
A Great Classic: The 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition
The year 1978 marked the Corvette’s entry into the Indianapolis 500. General Motors was also celebrating the Corvette’s 25 anniversary. In the usual awe and pomp style, General Motors opted to celebrate by producing a limited edition Vette, which came to be known as the 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition.
1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition
Each of the Silver Anniversary 1978 Corvettes were adorned in Silver Anniversary emblems at the back and front, and with one production run of the Vette, Chevrolet built a silver anniversary package costing $399 and included a silver metallic upper and a charcoal metallic on the lower part, flamboyant silver interior and for an additional $340, it came with aluminum wheels.
1978 Chevrolet Corvette Official Pace Car for the 62nd Indianapolis 500 Mile Race
The ’78 Corvette Limited Edition Indianapolis 500 Pace Car editions featured a black on silver paint job with red stripe accents, mandatory extras including aluminum wheel, front and back spoilers, electric door and window locks and air conditioning too. Both the Pace Car edition and street version of the ’78 Corvette quickly became high demand cars among collectors who mostly just parked the car for display.
The 1978 Corvette featured a 350 cubic engine dating back to 1969. There was an option for the L82 V-8, engine with an 8.9 compression, 260lb of torque and could spit out 220hp, an incredible feat at the time.
The impressive breaking power of the C3 Corvette and in particular, the 1978 model is what makes this edition so memorable. The ’78 Corvette boasts four-wheel disc brakes that are self-adjusting.
Admittedly, the interior of the Silver Anniversary corvette was nothing to write home about given the underwhelming quality material used throughout the interior. However, fans of the ’78 model can still access other interior accessories including seat covers, console lids, door panels and nobs.
If you have always lusted after a classic 1963 split window but your budget limits you, the 1978 corvette, at a lower sticker price, could just come closer to your ’63 dream car.