1-of-190 35k-Mile 1996 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Convertible

Description

1996 marked the final year of the fourth-generation Corvette — and the one-year-only Grand Sport made for quite the sendoff.

The Grand Sport was the boldest, rarest, and most capable C4 built in 1996, with only 1,000 produced. RPO Z16 featured an eye-catching combination of Admiral Blue paint with a white center stripe and red hash marks on the fender, along with black ZR-1-style wheels and unique badging. And inside its luxurious leather cabin, a Black or Torch Red/Black interior featured Grand Sport embroidery on the headrests.

But things really got interesting under the hood. The 5.7-liter LT4 V8 — paired exclusively with the six-speed manual — was a hot-rodded LT1: high-flow heads with bigger valves, high-lift roller rockers, a more aggressive camshaft, a unique intake manifold, and 10.8:1 compression combined to put out 330 horses, 30 more than the LT1. And thanks to a higher 5,800-rpm power peak and 6,300-rpm redline, when the LT4’s revs climbed Grand Sport drivers experienced the kind of buzzing, high-strung sensations normally felt in high-dollar European sports cars.

The Grand Sport remains one of the most collectible Corvettes of the C4 era. And this clean example — one of only 190 Grand Sport Convertibles produced — is also exceedingly rare.

Highlights 

• Rare LT4-powered 1996 Corvette Grand Sport Convertible  

• 5.7-liter LT4 V8 rated at 330 hp and 340 lb-ft of torque  

• Six-speed manual transmission  

• Finished in (28U) Admiral Blue with an Arctic White stripe and (195) Black leather interior  

• White convertible top 

• Digital speedometer, 8,000-rpm tachometer, oil pressure, oil temp, coolant temp, voltage, and fuel level gauges  

• Clean CARFAX History Report

Features  

• Grand Sport Convertible includes:  

  • LT4 V8 with a stronger crank, high-flow/high-compression heads, high-flow intake, high-lift cam with 1.6 roller rocker arms, and bigger injectors 

  • Blue paint with white stripes and red fender hash marks 

  • Grand Sport emblems  

  • 17x8.5-inch front, 17x9.5-inch rear black ZR-1 style wheels 

  • 255/45ZR17 front, 285/40ZR17 rear Goodyear tires (now Continental)  

  • Sport seats with “Grand Sport” embroidery 

Known Imperfections 

• Very minor paint scuffs on nose 

• Very minor paint chips on hood and doors 

• Light wear on driver seat 

Included 

• Two sets of keys 

• Owner’s manual 

Ownership History

The accompanying CARFAX Vehicle History Report places this two-owner 1996 Corvette Grand Sport in Florida from new. 

The consignor states, “I am the second owner of this car and have hardly driven it in the two years I’ve had it. The original owner traded it in for a C8 at Jon Hall Chevrolet in Daytona Beach, where I bought it.”

“I have the Carfax from the original owner showing service from day one of his ownership. The car has always been garaged in my ownership and is completely stock. The exterior condition has some minor chips shown in the pictures. It runs and drives well.”

Additional Notes

Sales Tax Notice to Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia Bidders: Because this car is located in Florida, Hagerty Marketplace may be required to collect and remit Florida sales tax on your purchase, even if you plan to register it outside of Florida.  Unlike most other states, the states of Arkansas, Mississippi, and West Virginia may not provide a full credit against sales taxes paid to Florida.  For additional information, please consult this publication and your own tax advisor regarding sales taxes applicable to cars located in Florida that are sold to residents of another state.