Clean, low-mile Geo models are getting exceedingly rare. Since Geo was founded as a budget-friendly sub-brand of Chevy intended to compete with cheap imports, it’s no surprise that most Geo Metro, Tracker, Prizm, and Storm models were used up and thrown out. Combine this reality with the fact that the brand’s been dead for 27 years, and Geo is an endangered species.
Most clean Geo models that do pop up for sale in the current decade are Metro convertibles. That’s exactly what we have here for your consideration: a 1991 Geo Metro LSi convertible for sale in Charlotte, North Carolina. The asking price is $9,995, which is the same as its original MSRP with the $255 destination charge, giving it a zero-percent depreciation rate if the next owner pays that much.
This unmodified Metro is finished in red with a black top and a gray cloth interior. Every Metro convertible came in the same trim with the same engine; an LSi powered by the Suzuki 1.0L G10 I3 rated at 55 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a 5-speed manual transmission, and this one is optioned with a tape deck and air conditioning. However, the A/C isn’t exactly a perk for many Geo enthusiasts; it’s infamously a serious drain on the meager engine. The analog odometer reads 69,448 miles, which the selling dealer believes to be accurate.
Even considering the excellent condition of this subcompact convertible, the asking price is a little rich compared to recent sales of similar cars. The highest sale price for a Metro convertible on Bring a Trailer is $7,000, and a manual model with mileage similar to this red one sold this May for $5,400. As for Cars and Bids, its most successful Geo Metro sale was a manual convertible reviewed by Doug DeMuro himself, and it went for $5,700.
It’s always a bit of a mystery when a well-preserved Geo Metro shows up for sale. In the case of the two-seater convertible, a body style only available for the 1990-1993 model years, the survivors were likely purchased as weekend cruisers and babied by their owners. Interestingly, the era of the Geo Metro convertible began while the drop-top version of the Chevy Cavalier was on hiatus, returning mid-model-year in 1991. There was a period when if you wanted an affordable convertible on a Chevy lot that wasn’t a sports car (i.e.: Camaro, Corvette), the Geo Metro was the only option.
Comments
Another fun article, George! Wow…a bit of a memory lane flashback for me. When I was in my early 20s, a girlfriend of mine had one of these finished in white, also with the 5-speed manual, cassette player and a/c. She bought it because it was “cute”. That 5-speed manual did nothing to enhance any fantasy of coaxing any fun out of the 55hp, 3-cylinder doorstop that was underhood. Shifting gears was more akin to “rowing”, with a sloppy shifter feel. 0-60 in 60 minutes, perhaps. It was good enough for small town cruising, going for ice cream, and “parking”. As long as the buyer is fully aware of what they are buying, then I suppose it can be fun enough. I used to see Metros being dinghy towed behind the big diesel pusher RV’s back in the day. Thanks again for a fun article, George!
Forgot this car existed. No great loss!
Looks like a cheap way to get attention at your local Cars & Coffee, lol.