Why is a 288 GTO worth millions and an RPO B2K TT is not?

[*89x2*]

Forget a couple Million... Why is the Callaway not worth a couple hundred grand?

Take a car like the Ferrari 288 GTO and it's got a similar set of numbers for performance. 190 MPH car, Twin Turbo...

Production, around 470 cars vs. 510 CTTCs built...

I don't get it. Is it because the Callaway was a Chevrolet?

Even the BMW M1 is worth a ton, compared. Similar production, with 453 made. Performance, about the same 0-60 and when ungoverned, 170 MPH top speed.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=abcBwTAy-bM


What are your thoughts on these cars by comparison?

[BIGJOHN]

Chris old cars are only worth what someone is willing to pay for them!
There was a time when even Duesenberg‘s were worthless.

[kingforward]

True that BJ.

CC, you could compare the CTTC rarity and power to the L88 Corvettes too. Why do the L88 Corvettes sell for 10X-20X more?

[SurfnSun]

Ferrari vs Chevrolet first.

But even now the C4 still lags behind in the collectors view. First gen with a computer and modern sense of performance…why people still expect them to perform like C5 or C6.

[*89x2*]

Ferrari vs Chevrolet first.

But even now the C4 still lags behind in the collectors view. First gen with a computer and modern sense of performance…why people still expect them to perform like C5 or C6.

When an IROC Camaro (with a few hundred miles) sells for over $100,000 and a similar C4 might see quarter of that, there's an issue with appreciation of a model. I don't get it...

The 1987-1991 B2K cars are prime for appreciation, but aren't. I understand what BigJohn and Kingforward are saying, but even given a fraction of appreciation of the CTTC's contemporaries, cars like the 288GTO, Testarossa, 928GTS, and other limited run vehicles, I don't see why the B2K isn't worth 5-6 times present.

Callaway supports the cars, and I saw 88+ turbos can be rebuilt if needed. Nothing is unobtanium. Maybe the World's best kept secret?

[SurfnSun]

90% or some crazy higher number would be the number of remaining IROCs considered to be junk. That is a rarity of condition issue IMO. There are nice C4s everywhere

[callaway4fun]

Callaway supports the vehicles unless you are trying to get a 100+ installed

[jonstr]

I have a theory, I don't know how accurate it is, but it makes sense to me.

I think it comes down to education. To the vast majority out there, Callaways are a 'tuner' car, done in the aftermarket. Cars like the 288GTO, L88, IROC, are all factory option cars. People just don't realize that RPO B2K WAS a factory option.

I ran into this showing my cars all the time. When I talked to people about them and explained the significance of the B2K option, almost every single one of them was surprised. They did not know about the RPO-aspect of the cars. One time, when I was showing my Speedster, I heard a guy tell his girlfriend 'Nah, that's just a Corvette with a body kit', and they walked on by. (Ok, granted, there WAS a fair amount of 'body kit' aspect to the Speedster, but they had no recognition of the history).

Keep showing those cars. Keep spreading the word. Callaway's have EVERYTHING needed to make for a high-dollar collector car. They're rare, they are powerful, they are beautifully constructed, and the B2K cars ARE factory options. What they don't have is recognition.

Just my two cents.

(P.S. Just don't show and talk about them too much until I can get another one.)

[*89x2*]

Jonstr, fair point on the perception, and I think the hobby overall has done a horrible job portraying the significance of the RPO B2K in Corvette history. The misinformed hobbyists and several in ZR-1 groups of decades ago perpetuated the tuner mantra. But why?

Other avenues, like the National Corvette Museum, Bloomington Gold, and to some degree, the NCRS have done much better than others, supporting the facts and celebrating the option code and brand

Fact of the matter, the Callaway Corvettes were - and remain the most significant Fourth Gen Corvettes and left a legacy to build upon, which they have done nicely

[BIGJOHN]

Give them time; maybe when they are 60 years old!