Corvette Model Gallery
1978 Coupe
The year was a memorable one for Corvette. It had a significant birthday, led America’s premier race and had its first major revision in several years.
All cars carried the 25th Anniversary badge in the usual tail and nose locations replacing for one year only the crossed flags logo introduced in ‘77. But only by ticking RPO code B2Z could you have a real birthday car. The Anniversary scheme consisted of two tone silver, silver over dark silver divided by a silver pin tape stripe. One third of all cars wore this one year scheme.
The role of the Indy 500 Pace Car was to lead the racers around the famed oval on their parade lap but the selected model also provided cars for many other activities associated with the May weekend classic. While GM was no stranger to this role, this was the first time for Corvette. For the event they prepared a special black on silver paint scheme with a silver interior. Pace Cars also differed by having thinner seat backs, front air dams and rear spoiler. Chevy anticipating the popularity of the race prepared 6,502 Pace Car replicas for sale to the public. Even with its additional option price of thirteen thousand the replicas sold quickly.
Changes to all Corvettes included a new fastback roof to finally provide much needed interior luggage room and optional tinted roof panels. The latter had been announced for ‘77 but delayed. The biggest changes came inside with a new dash, real glove box, new arm rests and interior pulls.
Two of the most unusual Corvettes to ever appear were revealed in ‘78. California Custom Coach created the first of what they hoped would be many four seat four door Corvettes. While the car was well built with all the amenities, the required stretch did little for the sleek looks of the Corvette. Only a few were ever built, one of which remains with the Mid America collection. A quite unattractive custom was created for the movie ‘Corvette Summer’, the story of a young man who attempts to retrieve a stolen customized car built in his high school auto body class. For the movie’s premiere a ‘78 Pace Car replica was raffled off and invited Corvette owners created a Guinness Record parade of between 5000-7000 Corvettes. Unfortunately the quality of the movie did not live up to the premiere.
Despite the publicity of the Anniversary and the Indy 500 Pace Car sales for 1978 actually dropped by over twenty-four hundred cars, the first sales drop in eight years.
The model
Aart Timmer from Holland built this beautiful 1978 Corvette coupe from the Monogram kit # 2444
"I used the Monogram (#2444) kit of the Pace Car because I liked
the spoilers which come with this kit. Although the (17 inch) wheels are from
the Corvette Spyder (Revell Snaptite kit #6267) which are scale 1/25 they fit
nicely under this scale 1/24 Corvette. Lowered the car to make the wheels fit
nice. Always liked the "original" Corvette color combo of white/red. Glued the
front wheels in a steering position."
If you would like to contact Aart on this model his e-mail address is: 74vette@chello.nl
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Page updated 12/18/07