The big problem with pay mid-teens for either the neat European Corrado 16V or the Nugget Yellow G60 I just looked at is, of course, that you’re into SLC territory. Mind, you, perhaps not the nicest SLC out there – but they’re within reach. Today’s example falls into exactly that category, as it’s priced right under the asks on the last two Corrados. Is it the one to get?
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1993 Volkswagen Corrado SLC on eBay
Year: 1993
Model: Corrado SLC
VIN: WVWEE4507PK001572
Engine: 2.8 liter narrow-angle VR6
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 135,000 mi
Location: Carson, California
Price: $13,900 Buy It Now
This 1993 Volkswagen Corrado SLC is finished in black over black leather and powered by a 2.8-liter VR6 paired with a five-speed manual transaxle. Equipment includes 15″ Speedline wheels, fog lights, a steel sunroof, an active rear spoiler, and cruise control. The car was first registered in Michigan and spent time in Illinois, Louisiana, and Indiana prior to my acquisition in December 2020. Subsequent work is said to include replacing the clutch hydraulic cylinders, rear brake calipers, and parking brake cables. This Corrado has 135k miles and is offered in California with a “Corrado Parking Only” sign, die-cast models, a Carfax report and a clean California title in the seller’s name.
The car is finished in black (041) and features a sunroof, an automatically-deploying rear spoiler, a rear window wiper, tinted rear windows, and fog lights. The sunroof tilts but does not slide open and the fog lights were replaced under my ownership. There are a couple of small spots of rust at the lower portion of the rear hatch. Please see pcs.
Factory 15″ Speedline wheels are mounted with 205/50/15 Toyo Eclipse tires showing 2021 date codes. All wheels are slightly “curbed” or even some fading as they are OEM. Stopping power is provided by four-wheel disc brakes with red-painted calipers at each corner. Bilstein shocks installed by a prior owner and the rear calipers and parking brake cables are said to have been replaced under current ownership.
The cabin features bolstered front seats trimmed in black leather with a matching dashboard, door panels, and carpets. Appointments include automatic seatbelts, cruise control, Corrado-branded floor mats, and power windows. The factory radio is in “SAFE” mode with no way of entering a code. It isn’t available from the dealer, and the screen on it is beginning to fade out – it’s OEM. Also, the right-side window does not fully seal at the top, and the AC will likely need a recharge as it doesn’t blow cold.
A four-spoke steering wheel frames a 140-mph speedometer and a tachometer, along with gauges for coolant temperature, fuel level, oil pressure, and voltage. The digital odometer indicates 135k miles, approximately 2k of which have been added by the seller. The seller notes that the ABS light illuminates intermittently. Some days I will not see it, and on others it goes out after driving for a few.
The 2.8-liter VR6 was rated from the factory at 178 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, which is delivered to the front wheels through a five-speed manual transaxle. The mid muffler was deleted, and additional work during current ownership includes a fuel tank clean out, a Mobil 1 Synthetic oil change, and replacing the following components:
Valve cover gasket
Serpentine belt
NGK spark plugs and wires
Fuel filter
Air filter
Clutch hydraulic cylinders (Master/Slave)
New Battery w Warranty (Costco)Please feel free to reach out and exhaust any questions prior to purchase. Also, please allow up to two to secure shipping, although it may only take 1-4 days in my experience.
If that ad copy sounds familiar, it’s because the car was just on Bring a Trailer and failed to sell, with bidding hitting $10,000. Why did it hold up there? Well, there are a few disclosed issues in that listing, along with some rust that isn’t so easily fixed. There was some recent maintenance done and it’s still a good-looking example in its original configuration, which is great – but if it’s going to sell for a premium, likely the spot for it was where it was just listed. But maybe if you could strike the middle ground with the seller, you can get a pretty nice Corrado for not unreasonable price.
-Carter
The market spoke loud and clear thirty years ago. Nobody bought them.
What’s the appeal now?
Honda earned my money with the purchase of a ’91 Prelude Si. Didn’t even step foot on the VW lot to look at one of these.
I concur with Ace 10 …a friend had one in the mid 90s…it need pretty constant maintenance. Not at all reliable.