the big 80s

The 35th Anniversary Corvette made quite an image statement. Corvette had put out a 25th anniversary edition, but 1983 was the only year to date that there were no Corvettes produced -- thus there is no 30th anniversary car.

The 35th was offered only as a coupe, and only in white. And not just white paint -- true to the era of Miami Vice and Duran Duran, this big 80s car has white wheels, white beltline trim, white leather seats, white door panels -- even a white leather steering wheel. The A and b pillars are black, accentuating the car's lower body lines. The removable glass top is blue and adds a unique feeling to the interior. There were virtually no options for this special edition -- other than manual (4+3 Doug Nash) or automatic transmissions.

The engine was the stock Corvette 5.7 liter powerplant, putting out 240 horsepower. That is not much for a sports car today but it was all one could hope for in 1988.

Being a 35th Anniversary car and one of only 2,050 made, it is not surprising that this car was treated as a collectible. When I acquired this car out of Ohio it had only slightly passed the 10,000 mile mark despite being 32 years old! It is a true time capsule car, lovingly preserved over all that time. 

I immediately replaced the dry rotted tires, then drove the car 350 miles home. I have since replaced the alternator, belts, and fuel pump and the car loves to fire up and cruise. It has the solid stance and confident power of a far newer car, and its shiny bright presence earns lots of comments.