Want a Cheap C8 Corvette? Buy the One That Fell Off a Dealer’s Lift
A viral story enters its next chapter.
When it comes to cars, accidents happen—that's why we carry insurance. Sometimes they happen when you're driving, other times when you're stopped at a red light. But on occasion, these mishaps are completely out of your control. Such was the case when Jake Miller took his 2020 Chevrolet Corvette to a dealership in Jacksonville, Florida, and now the car is laying to waste at a Copart salvage lot.
The story began in May when a photo of Miller's brand new C8 began circulating on Facebook and Instagram. Unfortunately, this wasn't a photo of a freshly waxed car or a scenic shot showing off the C8's curvaceous hips; instead, it was a photo of the 'Vette hanging off a lift with significant damage to its composite body. Rumors began swirling that the two-post lift broke and dropped the car.
Eventually, the photo made its way to the C8 Corvette Owners Facebook group where Miller immediately recognized the car as his and questioned how it was being shared. Miller would later share the image on Instagram and noted that someone from the dealership's service department posted it without his permission.
Miller also clarified that the lift did not break, but the techs working on the vehicle had actually loaded it on the lift improperly. A plausible assumption, considering that the Corvette moved to a rear-biased 60/40 weight distribution for the C8 model and also changed its jack points.
As goes the news cycle, the story of Miller's Corvette eventually disappeared from headlines and the car slowly bowed out of the limelight. That is, until it was spotted again on Copart.
The C8, which has only 3,419 miles on the odometer, now spends its days in a gravel lot awaiting its time to cross the auction block. We're not quite sure what happened over the last two months that led up to the sports car sitting in Copart storage, but it's fair to assume that the Corvette was declared a total loss or perhaps a buy-back due to the damage happening at a dealership.
Immediately one will notice a good bit of body damage. On the passenger side alone, both the front and rear fenders are gouged, as are the door and rocker panel. The right side appears to have sustained some minor damage as well. The front end of the car isn't excluded—a misaligned bumper is noticeable, and so is the headlight that's sitting on the ground. There's also what appears to be an AC condenser in the rear storage compartment.
The auction listing says that the car can still run and drive, so we're hoping that any mechanical damage is limited given the majority of engine components are located at the rear of the car.
This isn't the first C8 Corvette we've seen at auction. Still, it hurts to see such a new, admittedly stellar car in this condition, especially a first-year model where production is extremely limited due to COVID-related plant closures. We wouldn't be surprised if the limited production run alone helps to keep the auction price of the car elevated.
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