Someone Just Paid Crazy Money for This Objectively Awful Car

Behold the Chevrolet Chevette. This isn’t just any Chevette, either. It’s a 1987 model, the last year for what is arguably one of the worst economy cars ever built. It gets better, because this one only has 47 miles on the odometer. Documentation in the car shows it had a starting price of $4,995 back in 1987.

This Chevette just sold at Mecum’s

 for $33,000. Apparently, someone really wanted a final-year Chevette in new condition. There’s a problem though. It’s not very new, despite the mileage.

Photo by: Mecum Auctions

Photo by: Mecum Auctions

Photo by: Mecum Auctions

The headliner is sagging, the glue having long dried up just like so many other cars from this era. It’s not shown in the handful of photos with the auction listing, but we see it hanging like a deflated balloon in a walkaround video. We do see up-close shots of the engine bay, which is mostly clean, save for considerable corrosion on aluminum components. Exterior badges appear to have some pitting on them, seen most prominently on the Chevrolet emblem at the back. And the lower interior door trim panel looks pretty wavy. To be fair, it could’ve been that way from the factory. This is a Chevette, after all.

It’s well-optioned though. You’ll find an AM radio and a cigarette lighter in the dash. The climate control has a “flow-through ventilation system” instead of air conditioning. The auction listing also highlights a dome lamp, a front stabilizer bar, and a four-speed manual transmission. And lest we forget, the Chevette was still old-school with its longitudinal powertrain, so the four-speed stick sends all 65 horsepower to the rear wheels.

 

Admittedly, we’re being a bit snarky here. Every car has passionate fans who will pay for a nice example, and this Chevette does have the final year/low-mile thing working for it. But still … $33,000? For a zero-option Chevette with a sagging headliner and corroded parts? For the record, 33 large will get you a new Honda Civic Si, destination charges included. Not that buyers are cross-shopping 38-year-old shitboxes with modern hot hatchbacks.

Of course, the person buying this Chevette isn’t interested in driving it. With 47 miles, the previous owner wasn’t interested in driving it either. But have we reached a point where even terrible cars like the Chevette command unrealistic prices just because it was never used?