My son is 25 and has owned his 2001 Z06 for 2 years now. He got the car at a good price as it had a few minor problems that needed to be fixed. He and his friends like corvettes, including the C5, and trucks.

 

turning 71 in a couple weeks, sold my 99 a while back, made me feel old (too slow) so now it's a 2013 Z06

 

Wow Pounder, now that's a BIG change of acceleration

 

That does not look like the Corvette of a 71 year old. Enjoy it Pounder!

 

Me too. Was 26 and now 42.

Still have the car.

 

I wanted a Corvette since I was 15 in 1981. I finally bought my first one (99 C5) at 35. Then upgraded to 2002 Z06 at 45 which I still own. I am a 55 yr old man who loves and adores his c5 corvette Z06. I bought the cars purely for me to enjoy because I wanted them. I did not buy them to impress friends or have status symbol. I agree that there are many people my age or older (55+) that admires these cars. But over the last several years I get the most complements from younger kids in their 20’s. It is not just an Old man’s car. It is classic.

 

I'll be 67 in July. Still do all my own work. Yes it's a bit harder.
One car garage.
C5 runs tens and the Nova with a turbo and 5.3 runs 8's.

Ron

 

Nah. First cousins maybe....

 

I see Old Men in every gen of vette....

 

haha
What about the Ford GT and the viper ? Made in North Korea?

 

I was 32 when I got mine. I'm 42 now. I don't plan to ever sell it. I really would like a C8 though. To the OP, if you like your car, that's all that matters. Who cares if it is viewed as an old persons car or not.

 

I bought my 2004 new at the age of 24 for 38,000, sticker price was 48,500. I don’t want to pay for another new one. My C5 still runs excellent, I’m 42 now. All those young folks can go buy the new ones for 75,000 and help the economy. Maybe my 401K will go back up.

 

Got my 02 Z this year at 40 years old. I also have a gen 1 viper and porsche boxster as well. Enthusiast cars shouldnt have an age limit as they can make any REAL car guy smile regardless of age. I say forget the age and own what you like.

 

just a tid-bit, I had three Vettes before I turned 25 !!!!!

 

The generation of C5 owners is getting younger now. As the cars become cheaper to purchase this will typically be the case.

I bought my first one brand new at 25. My two younger brothers bought theirs 4 yrs used under the age of 25.

If your C5 is mostly stock...it's now 20yrs old. So "keeping up" with anyone takes modifications, especially in 2022.

 

Dont forget, there will always be somebody faster then you. I’m thankful I can own a sports car with the finances that I have. My old man was never able to afford one. I bought my coupe 18 years ago. I take my old man out for a spin every now and then, as long as I help him in and out of the car, and we both grin from ear to ear every time.

And yes I do have some bolt ons, and just had gears and converter installed, still breaking in the gears. But Wow, 373 gear in an auto transmission is excellent. 3200 stall too

 

I figured I would chime in my 2 cents about this topic, beginning with my personal experience of buying and owning my 2000 'vette.

I'm 22 now, and was 20 at the time I purchased my Corvette in October of 2020 after about a year of searching and identifying things that I wanted or didn't want in the cars I was looking at. I don't "come from money" in any capacity of the phrase -- I've only been able to afford my academic career at Purdue thanks to a combination of generous academic, merit, and especially need-based financial aid, and I've worked at least one job non-stop since graduating high school in 2018. When I started searching, I only had about $4,000 at hand to purchase a car, and my initial plan was to buy either a C4, C3, or even a Geo Metro (at the time, if I wasn't going to go sporty, I was set on being chap on fuel haha) and I was determined to do it right as this would be my first car. Several months into the search, my friend (21 at the time) owned a 2008 'vette and told me that, if I could afford one, I should buy a C5 because of reliability, storage space (moving in and out of dorms), and actually better fuel economy than any of my family's cars at the time. Also, my savings had grown to a point where I could afford to buy a C5. Fast forward to October, and I was on a 16 hour round trip to purchase my new-to-me, 6-speed 2000 Corvette coupe in Dark Bowling Green Metallic.

I was excited to own my first car, and was more excited that it could be a C5 in what has become my favorite color of the generation. I think that many younger people today absolutely love the C5 and, if possible, many of us are hoping to own one. However, I think the priorities of some people my age are different than the "stereotypical, boomer C5 owner." I don't believe many people my age who are interested in C5 ownership prioritize things like "low miles" or "show condition" or "only driven on Sundays under clear, blue skies." It's my impression that people my age want a C5 because it rocks as a car and is a bulletproof platform. I believe entirely that this is why we're beginning to see such an increase of Corvettes in motorsports like drifting or autocross, etc., that are being piloted by people only as old as the C5. Yes, everyone appreciates a clean, well-oiled machine, but I think many people my age are recognizing that the C5's graced with more than 100,000 miles are a deal difficult to beat. Cars with paint chips or scratches aren't the end of the world. As long as it's got an LS in it and is sturdy at 95mph, I believe whole-heartedly the C5 is a car "young people" still want and are excited for. This doesn't mean people my age don't recognize or appreciate C5's or other 'vette's for the value they are, I just think we have different priorities and, maybe, different understandings of the impact these cars have on our lives. I think the gap is widened most, however, between people my age and the "stereotypical C5 owning boomer" by those who have a few extra decades under their belt and, for lack of a better set of words, are "trying to preserve their past" by preserving their C5's and not opening their mind to other people's interpretations of the car.

As for being a young man with a C5, I've loved it but it certainly has been something I never expected. For physical appearance, I'm 22 years old, 5'8", and about 170lbs (medium or small T's, 32" - 34" waistline), white, blonde hair. I wouldn't be surprised if other people who see me and don't know me associate me with privilege. Maybe this is why, but most of the interactions with people in public while I'm out with my C5 haven't been all that positive or frequent. At gas stations, people will occasionally cast a condescending glance, and I've had people yell at me when I pull up to a pump with the fill tank on the wrong side (many gas hoses in Lafayette are long enough to reach over the top of the car, so I take whatever pump is available to keep the line moving). I've gotten a ton of sarcastic or "teasing" things yelled at me by other students while driving around campus. I don't often get compliments from strangers(maybe 3 in the last 2 years), but I'm also not fishing for them. I guess what I'm getting at is I'm surprised that, in nearly identical scenarios as my friend with the C6, public perception seems to be less than positive by comparison. Maybe its the longtubes and BB Bullets, I don't know haha.

Again, just my two cents. Maybe there's something in this post that someone can relate to, maybe I'm all on my own. I 'm still super grateful and proud to own the car I do, and at the end of the day that's all that matters.

 

This seems a little short sided. I would def consider the Viper an American Sports car and American ICON as well.

 

I would not. They are not in the same class as a corvette as an American Icon. Just in longevity alone. The Viper comes and goes. The Corvette is constant. 70 years next year.

 

Old mans car...same thing back in the 80s when I started driving.

They were usually in the slow lane never over 35, lugging gears, the usual stereotype. Its usually only older guys who can afford them new.

Heard all the old man, little D mid life jokes, too. I drove them cause they are cheaper than a nice SS camaro, good bang for the buck.

Bought my first one in my late 20s. Who can complain about this body style? Drop dead sexy...and slow but who cares.