1978 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car
Description
Long known as the quintessential American sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, with its sleek lines, powerful engine, and eye-catching color options, all contribute to its timeless appeal. Moreover, the Corvette's spacious cabin and comfortable bucket seats make it the perfect blend of performance and luxury. Shortly after producing the 500,000th Corvette on 15 March 1977, Chevrolet would celebrate the Corvette’s 25th anniversary in 1978. 1978 also featured the first major design revision in ten years ushering in a new era as the first year for a new fastback body and rounded glass rear window with no less than Brock Yates commenting in Car and Driver that “The Corvette is a genuine pleasure to drive again.”
Amidst all of the pomp and circumstance surrounding the Silver Anniversary edition, the Corvette was also rightly chosen to pace that year’s Indianapolis 500. Truly one of the first collector Corvettes, the “Limited Edition,” more commonly known as the Indianapolis 500 Pace Car, was produced with one-off Silver and Black livery and Pace Car decals with a coordinated Gray leather interior. More than just cosmetics, it featured numerous options as standard and were often some of the most highly optioned Corvettes of their era. 300 total Indy 500 Pace Cars were intended to be produced in 1978, yet such was their popularity that General Motors altered their plans and produced one for each Chevrolet dealer across the US and Canada.
Highlights
An original, highly collectible 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car
Offered with 19,460 miles
Finished in the unmistakable Black and Silver “Official Pace Car” livery with a Gray leather interior
1978 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car standard features included:
Power windows and power door locks
Removable glass roof panels
Rear window defogger
Four-season air conditioning
Sport mirrors
Tilt-telescopic steering column
Heavy duty battery
AM-FM radio/stereo with 8-track tape, power antenna, and dual rear speakers
Aluminum wheels with red accents
Convenience Group
Special seats
Features the “L82” 350 cu-in 220 horsepower V8 engine with approximately 46 percent of 1978 Pace Car production so equipped
Gymkhana suspension
Formerly of the Steve Plaster’s Evergreen Historic Automobile Collection based in Lebanon, Missouri from May 1995
The representative example 1978 Corvette as part of Evergreen’s full collection of Corvettes beginning with an example from 1953
Features
Four-speed automatic transmission
Power steering
Power four-wheel disc brakes
Cruise Master speed control
Independent suspension front and rear
Body-colored, energy-absorbing bumpers - redesigned for 1978
Flush-mounted retractable headlights
Soft-Ray tinted glass
Electric clock
Full instrumentation
24 gallon fuel tank – enlarged for 197n
Fitted with Cooper Cobra G/T Radial tires
Known Imperfections
The consignor notes “Normal wear and tear on interior and exterior”
Typical “light peppering” on the front bumper
Light discoloration on door panels, as is typical on these vehicles
Included
1978 Limited Edition Corvette Owner’s Manual
1978 Chevrolet Passenger Car Maintenance Schedule
History file documentation
Ownership History
According to the body trim tag, this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car was produced on 27 April 1978. Its known ownership history begins with its entry into Steve Plaster’s Evergreen Historic Automobile Collection in May 1995. Prior to entering the collection it is believed that the car received a repaint in 1990. A 22-year member of the Evergreen Collection, it was sold to private hands in 2017 and today features 19,460 miles – thought to be original based on a 1995 Bill of Sale to the collection that records 18,979 actual miles – a testament to the quality of this Indy 500 Pace Car, one of the Corvette's most collectible models.
Optional vehicle service contract available for $500. Learn more about the program here. *Sales tax may be applicable.
