CM: Doesn’t this seem odd since these early C4s are faster than the 1970s Corvettes? Why are the 1970s models more expensive?
Martel: Those cars [1970s] still say Stingray on them. So that gives them some credibility. But mainly those mid 1970s to ‘82 Corvettes have a distinctive look, unmistakably Corvette. The person who buys one of these Corvettes is like the guy who has never owned a Harley and buys a Heritage. It looks like a Harley is supposed to look. A Corvette from those days, everybody instantly knows it’s a Corvette.


CM: But the 1984-90 is not that way.
Martel: Well, no it really isn’t. You see an ‘84 through ‘90 Corvette coming down the street and you can’t immediately tell if it’s a Mitsubishi or a Stealth, a Camaro or a Firebird. The new aerodynamic cars, not to take anything away, don’t have that distinctive styling.