FRChilln

First Corvette at 19 and then picked up the C6Z when I was 24.

Alberta_Z06

Bought my first vette (93 ZR1) when I was 25, kept that Z and purchased my Z06 at 26; I'm 28 now...

Meanmachine08

Im 27 and buying my first Z tomorrow


I did have a 2011 grand sport that is now my dads car and from ppl ive talked to this is how it goes.



If you get bright red and chrome wheels ppl think its an old guy in the car..because well most old guys buy red and get the chrome wheels.


If you get a Z06 ppl will think you are on the younger end..because most ppl assume that old guys dont care about the performance as much as riding around in a base model corvette looking pretty whereas the younger crowd has the MO POWA! attidude and cares more about the suspension and performance.



Bottom line- Base model or GS and most ppl will be like hey my dad has one of those..

Z06-ZR1 most ppl think holy **** that thing is an animal and they do not expect old guys to roll up in one. Also if you get bright red you are just asking to be put into that category lol

160KTS

I'm a 22 year old female. I bought my Z at 19 (financially STUPID btw) and have been loving it ever since.

Eric G

I just bought the corvette I've always wanted. I'm 36. Would have bought one 6 years ago but I got married instead. Oops! Hope my wife doesn't read this... I think the real distinction with Z cars is people who buy them don't just want a vette, they want one with a demon chained under the hood! They want to go to the track, not just have it 'cause it looks cool...

Rock36

I got my C6Z when I just turned 30, and of course all the younger owners will chime in on this thread.

I will say that I am the youngest member of my corvette club by a good 10 years or so. I do personally know one other guy my age who has a built C5 though.

The truth is the average corvette owner is "older", but that is okay. I don't know about everyone else, but I don't consider "old" a stigma. The average age of Corvette owners could be 70 for all I really care. I can only hope I'm still driving corvettes for decades to come.

Z06-1

I'm 43 bought my z when I was 38 owned and paid for. Before the z I had a triple black c6 2005 , and before that I had a c5 millennium yellow vert 2000 . Old man car ? ....... Nahhhhhhhhhhhh .

jwmgr8

Cars that have a "history" have a broader following- so I think your wrong!
Most rice burners have no history worth anything so most mature people are not as attracted to them as a Corvette. Look at Mustangs they have similar following. Young folks are attracted to whatever looks hot at the moment but that generally fades away to the next hot whatever. You can see that in all areas of their life- cars, friends, places to go, housing, voting, spending money in general. I know cause I was 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 ....
How many cars are there you wanted one when you were 10 and again at 20, and again at 30 and on? most will be American and most will be 50 plus years old.
The Corvette is likely the most Wanted car in history? Now we'll see if C7 can continue that?????

Andydp

I wanted a Corvette since I saw the first Stingray in 1963. It took me 47 years but I finally got my "baby". I'm glad I waited because I have a deeper appreciation of this car than I would ever have had in my 20's.

My story was published in Corvette Magazine's Reader Corvettes: Bought and Sold section Jan 2011:

Model '06 ZO6
Price $ 49,500

I fell in love with Corvettes in October 1962 when television commercials for the 1963 split-window coupe aired during "Bonanza". Unfortunately, a few things came between me and my dream: college, Army service, marriage, mortgage, kids, school tuitions, college tuitions - 47 years of responsibility. Last year, I started receiving my Army retirement pay. Since my wife is the ultimate budgeter, we didn't need the money for the house. When I told her I wanted a Corvette, she said: "You can buy a rocket for all I care." I did. After about six months of searching the Web, I found my dream car at a dealership 300 miles away: a Velocity Yellow ZO6 with 276 miles. It still smelled new and had protective film in the sun visors. To the best of my knowledge, the car has only been in one rainstorm. I've enjoyed every second in this car, even if I'm only cleaning it in the driveway. I guess I don't have to explain my feelings to this audience, I'm sure they understand. - A.D., Clifton Park, NY

Corvette Magazine's editorial comment: A virtually new C6 ZO6 for under $50K ? Now that's a great deal.

