In 2003, Chevrolet had reason to celebrate. The iconic Corvette – the absolute definition of an affordable American sports car – reached its 50th birthday, bur rather than cracking out the champagne, General Motors celebrated by introducing a very special version of the fifth-generation ‘Vette.
 
Finished in a unique colour, Anniversary Red, the C5 50th Anniversary had a shale-coloured roof and matching interior, along with Magnetic Selective Ride Suspension as standard. Around 10,000 anniversary editions were built and were sold at around $5,000 above the fully-loaded non-anniversary models. Only around 2856 of those were in convertible, manual flavour like the one we see here.
 
This 50th Anniversary Corvette Convertible has a 346 cu-in (5.7-litre) V8 motor producing 350 bhp and 360 lb.ft of torque, a Borg-Warner 6-speed manual transmission and a limited slip differential.

0-60 takes just 4.9 seconds and top speed is around 180mph. These figures are good in 2024, but were near supercar performance when the car was new.
 
The car was first registered in March 2004 in the small lakeside town of Skaneateles in upstate New York, USA. Two years later its second owner took it further north to Fairport on the southern shores of Lake Ontario. This owner kept the car for 12 years before it was acquired by the third owner, also in New York state but further east in Delanson near Albany.
 
It was only a few months before owner number four took possession. They lived on Staten Island, one of the five boroughs of New York City. A year later, it moved south again to Greensboro in North Carolina.
 
In August 2020, less than a year on from its move to NC, it was sold through RK Motors in Charlotte, North Carolina, to its first UK owner. Now with the second UK owner, a passionate collector of American classics, the car shows just over 6,600 miles from new and has always been in the hands of Corvette collectors. The mileage is validated by a Carfax report from the USA and MOT certificates from the UK. It’s a stunning, original car presented with lots of paperwork and in collector-quality condition.

 

Whichever angle you view it from, this car is absolutely stunning. A proper, original, collector-quality example in almost spotless condition. Look closely and there a couple of tiny stone chips, but that’s it. No damage, no paint deterioration and the alloy wheels are perfect.

It is finished in the specially developed Anniversary Red - a lustrous burgundy colour with aluminium-oxide flakes under a tinted clear-coat. This coating really shows off the curves and lines of the car as it catches the light, and it positively glows. In addition to the Anniversary Pack, it also has the optional body-coloured side mouldings.
 
The standard crossed-flags motifs on the nose and boot are complemented by a 50th Anniversary script on the roundel, as well as logos featuring a more obvious 50th logo on the front wings. There’s also a 50th logo on a chromed plate between the two halves of the quad tailpipes.

The C5 sits on its original five-spoke alloy wheels finished in the anniversary-special Warm Nickel metallic; 17-inches at the front and 18-inches on the driven rear axle. All are in excellent condition, unmarked and are fitted with Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres, which are the correct OEM specification for the car and were replaced in 2021.
 
Inside, outside and underneath, it’s in fabulous condition. The Shale roof, which is erected manually but very easily, is as-new. It also comes with two sets of 50th Anniversary floor mats – one set to use and another completely perfect set for show use. That’s the level of detail we’re looking at here…
 
The two-tone shale leather upholstery is almost as-new - a lighter shale leather covers the seats, with perforated leather facings, and lower half of the interior. The seats are soft and supple and show zero wear of any note. A darker shale tone covers the dash, centre console and upper doors. Between and behind the seats, a body-coloured stanchion sports a large Corvette crossed flags badge.
 
The 50th Anniversary logo is much in evidence again inside - picked out in embroidery on the headrests and floor mats, and also printed on the main instrument faces. It is a well-appointed cabin, with dual zone climate control, head up display and a CD Radio playing through Bose speakers.
 

The Corvette’s engine starts on the button, running smoothly and powerfully with a subtle but noticeable growl coming out of the quad tailpipes. It drives as well as it sounds too, although we suspect that its seven owners, five Stateside and two in the UK, have always treated it with respect as a modern collectible.
 
Open the front-hinged bonnet and the engine bay is showroom spotless, such is the cleanliness of the engine bay, with all the components still looking as if they’re fresh from the factory.
 
Even the underside of the car tells a story of limited use - and likely only in good weather too. Aside from a little surface rust on the track-rods, everything else looks clean and almost like new, with only a light smattering of road dirt.
 
This one is a real gem – a proper collector’s piece, as well as a significant part of Corvette history.

BEFORE YOU BUY 

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