Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 1981 Chevrolet Corvette.
Of all the cars for me to pick on the AutoHunter auction site, my friends are likely to ask why I picked a 1981 Corvette in Frost Beige paint with a Camel leather interior. Well there is a story to that.
In the early 1980s when I was in the 8th grade, I rode the bus to school and there was a girl who lived down the street named Monique. What I remember most about her is that, even in the 8th grade, Monique had an incredible sense of style and was easily the best dressed girl at our school. She and her mom lived in a really neat mid-century modern house and parked in the garage was her mom’s Frost Beige C3 Corvette. Until that time this color was one of my least favorite car colors available, However, the Beige paint used on the late C3 Corvettes had a dramatic change depending on how the light hit it and as it got closer to dusk gave it a kind of glow that I thought looked absolutely spectacular. The C3 Corvette is the only car I like in Beige to this day, and I still think that it looks subtly elegant in a way that few C3 Vettes can.
This 1981 C3 Corvette is located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and is described by the seller as being powered by its 5.7-liter V8 engine backed by a three-speed automatic transmission. Features include power steering, four-wheel power disc brakes, power windows, a Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo, a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, removable roof panels, a power driver’s seat, and air conditioning. It is said to be a rust-free Corvette and comes from the selling dealer with a clean CARFAX report, original documents to the car, several service records, three sets of original factory GM keys, the original warranty book, the original T-top covers, the original window sticker, and a clear title.
The seller adds some details stating that this Corvette was repainted in its original factory color of Frost Beige (code 59), which is verified by the data tag. It rides on a set of 15-inch Corvette alloy wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle ST P255/60/R15 radial tires.
The interior is in the correct code 642 Camel leather and looks to be in excellent condition. If it has been recovered at some point the correct leather was used as it looks perfect. I have always loved the jet cockpit look and feel of the C3 Corvette and the newer seat design only helps increase that feeling.
The seller continues by adding that the car has its correct 85-mph speedometer, a 7,000-rpm tachometer, and gauges for the fuel level, coolant temperature, oil temperature, oil pressure, and voltage gauges. They also state that the auxiliary gauges arena the center console but that the fuel gauge does not currently work. Best of all the odometer reads 46,040 miles which the selling dealer reports to be accurate with the last reported mileage of 43,548 logged on the CARFAX report on August 5, 2008.
I know it’s Beige, but I honestly feel that the understated color completely changes the look of this C3 Corvette, giving it an almost European style. From the description this looks like a great Corvette to drive, show locally, and just enjoy as the designers hoped it would be. No it’s not a sports car, especially with the automatic, but it is a great American built GT car that offers a surprising amount of performance for the era.
The auction for this 1981 Chevrolet Corvette ends on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, at 1:00 p.m. (PDT)
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