All-In: Five US motors for the cost of one ‘Vette
August 10, 2019
With the unveiling of the new Chevrolet Corvette C8 last month we got to thinking: what other cars could you buy for the same money? Then, we thought specifically what other American cars could you buy for the same money. But why limit yourself to just one? For the cash, you could bag a bevy of brawny beasts, so that obviously led our petrol-addled brains to ask how many American cars could you buy for the same money? The base model 2020 C8 retails at $60,000. That’s the equivalent of around £50,000 and by all means that’s pretty cheap in the grand scheme of things, it’s certainly considerably less than two of its closest rivals; the Porsche 911 and the Audi R8.
Realistically, what’s the point in buying a car as iconic as the Corvette only to settle for the bog-standard version? Why have vanilla when you can have Neapolitan? No, no, no. Ice cream analogies aside, imagine your abject disappointment as you pull up next to the guy who spent that little bit extra, ticking the box on the order form that said ‘Z51 Performance Package’. You watch as he gets the girl, saves the day and promptly disappears over the horizon in a cloud of tyre smoke, leaving you to ponder your life choices. We’ve done some man-maths and guestimated that by the time you’ve added on all of the bells and whistles to make it a worthwhile purchase, including engine and suspension upgrades, aesthetic tweaks and the like, you’re looking at upwards of $90,000, or around £75,000 in real money. So with that in mind, here are five American cars you can buy for the same price as a brand new Chevrolet Corvette.
No American car list is complete without the inclusion of the perennial Ford Mustang but you’ll need to be specific to keep within budget. Late sixties cars are the most popular and therefore will be too expensive and you’re obviously not going to be aiming at the Bullitt 390GT here but you can still rope a decent pony for around the £25K mark. Early seventies Fastbacks remain achievable for reasonable money and they are rising in value as they become more collectible. Mid-sixties matching number cars are also available in good condition for the kind of cash we’re talking about. Just steer clear of anything from the eighties and nineties – these were dark times for the Mustang. This 1970 Mach 1 looks good.
Budget: £25,000
We love big trucks here at Car and Classic, especially if they come equipped with equally large V8 engines, and a good chunk of your Corvette money can buy you a lovely C10 pick-up. Late sixties and early seventies vehicles are pretty bullet-proof and cheap to run thanks to road tax exemption and classic insurance policies. They’re also relatively simple affairs and therefore easy to spanner on if you’re that way inclined. Condition will obviously vary with price and rust is always a factor to take into consideration, but there are good examples out there and they’re not as hard to find as you might think. These salt of the earth pick-up trucks are both usable and practical with the ability to effortlessly turn heads, but full nut and bolt restos will be pricey. This 1969 example looks like an honest truck for the money.
Budget: up to £15,000
One of the biggest names when it comes to the American automobile industry, cars produced by GM’s luxury vehicle brand were reserved as playthings for the rich and famous. How can we ever forget Elvis Presley’s pink 1955 Cadillac Fleetwood? You won’t be driving anything quite as austere if you’re hoping to acquire all five of the cars in this list, but what you can do is realise that dream of being a gangster rapper that you never knew you had and get an Escalade. Immortalised in many a hip-hop music video, the hefty SUV from Cadillac is big, brash and quite frankly a little preposterous, but then this is a list of American cars we’re talking about here. We found this one under budget as it needs a few minor fixes.
Budget: £10,000
Just because you’re not buying a brand new one doesn’t mean we still can’t actually include a Corvette in the list and in this price bracket that means you’re best off with the fourth or fifth generation C4s and C5s, which were produced from 1984 to 1996 and 1997 to 2004 respectively. Opinions vary but we simply adore the eighties ‘Vettes with the digital dash – they look like Corvettes are supposed to look, all pointy and sleek. Good C5s will be a tad more expensive, but with a higher price tag comes a better driving experience overall. It all comes down to individual taste but this red (obviously) C4 ticks all the boxes and it’s a manual to boot.
Budget: £15,000
It was a toss-up between this and the Chevrolet El Camino for the fifth spot on our list, but seeing as we’ve already included two Chevrolets, the Ford won out this time. Besides, the Ranchero came first, leaving GM to play catch-up. Born from melting sedan aesthetics with the utilitarian practicality of a truck, the Ranchero was a huge success for Ford and went on to enjoy a twenty-two year production run. Characterful, fun and rare enough to make waves wherever they go, fifties models look the coolest by far and dip within our budget. This 1959 model certainly looks the part and has some choice upgrades.
Budget: £10,000
Total spend: £73,239
