1983 was a strange year for the Corvette. The new C4 was supposed to debut, but it didn’t! The C4 featured a slew of advances over the C3, but the company decided to replace the 2-panel roof with a new one-piece panel. This delayed the C4 for nearly a year. However, GM produced 43 cars, and problems with the new digital technology and the new Crossfire injection made it necessary to crush all but one. That one is now in the National Corvette Museum. This 1984 is the very first C4 from ’84. Its VIN is 0001. It is going up for auction here at GAA Classic Cars at the beginning of November. Thanks to Curvette for this Corvette tip!
That year’s L83 5.7-liter V8 produced a mere 205 horsepower and 290 ft.-lb. of torque. The new Crossfire injection blended performance with fuel economy, using emerging fuel-efficiency technologies from the early Eighties. It remains a standard Chevrolet small-block V8 with a pushrod design. A new chassis and aerodynamics, with a renewed focus on driver engagement and handling, were touted as transformative compared with previous iterations of the Corvette. The transmission is a Turbo-Hydramatic 700 R4 automatic.
This White Corvette’s interior is finished in red, reminiscent of the 1953 Corvette, which was available only in that combination. Amenities include power steering, air conditioning, cruise control, power windows, and a removable one-piece top. 4-wheel disc brakes are also present. This Vette has only 279 actual miles. It looks like it just came off the factory floor.
Documentation is the last thing you have to worry about if you buy this car. It includes original documentation and a history. It was even raffled off for the Spina Bifida Association of America in July 1983, and car magazines documented it at the time. It will be interesting to see which bid is highest and takes this beauty away. It’s not a Z51, but it is a great slice of history. Are you ready to preserve this part of Chevrolet’s past?
Fun fact: This C4 was given away on Friday July 22nd, 1983. The next Friday, July 29th, National Lapoon’s Vacation opened in theaters.
“Dad, you just won the first ’84 Corvette!”
“It’s nothing to be proud of, Rusty.”