Buying a Corvette ZR1? Be Prepared to Keep It for a Year

If you flip a ZR1, you'll be barred from buying high-demand Chevys forever. And you'll also void the car's warranty.

Photo by: General Motors

By: Brian Silvestro

Mar 26, at 11:30am ET

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Chevrolet is enacting a strict policy to ensure buyers of its 2025 Corvette ZR1 don't flip their cars for an easy payday. The company is requiring every new owner to sign a retention letter asking them to keep the car for at least one year. If they decide to sell before then, they'll be barred from buying in-demand Chevys for the foreseeable future. They'll also void the car's factory warranty.

The retention letter, shown in the video below, was first published by Rick Corvette Conti to YouTube on Saturday. It outlines a policy that will compel owners to keep their 1,064-horsepower ZR1s for one year (or six months, for Z06 and E-Ray buyers) to avoid "speculators who may try and resell these Corvette variants on the secondary market."

New ZR1 owners will be able to legally sell their cars at any time, but they'll face serious consequences for doing so before the one-year mark. Sellers who are found to be in violation of the policy will be "ineligible to place vehicle reservations or place a sold order with a dealer for certain high demand models, including but not limited to future Chevrolet Corvette models," according to the letter.

Violating the letter's guidelines will hurt the second owner of the car, too. If the car transfers owners before the one-year mark, Chevy will void the car's bumper-to-bumper, sheet metal, and powertrain warranties. That means if something breaks, the new owner is on the hook for the full cost of repairs, even if the car is unmodified.

A Chevrolet spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the letter to Motor1, adding that this policy has been effect since the C8-generation Z06 went on sale for the 2023 model year.

Photo by: Chevrolet

Flipping supercars is a huge business. The ZR1 is a highly desirable vehicle, and Chevy can't build enough to satisfy demand. That means those not lucky enough to get an allocation are willing to pay above MSRP for early access to the car, giving owners lots of incentive to sell soon after taking delivery.

As the letter points out, Chevy would prefer if people cherished their ZR1s and used them, rather than treat them like investment pieces. We're inclined to agree. Drive your cars, people.