1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Coupe

Chevrolet's C3 or third-generation Corvette had been around for ten years by the time 1978 rolled around to mark 25 years of America's sweetheart sports car. This called for some special treatment, and instead of doing a limited edition as would be customary, all 1978 Corvettes featured Silver Anniversary emblems. Only 46,766 were produced that year, making the Silver Anniversary 'Vette something of a collector's dream, especially low-mileage examples like this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary, which bears just over 45,000 miles on its odometer. Read on to find out why this car is not just a piece of American automotive history but a future classic and shrewd investment as a result.

Exterior and Interior

Not all Silver Anniversary Corvettes came dressed in the iconic two-tone silver and gray paint job that this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary proudly wears. The color theme was the idea of the legendary Bill Mitchell shortly before he retired, and along with the aluminum wheels, it cuts a distinctive figure today. Pop-up headlamps, another Corvette mainstay, are yours for the taking with this car, as is its T-Top configuration, enabling open-top motoring at will without giving up the security of a proper, rigid roof. Step aboard the red interior that's reportedly been redone, along with the two seats, and you can see what a Corvette is all about. The current owner reports that the original leather will be included in the sale for added authenticity and that the seat belts and carpeting were replaced too. Furthermore, it's said that the steering wheel has been re-wrapped in new leather. Amenities include factory air conditioning, power windows, and power door locks. The current owner also reports that the factory 8-track has been removed and a Kenwood radio cassette player installed in its place, but the 8-track will be given with the sale.

Engine

This 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary comes with the L48 350ci V8 that put out 185hp when new, sent to the rear wheels via a four-speed manual gearbox. If that seems low, remember that this was during the Malaise era when emissions controls severely constricted engine outputs. However, automatic-equipped cars were capable of 7.8-second zero to sixty sprints when new, and the manual variants were said to be quicker.