Does Paint Color Impact What Your Corvette Is Worth?

If you’re thinking of buying a Corvette or upgrading the paint color on your current one, it’s important to consider how the color can affect its value, condition, maintenance and many other factors. As a luxury car enthusiast, you’ve likely seen many Corvettes and other popular sports cars with colors that either draw your attention or make you avoid them altogether.

While every owner has a different preference for color, this alone can actually directly impact how much your Corvette is worth. In this post, we’ll discuss painting Corvettes, which colors have the highest resale value and how to choose which color is right for you.

Does the Color of a Car Affect the Price?

The short answer is, yes! Paint color does affect the worth and value of your Corvette. In a comparison study conducted by Hagerty, it was determined that many colors actually perform very poorly in Corvette sales, which means the value of those cars is much lower than more popular colors. To put this in perspective, consider how the exterior paint color of your home might affect its selling price.

For example, a home that has a common and subdued paint color, such as a beige, tan, cream, white, or beige shade, will likely be much more enticing to potential homebuyers than if you were to paint your home a bright purple or lime green. This is because purple and lime-green colors are not what most buyers and residents look for in a home.

Though popular paint colors differ when it comes to houses and luxury sports cars, the color you choose can absolutely impact how much your Corvette is worth if you ever go to sell it.

What Color Corvette Has the Best Resale Value?

The Hagerty comparison poll pulled data from all Corvettes sold at auctions within the last decade, which included about 1,700 total transactions. Among these transactions, the study found that the median premium for each major color group indicated white as the most valuable Corvette color, followed by yellow, purple and red. On the other hand, colors like brown, green, copper and bronze had the least resale value.

The study also compared the price differences by the number of transactions to see if other colors would come out on top. With this change, the most popular Corvette colors became red, white and blue. Yellow, silver and black follow close behind.

This study also examined the median sale price of these transactions and found that red, the most common color, sold for about $843 more than all other colors, followed by white with a $636 premium. The third most valuable color is blue, with a premium of $411. Green was revealed to be the least valuable, with a median discount of $170. Of course, there are many shades of each of these colors that need to be considered in terms of value and popularity.

How to Choose a Paint Color for Your Corvette

So, what is the best color on a Corvette? When it comes to deciding on a paint color, there are many factors to consider aside from simply choosing your favorite shade. While purchasing a new or used Corvette, or simply making modifications to your current Corvette, is undoubtedly exciting for all vehicle owners, this can often lead to making a hasty decision without considering the long-term effects.

As with any type of vehicle modification, be sure to assess the following factors before you change the paint color on your Corvette or buy one that has a less valuable color.

Personal Preference

While your personal preference should not be the only factor you consider, it can definitely contribute to your decision. After all, you should enjoy the color of your Corvette and be excited when you drive it down the street.

For example, you may want a monochrome look and still go with a basic yet classy color, such as white, black, silver or grey. On the other hand, you may want your Corvette to draw attention from crowds and decide to go with a bolder and stronger hue, such as red, yellow or orange.

Keep your ideal color in mind when reading through the other considerations below.

Resale Value

Once you get your hands on your Corvette, reselling it down the line may be the very last thing on your mind, particularly if it’s your dream car. However, it’s always wise to consider how the paint color will impact the resale value over time.

Even if you properly maintain and care for your vehicle for years on end, there may be a time when your Corvette no longer meets your personal or family needs or you decide to purchase another classic vehicle. In this case, you may regret opting for a not-so-popular paint choice that drastically decreases your Corvette’s resale value.

Style of Car

As you know, there are many different Corvette models available on the market today. From a vintage C1 from the 1950s to a C8 designed for the next generation in 2020, there are many different colors, styles, models, and modifications to choose from.

The style of car you own or decide to purchase may influence the paint color you choose. For example, if you own a red vintage Corvette, you may want to refresh the vehicle with a new coat of red paint but keep it the same color or similar red color as close to the original as possible.

Maintenance

As with any vehicle, maintaining the paint color on your Corvette can be quite a task. Some darker shades, like black and red, tend to show off dirt, scratches and dried rain more easily than lighter colors, so you may have to wash and buff your Corvette more often depending on the paint color you choose. However, if you’re willing to deal with more hassle maintaining the paintwork and performing regular waxes, darker shades may be a better choice for you.

Heat

Because darker colors absorb more energy and UV rays than lighter colors, research suggests that darker vehicle paint colors absorb more heat than lighter colors. This can make the outside of your vehicle potentially much hotter when left in direct sunlight or outdoors in a hot climate.

Darker colors, especially black, retain heat, which can also draw more heat into the inside of your car when you get in to drive. Lighter colors, however, tend to reflect heat.

Cost

Like any other modification you make to your classic Corvette, certain paint colors may come at higher costs than others. For instance, you may want a glossy, matte, pearlescent or another type of hue that goes beyond the standard colors, which means you may have to pay a higher rate.

Keep Your Corvette Looking Fresh With Top Flight Automotive

Once you decide on a color for your Corvette, you want to ensure you take the utmost care of your vehicle to keep both the interior and exterior in top condition. At Top Flight Automotive, we are your one-stop shop for all Corvette parts and tools. With our industry expertise and quality parts, you can maintain your vehicle’s paint color with confidence. Whether you need to touch up your paint color or find a new indoor car cover to pamper your car’s finish, we can help you find what you’re looking for.

To learn more about keeping your Corvette running smoothly and looking brand new, shop online for the parts and tools to help extend your vehicle’s life.