Wrecked 2020 Chevrolet Corvette value estimated at $48,000 more than a new one

American auction giant Copart is selling one of the earliest examples of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette built. The catch is that it was wrecked, and it's estimated to cost approximately $48,000 more than a new model.

Located in Cleveland, Ohio, the Corvette was manufactured in January 2020, meaning it's one of the first cars off the line. Its build date is a little puzzling, because Chevrolet announced that production started on February 3. It could be one of the cars allegedly made as dealer demonstrators before the company started building customer-ordered cars. Autoblog reached out to Chevrolet for clarification, and we'll update this story if we learn more.

What's certain is that, regardless of who owned it, things didn't go as planned. Images published by Copart suggest this Corvette was driven straight-on into something tall, sturdy, and relatively round. We're betting tree. The front end is destroyed, the airbags went off, the passenger side is banged up, and the rear wing is broken. There are no images of the underbody, for better or worse.

The good news is that, because the Corvette is mid-engined, the model listed by Copart is unlikely to have sustained engine damage unless the impact tore off its oil pan. We'd need to see the car in person to tell if it can be repaired and driven again, but, at worst, its 6.2-liter V8 engine can live on in an unsuspecting 1960s Nova.

If you're shopping new, you'll need to spend at least $59,995 to put a base 2020 Corvette in your garage, and approximately $75,000 for a mid-range 2LT model with several extra-cost options (including the Z51 package) like the one Copart is selling. Plan to set aside considerably more money if you want to give this gruesomely smashed-up example a chance: Its estimated retail value is $107,699. We won't know if it actually sells for that much until it limps across the auction block, and no date has been set yet, but it's the only 2020 Corvette listed on Copart, and wrecked examples (whether they're used as projects or for parts) don't pop up on a regular basis.

Enthusiasts who would rather drive than wrench are in luck. Although the eighth-generation Corvette has been in short supply due to the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike and the coronavirus pandemic, the Bowling Green, Kentucky, factory that builds it reopened on May 26 and Chevrolet expects to manufacture about 20,000 cars (including 16,750 coupes and 3,431 convertibles) before launching production of the 2021 model on November 2.

Related Video: