1978 Corvette Illustrated Series No.60

As the Corvette's silver anniversary was approaching, there was quite a lot of excitement in the automotive press over the possibility of an all-new, mid-engine '78 Corvette. This was not pure speculation though. Since '68, Chevrolet had teased Corvette fans with seven mid-engine prototypes! But, it was not to be. Why? Corvettes were just too successfull.

The 500,000th Corvette rolled off the assembly line on March 15, 1977. This was due in large part to the huge surge in sales beginning in '72. Management at G.M. figured, "Why stop a good thing?" However, by '77, the overall styling was 10-years old, getting stale, and a mid-engine redesign was out of the question. The front and rear bumpers, hood, and fenders had been updated, so the only thing left to change was the roof. The new glass fastback roof was a refreshing improvement.

The '78 Corvette had three variations: the stock Corvette with the new roof and all the new options, the Silver Anniversary paint option, and the Pace Car Replica option. (To be covered next.)

The improved package was a winner with buyers, selling 46,776 units, down from '77, but higher than '76. Overall, it was a solid hit.The base price of the '78 Corvette was up $704 from '77, to $9,351. Well-optioned cars cost over $11,000! Besides the new fastback roof, there were many other improvements. The base engine had another 5hp, and the optional $525 L82 was up 10hp, to 220hp. A wide-ratio four-speed gear box, T-top, and leather interior was standard. The Corvette finally had optional 60-series tires for $216, and the gas tank how held 24 gallons. The interior had new features as well. The dash had a square housing around the speedometer and tachometer, new controls for the wiper controls, a real glove box, new door panels, and a roller-type screen for the fastback area. Finally, the $349 glass T-top panels were available. Special 25th Anniversary badges were on the nose and the gas filler cap, and there was a $399, two-tone, light and dark silver paint option.

The '78 Corvette was a much- improved car. But, at 3,595 pounds, the extra 20hp in the L82 had little affect on performance. Chief of Corvette Engineering Dave McLellan's mission was to satisfy the current Corvette customers who wanted style and comfort. Dwindling power and performance didn't matter to buyers. It's hard to tell if Duntov could have made a difference. After all, this is G.M., and "sales" is the bottom line.