1978 Chevrolet Corvette

Gateway Classic Cars of San Antonio/ Austin is proud to present this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Indy Pace Car. In 1978, Chevrolet celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Corvette by pacing the Indianapolis 500 and releasing a handful of special-edition pace car replicas to the public. Just 6,502 of these very special Black and Silver Corvette models were produced, each with a unique VIN sequence, this being number 3361. Besides the special two-tone paint, each Corvette Pace Car featured unique front and rear spoilers, polished aluminum Red-stripe wheels, mirror-tint roof panels and contoured sport seats finished in silver leather and an Indianapolis 500 decal kit was also included. The 25th anniversary of Corvette was marked with one of the most extensively redesigned Corvettes since the 1968 model. The new "fastback" rear end styling featured a large rear window, reminiscent of the lines of the mid-'60s. The interior of the 1978 Pace Car sported a special "clam shell" seat. This Pace Car includes the sought-after L82 350 CI engine with a 3-speed automatic transmission. The L82 was designed as a high-performance engine, featuring a 9:1 compression ratio that generated 220 horsepower with the use of larger heads and valves, a stronger cam, four-bolt mains, forged-steel crank, different pistons, and aluminum intake. The three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel frames a 140-mph speedometer and a 7k-rpm tachometer. Gauges for coolant temperature, oil pressure, battery voltage, and fuel level as well as a clock are in the center stack. The five-digit odometer shows just over 71k miles although true mileage is unknown. This is an amazing piece of history that's ready to be someone's ultimate collectible.