(For the record: I have about 16k on it so far and maybe six rainstorms)

Yes there are "geezers" in the clubs but there's enough "young 'uns" out there to make this car popular in all age groups. (Look at the comments here) I would venture to guess there's plenty of "rice burner" owners that will eventually get a Corvette. If you come to our local cruise in's there's quite a variety of ages in Mustang owners too.

I'm 63 and like to think I'm younger than most people of any age. In fact, I have a spin class in an hour.

Edited to add: It seems funny a thread trying to make a point about "older" Vette owners has more comments in it from 20 somethings than from geezers like me...

adamgl

Got mine at 27. Moved up from a bolt ons 2010 Camaro SS.

capevettes

I am a youthful 59 Bought my Z 2 1/2 years ago. I've been driving Corvettes since I was 18. Still have the 65 I bought back in 1971. I am far from an old fart, exercise every day, and love to drive Vettes.

EvilZ51

Bought my first vette (06 Base) at 24. Did a few bolt ons and got the bug for a Z06 and picked up my first Z06 at 25. I've been through 3 of them and am happy with my 08 JSB Z06.

I get that stigma a lot, especially from import people (which I used to be one of). I sold my 350z and on a whelm went a drove a friends base model. At that point it became very apparent I had been "doing it wrong". These cars run good, are dependable, comfortable, and easy to work on and mod..............anyone that doesn't at least some what like them has never been around one.

I do agree that the Z06 has the respect of the young crowd a lot more then the base models or previous generation Z06.

agentf1

Been driving Corvettes since I was in my 20's back in the 80's. Funny when I first got mine my little niece said to me "why are all the Corvette drivers old men?". I didn't know how to answer her. I guess now I am one of them old men. LOL

zcarbon

First Z at 63 yr's old, 65 now....AHH! the thrill of Woodward Ave. ( life is still good)

RunninRed

31 years old here. Bought the Z 2 months after I turned 31. My early mid life crisis present to myself.

As if the 20 year old girlfriend wasn't enough!

SCIronMike

33 yo

"NO SHOW"

37 here, first vette was a 99 C5 coupe purchased when I was 32.

dcrocker316

I'm 67 and consider myself to be in very good physical condition. I will drag race at the drop of a hat ( no traffic ). My youngest son (he's 32)has a 810 hp C5 and a 63 fuelie convertable I gave him a couple of years ago. My oldest son (35) is patiently waiting on the 62 I'm restoring for him. He's more of a rod guy. I've passed the torch to a younger generation.

VetteVinnie

I'm 44 now. Bought the Z when I was 40 in December of 2008 as a Christmas gift to myself. It's my third Vette. All three have been black. I jumped ship from the F-Body world in my mid 30s. My '99 Trans Am was red and caught the eyes of every cop in Texas for one reason or another, so I decided to go stealth. Apparently it's working. Only one ticket in a Vette in 8 years (but more than a few warnings). I had 5 tickets the first two years in the Trans Am.

AzDave47

I'm 65 and am one of the young ones in our local "social" Vette club. I joined because I figured that some members must be interested/involved in motorsports. My 74 year old buddy got me involved in HPDE's down in the valley (met several other Z06 forum members down there), Mojave Mile, Silver State Challenge and got to meet Dirty Howie over at Willow Springs. I've been a racer for 40 years and enjoy getting out and doing HPDE's (and instructing) in my street car (Z06) as that's where it is safe to use its performance, but still race in 12 & 24 hour races in a dedicated track car.

We recently had an 83 year-old new member to the local club with his E-Force SC C6, his first Corvette. As an ex-fighter pilot, aerobatic pilot and a few other speed endeavors, he also demonstrates the body may be old, but the need to enjoy life doesn't have to go away with age.