventional investing strategies generally perform far better than a low-mileage car stashed in a garage. That doesn’t stop people from trying, though. There are plenty of beautiful, high-performance vehicles that get bought and then immediately laid up in the hopes that they’ll appreciate to a greater sum.
Even if they do, it often amounts to a few percent per year when inflation is taken into account. At the end of it, you’re left with a clean-looking car with rotted bushes and seals and you didn’t even get the joy out of driving the thing.
At the time of writing, the bidding stands at $137,341—a full dollar more than the dealer was asking for the vehicle on the window sticker. Here’s hoping that if it does sell, it gets fired up and driven with purpose. Oh, and let’s hope they actually take the plastic off first, lest it fill up with dust, dirt, and leaves, and spoil that utterly boring paint finish. Rant over.
Serious question…
How well will that shipping cover age? Will it age well and not cause damage? Will the chemicals in the material separate out after a few years, possibly damaging the paint? Will it disintegrate after a few months of age? It it washable so that after 25 years sitting in storage, it can be cleaned to give that factory fresh appearance?
I wondered the same thing.
It’s the adhesives I worry about. That clear plastic protector that covers the gauge cluster or main center screen uses adhesive that may just become permanent after a few years. Or mar or discolor the surface under it if it sits for a decade. They’re not designed to sit for that long so you never know.
I was a porter at a honda dealer in the 90s and when a car sat for a long time, that plastic got really hard to peel off and definitely made more work for the detailers, leaving all sorts of residue behind once you managed to get it off in a thousand little fragments
This whip though, seems to not have that kind of plactic wrap, even on the wheels, and looks to just have a tyvek jacket on over everything. So probably no worry of residue there. Inside though…
I don’t know about the soft wrapper like that, but adhesive film is supposed to be taken off within six months of manufacture, otherwise I assume it harms the pain in some fashion.
On anodized metal like electronics chassis and some appliances, the adhesive eventually makes the finish blotchy. Permanently.
I clicked this article fully expecting to agree, but a dealership selling a new Corvette with the protection still on is good, actually. If this were a car from 10 years ago (or even 2, really), it’d be frustrating to see it still wrapped, but this is new.
Dealers taking new cars to auction sites is less great. Maybe it will discourage flipping, but it’s pretty much the same to the buyer: they get a Corvette at a higher price than expected. And a boring white one, even.
I can appreciate this to an extent. If I was buying a brand new Corvette, I’d want it spared the dealer’s car wash. Hopefully this would also stop them from putting their dealer plaque on the back. Yes, I’ve seen Corvettes wearing the badge of “Crazy Bob’s Chevrolet” and apparently the owners are fine with that.
But does it make it “collectible”? No.
You’d still want to get this detailed – so it’s not much different than getting it after the lot monkeys have had their way with it. The detailer would easily remove the plaque at the same time.
I’d still much rather never have them put it on in the first place.
Agreed. Just saying that the diaper-wrapped car doesn’t really offer much advantage over any other new corvette.
If you live 2000 miles away from where the auction is being held, would you rather the car be shipped to you in the plastic or not?
This isn’t like someone going in to the local Chevy store and driving their Malibu 5 miles home. This is a $150,000 car being auctioned nationwide.
This car’s like an hour from me, but I know what you’re saying. I think the guy that’s going to buy this will keep it in the wrap. I think we may see this on BAT again wearing the same diaper.
I would have the car paint corrected, etc after delivery so I’m not really sweating the dust it may gather in covered transport. Dust is really all this wrap protects from anyway. It’s not like it would prevent a scratch.
I’d be surprised to see it again, and shocked to see it wearing the plastic.
As someone in the market for this car, I follow the trends religiously.
They are making like 50 of these a day, there is no collectability to them. ADMs are disappearing fast and you’re starting to see them at sticker. This is the last gasp for flippers, by the time this car has been owned 6 months there will be zero upside to selling.
I hope you’re right.
Some of the delivery-mileage cars I’ve seen roll through BAT has me thinking that permanent wrap could be in the cards.
If you can buy one locally for MSRP, the wrap is the only difference here.
If someone pays thousands over MSRP plus transportation costs for this car, they’re spending that extra money for the wrap. I hope the diaper is numbers-matching.
numbers-matching diaper
added to lexicon
Beyond the light protection in shipping, there’s the peace of mind knowing it’s been handled/messed with less than a lot of vehicles on dealer lots.
But this is potentially going to go for as much as I have spent on all my car purchases combined, so maybe I would have a higher expectation than a person willing to pay this.
Even at 4 miles, you’re not the first butt in the seat.
Of course not, but I’d feel a little better knowing that they’d done their best to not mess with my car and keep it protected.
Definitely still give it a solid inspection and get it detailed, but it would appear they put forth an effort to keep it as pristine as they could, within reason.
I also don’t really see the issue with this. Now if, in 10 years, this pops up for sale *still* with 4 miles on the odo and in the protective wrap, that’s the issue.
Can the dealer affect the warranty in any way? It’s a manufacturer warranty the dealer just passes it along. Can the doofus actually call Ford and say no warranty on this?
I’d actually pay them to spray the car with a mild adhesive before putting the cover on so I can really peeeeeeelllllll it off when I get it. It would please me enough to ignore the auction premium, for a good while…
You using that word cringe is cringe.
I can understand the car maintaining some its wrapping up to and including delivery. If you’re buying a, “for life” car you will drive for decades, it’s easier to not have the dealership touch the paint, and take it with the wrappers directly to your preferred detailer for an immediate post-delivery paint correction prior to having the car fully PPFd.
Yes, those steps are expensive. Heck, I believe a full XPEL Ultimate job on a Z06 with Z07 package is in the neighborhood of $10,000 — excluding the paint correction!
However, what you’re doing is you’re paying “up front” to maintain all that original paint, to have it perfect, to make washing it trouble free (no putting microscratches in it!). All to ultimately prevent having to paint correct it again, and keeping as much original paint on the car as possible for as long as you own it. So all upfront instead of over time.