By 1978, the Corvette was celebrating its 25th anniversary, and fittingly, some important changes were undertaken. The aging C3 body style received a significant refresh, including a new fastback rear window design and modernized interior. That same year, a Corvette was selected to pace the famed Indianapolis 500 mile automobile race.
To commemorate this achievement, Chevrolet manufactured an official replica of the 1978 Pace Car to sell to the general public. It featured an exclusive black-over-silver paint scheme, with red stripes and a silver interior. Only 6,502 Pace Car editions were produced — one for each Chevrolet dealer in the United States at the time.
Performance was back on the upswing, too. A 1978 model with optional L82 V8 generated 220 horsepower, and with a four-speed manual transmission, went from 0-60 mph in 6.6 seconds — making it the fastest American-made car that year.
By 1982, the C3 was truly getting old. GM executives decided the best way to keep buyers interested in the aging design was to preview the upcoming C4’s fuel-injected 5.7 liter V8, and four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, in the final year of the C3.
A fully-loaded “Collector Edition” was also offered to punctuate the end of the C3 era. The Collector Edition sported a distinctive silver-beige paint color, special finned wheels, and a multi-tone leather interior. It was also the first Corvette to break the $20,000 barrier, with a base price of $22,537.
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