The Corvette has been the only true U.S.-built sports car since its introduction in 1953. Over the years it has competed with some of the best cars in the world, often offering stronger performance for less money and less hassle than any other cars in the world. One of the coolest quotes about one of the Corvette’s most popular models, the 400-horsepower ZR1, was in the owner’s manual for the car. GM wrote, “The reason we built the ZR1 is because we can.” Today’s AutoHunter Spotlight is one of these legendary cars, a 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. It is being sold by a dealer in Lynnwood, Washington, and the auction ends on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 12:15 p.m. (MST).
The ZR1 was a legend from the start. With its Lotus-designed 5.7-liter, four-cam, 32-valve aluminum V8, the ZR1 was both the quickest and the fastest car you could buy in 1990. It had a 0-60 time of 4.5 seconds, covered the quarter-mile in 12.8 seconds, had a top speed of 180 mph (though most tests only saw 175), and had a handling skid pad number of .89G. It was faster around a racetrack than a 1990 Porsche 911 Turbo by 2 seconds and was the King of the Hill of sports cars for the era.
This ZR1 is said to be painted in its original red paint with a red leather interior. It is powered by its original LT5 5.7-liter V8 that transfers power to the rear wheels via its six-speed ZF manual transmission and is offered by the selling dealer with an AutoCheck report and clear title.
The exterior of this Corvette ZR1 is in absolutely immaculate original condition. This is likely due to the fact it has covered a total of only 9,457 miles from new. The red paint looks to be perfect – not surprising, as it has been stored in a climate-controlled garage since the car was new. The only change from stock is the addition of a set of 17-inch Boyd Coddington wheels clad in correct staggered width Goodyear Eagle tires (275/40 fronts and 315/35 rears).
The interior is more of the same. The red leather sports seats look to be in exceptional condition, and the rest of the interior components are just as perfect. If you are looking for a collector-grade C4 ZR1, this car qualifies.
Under the super-cool forward-tilting clamshell hood is that stunning LT5 5.7-liter V8 engine. Like the rest of the car, everything looks absolutely perfect, with no modifications whatsoever. Notice the slant to the radiator in the photos. The reason it is slanted is an interesting story. The engineers at GM did this to give the car a smaller front area, making it more difficult for police radar to get a lock on the car. This actually worked and gave drivers of the C4 ZR1 an edge, as the car was not detected by police radar until it was some 1,500 feet away.
This two-owner 1990 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is ready for shows and – more importantly – any driving adventure you would like to take. It is a true collector-grade example and would likely clean up at Bloomington Gold and Carlisle Corvette Nationals. It is available just in time for Christmas: The auction ends on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, at 12:15 p.m. (MST).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery