Some Call It The Worst-Looking Chevy Corvette Ever Made, Others Just See An Old C4

Corvette pace cars have had a reasonably long history of questionable styling choices. Granted, not all of them were the in-your-face kind, but the '90s certainly produced some of the wackiest paint jobs that adorned a factory pace-car replica from GM. Who could forget the yellow-wheeled eyesore from 1998, widely regarded as one of the worst-looking Corvettes in history. Another one that fell into the ugly basket is the 1995 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car replica sporting the purple and white combo.

While critics and pace car collectors (which is a thing, apparently) may not find this '95 Vette all that amusing, to the rest of us, it's an old C4 worth taking a closer look at. Sure, it may not be the best from Corvette's storied history, but you get access to one of the rarest Indy 500 pace car replicas from GM's stable, with just 527 examples built. And best of all, you don't have to pay six figures to own one, as Hemmings points out that even a concours-level example wouldn't cost more than $40,000. Hagerty reckons a "good condition" '95 Corvette Pace Car replica should be around the $16,000 mark.

Let's be honest here, the C4 generation (from 1984-96) wasn't the best of Corvettes, at least that's the general consensus. And GM's decision to paint a C4 convertible in purple (Dark Metallic Purple, as it were) with a splash of Arctic White across the lower half didn't help things a lot either. The red decal that runs along the front, which transitions into this wavy flag/ribbon design, is certainly unique and, dare we say, bold.

It's worth pointing out that this Indy Pace Car special and a regular '95 C4 share the same 300-horsepower 5.7-liter LT1 V8. Although not as sophisticated as the ZR-1's all-aluminum 375/405 horsepower LT5, the lump is fairly gutsy, offering a respectable 340 pound-feet of torque. The engine is mated to a 4-speed automatic, but if it makes you feel any better, the Pace Car replica gets the same 17-inch ZR-1 wheels.

Even though the paint job is a bit polarizing, the C4's exterior design was influenced by real wind-tunnel data — a first for GM, apparently. Will this bit of Saturday night trivia add anything to the ownership experience? Probably not, but having Indy 500 decals and emblems might bring along bragging rights among fellow C4 owners. That's likely why you're paying the $3,000-odd premium over a similar-condition 1995 Chevy Corvette, according to Hagerty.

But why not simply ignore the Pace Car replica and get a C4 ZR-1 instead? After all, it has a six-speed manual box, a more powerful engine, and proprietary ZR-1 hardware, all while not being stupidly expensive. You can scoop a C4 Corvette ZR-1 for under $30,000, which is not a lot considering it's a '90s classic.

The devil, we reckon, is in the decals. Frankly speaking, the Indy 500 logos, the racing flag, and its overall paint scheme lend the Pace Car replica a bit of racing aura, dare we say. Not that it's worth much, but if you're a Corvette fan and a racing enthusiast who fancies a bit of Indy 500 history, a C4 Pace Car replica is arguably the cheapest way to fulfill that very specific dream of yours.