1981 Classic Cars for Sale
Last Corvette built in St. Louis, Camaro gets a new body after 12 years, Trans Am loses its soul
1981 is the end of something. The Corvette rolled off the St. Louis assembly line for the last time in June 1981, closing out a production run that started in 1953. Bowling Green, Kentucky took over. The last St. Louis car and the first Bowling Green car are both documented and both collectable, which means 1981 Corvette provenance matters in a very specific way that other years do not. Production was roughly 40,606 units total.
The Camaro got a full restyle after 12 years on the 1970 body, and the new 1982 was already known to be coming. That made 1981 a sales oddity. Dealers were moving old-body Z28s into a market that knew the redesign was imminent. Still, 20,547 Z28s sold for 1981, and those last second-generation Z28s are now legitimate collector cars precisely because everyone knew they were the end.
Trans Am quality and spirit were in decline. The 301 turbo continued with ongoing problems. The W72 400 was gone. What the Trans Am had was the shaker hood, the screaming chicken on the hood, and the reputation from 1977. That reputation carried a lot of weight with buyers, maybe more than the cars deserved mechanically at this point.
- The final Corvette assembled in St. Louis rolled off the line in June 1981, ending 28 years of production at that facility, with the Bowling Green Kentucky plant beginning production of remaining 1981 units mid-year and all subsequent Corvettes.
- The DeLorean DMC-12 went on sale in 1981 at a base price of roughly $25,000, with the Renault-sourced 2.85-liter V6 producing only 130 horsepower, well below the promised performance the stainless steel body and gull-wing doors suggested.
- Chevrolet Camaro Z28 production for 1981 reached 20,547 units, the final year of the second-generation body that debuted in 1970, with base pricing around $9,000 and the 190-horsepower 350 LM1 engine standard.
Showing 110 listings
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1981 Pontiac Firebird
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1981 Nissan 280ZX
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1981 Ford F100
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1981 Mercedes-Benz 300CD
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1981 Ford F100
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1981 Mercedes-Benz 170 V-S
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1981 Buick Regal
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1981 Chevrolet Corvette
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1981 Pontiac Firebird
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1981 Mercedes-Benz 380SL
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1981 Chevrolet Corvette
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1981 Dodge Ram
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1981 Mercedes-Benz 380
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1981 Chevrolet Camaro
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1981 Honda Civic
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1981 Volkswagen 21 Window
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1981 Lincoln Mark VI
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1981 Chrysler LeBaron
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1981 Mercedes-Benz 380
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1981 Chevrolet SWB
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1981 Chevrolet Luv
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1981 Cadillac Seville
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1981 Mercedes-Benz 300
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1981 Chevrolet Corvette
Market: The last St. Louis Corvettes command a specific premium from documented enthusiasts, trading $20,000 to $35,000 for solid original examples. The DeLorean in running driving condition trades roughly $35,000 to $55,000, with values driven primarily by pop culture rather than mechanical merit. Second-gen Z28 final-year examples are climbing past $25,000 for clean original cars.
Buyer's note: On 1981 Corvettes, confirm whether the car was assembled in St. Louis or Bowling Green via the VIN trim tag, because the St. Louis provenance is a documented premium that sellers frequently claim without proof.