Model year 2004 would mark the end of an era for the Corvette, as its eight-year, fifth-generation run would come to a conclusion. But Chevrolet pulled something special out of its sleeve for that final year: A car that paid homage to a memorable Le Mans race win. The Pick of the Day is a 2004 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible listed for sale on ClassicCars.com by a private seller in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
As a Commemorative Edition car, this ‘Vette was designed to honor Corvette Racing’s C5-R “GTS” class victories at the 2004 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The #64 C5-R car secured the victory, followed by the #63 sister car. Both used modified 427ci V-8s that were tuned by Katech Engine Development to around 600 horsepower.
According to production number data published by Corvsport, there were a total of 6,813 road-going Le Mans tribute cars made for the general public after that important race. The breakdown includes 2,659 convertibles, 2,129 coupes, and 2,025 Z06 hardtops. All came equipped with the obligatory Le Mans Blue Metallic paint (code 19), Shale leather interior with embroidered headrests, and special badging.
The window sticker shows that this drop-top was originally delivered to (now defunct) TJH Chevrolet of Moorestown, New Jersey. It calls out a few options on top of the standard vehicle price of $50,735: Memory Package, Twilight Sentinel, electrochromic mirrors, head-up display, power-telescoping steering wheel, and 3.15-ratio performance axle.
“Accident-free; never smoked in,” the listing says. The convertible top is said to be in excellent condition, and features include pop-up headlights, fog lamps, power-adjustable side mirrors, and quad oval exhaust outlets.
Interior features include a Bose audio system, CD player, power-adjustable memory seats, cruise control, and dual-zone automatic climate control.
The Shale leather bucket seats wear commemorative embroidery, as shown above.
Under the hood is an LS1 5.7-liter V-8 (350 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque) mated to a four-speed automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential. The listing says that the car has been meticulously maintained.
Le Mans Commemorative Edition Corvettes are readily recognizable, highly capable sports cars with a strong racing pedigree. It isn’t every day you come across one with just 23,519 miles on the odometer, so here’s your chance to own a collector-grade C5. The asking price is $26,995.
Click here to view this Pick of the Day on ClassicCars.com
