Ladies and gentlemen, I am here to present you with what is perhaps the most depressing trade-in I've ever come across. Something so obtuse and mind boggling that I simply couldn't imagine a scenario where any driving factor other than the almighty dollar could convince me to go through with it.
UPDATE 12/10: Curious to know the real story behind Tommy's now-legendary trade-in? Check out our follow-up story here where we get to the bottom of it. Hint: Tommy's smarter than you think.
On Monday, a Texas man named Tommy signed away his 2020 Chevrolet Corvette 3LT to a Dallas–Fort Worth dealership called Hurst Autoplex. And while I have no idea what motivated Tommy to trade in his mid-engine 'Vette, I'd imagine that after he signed away the title to his car and drove off the lot, his eyes were still affixed to the C8's vibrant Rapid Blue paint job that he now only observed through the rearview mirror of his brand new...Mitsubishi Outlander.
Yes, you read that correctly. Tommy traded his handsome piece of American muscle for slowest selling vehicle in the entire nation.
Now, our goal isn't to make Tommy feel silly about his decision, because chances are, he made out like a bandit trading in the Corvette. First-year C8 production was delayed time and time again, then after production actually took off, lines slowed to a halt after General Motors temporarily closed the doors at its Bowling Green assembly plant amid the global coronavirus pandemic.
Limited production, limited availability and insatiable demand on an all-new mid-engine platform created the perfect storm where the value of used C8s are skyrocketing.
Let's do some quick math to make sense of this deal. The top-tier 3LT had a sticker price somewhere in the neighborhood $71,945 assuming there was no additional dealer markup. After Texas state sales tax, that still places the sale somewhere in the neighborhood of $76,442.
We reached out to Hurst Autoplex to learn more about the details of this transaction, but before we heard back from the dealership, the car had already sold.
Just after noon on Tuesday, Hurst put the C8 up for sale for a staggering $96,991—around $20,549 over our theoretical sticker price. Within two hours, the keys were handed over to Ryan, the C8's new owner.
Ryan called the transaction "a real deal", and while most people wouldn't consider 27 percent over sticker a "deal", he might be onto something. We don't have the specific details on the financial aspect of the car, but it's certainly a seller's market for used C8 Corvettes right now. A quick check online will show that many used C8 3LTs are going for over six figures.
Even so, the internet is questioning Tommy's decision just as much as we are right now. The Facebook comments on the original post are a story of their own and are full of people with their own questions. When the dealership announced that the car had been sold, commenters straight up refused to acknowledge the new owner, proclaiming it "Tommy's C8" forever.
And to ease your mind about Tommy's scenario, Hurst wrote in a Facebook comment that he "is not hurting" over the deal, giving a hearty thumbs up. Plus, Ryan is happy with his purchase, so it seems like all parties—especially the dealer—came out ahead.
There's just one question swimming in my head: Why did Tommy trade for a Mitsubishi Outlander of all cars?
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