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1978 Corvette Pace Car Coupe
VIN: 1Z87L8S902829
Total Production: 6,502 Limited Edition Pace Car Models
Manufactured at St. Louis: April 1978
Exterior Color: Codes 19U/47M Black/Silver Two-Tone
Interior Trim: Code 15L Silver Leather Seats
Top: RPO CC1 Removable Glass Roof Panels
Engine: L48 350/185 Horsepower Base V8 (34,037 produced)
Engine Code: CLM
Carburetion: Rochester Model M4MC Four-Barrel
Transmission: Base M38 Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 Three-Speed Automatic
Differential: Positraction 3.08:1 Axle Ratio
Additional Options:
MSRP: $13,653.21 Base, plus $99 in options - $13,752.21 Total
Mileage: 77
Purchased: June 1991, Haas Chevrolet; Turtle Lake, North Dakota |
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1978 CHEVROLET CORVETTE PACE CAR
Memorial Day, May 28, 1978, marked the running of the 62nd Annual Indianapolis 500 Mile Race, won by Al Unser driving a Lola-Cosworth. This was Unser’s
third win; completing the 500 miles in less than 3 hours and 6 minutes for an official average speed of 161.363 MPH. In addition to winning the event
purse, Unser also drove away with one of three official 1978 Corvette Pace Cars especially prepared by Chevrolet to lead the race.
Chevrolet automobiles, all convertibles, had paced Indy before… the first was a 1948 Stylemaster Six, followed by a 1955 Bel Air V-8, a 1967 Camaro
and a 1969 Camaro SS. To commemorate Corvette’s 25th anniversary, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway chose Corvette to pace the 1978 event, driven by Jim
Rathmann, winner of the 1960 Indy 500. And Chevrolet styled a special Corvette T-top Coupe to do the job.
Taking its queue from the ’78 Corvette 25th Anniversary two-tone Silver color scheme, the Pace Car exterior was painted with a Silver lower body and
Black upper; a distinct red pin-stripe accent separated both colors around the beltline. The Pace Car body also received aggressive looking front and
rear aerodynamic spoiler add-on treatments. The Pace Car’s special Silver interior was also distinctive, utilizing massively bolstered new seats designed
to fold flat for easier rear luggage access, available either in all leather or a leather and cloth combination.
Originally just 300 Corvette Pace Car “replicas” were to be built, but following its announcement, customer and dealer reaction created such a commotion
Chevrolet chose to build one per dealer, with a few more thrown in… Final count was 6,502 - all built during March-May of ’78 - each with a distinct
VIN sequence number. Officially listed as RPO Z78 Limited Edition Pace Car, this Corvette bore a list price of $13,653.21 that was a whopping $4,301.32
more than a standard ’78 sport coupe. But this model came with virtually everything!
The Pace Car package included: A31 Power Windows, AU3 Power Door Locks, CC1 Removable Glass Roof Panels, C49 Rear Window Defogger, C60 Air Conditioning, D35 Sport Mirrors, N37 Tilt-Telescopic Steering Column, QBS P255/60R15 White Lettered Steel Belted Radial Tires, UA1 Heavy Duty
Battery, UM2 AM-FM Stereo radio with 8-track, U75 Power Antenna, U81 Dual Rear Speakers, YJ8 Aluminum Wheels (with special red accent striping),
and the ZX2 Convenience Group. Each Corvette Pace Car replica also included a decal set which could be dealer or owner applied, further replicating
the actual car used during the Indy 500 race.
“The year 1978 was filled with celebration and excitement at Chevrolet… it was the 25th year of the Corvette and for the first time Corvette was
named ‘pace car’ for the prestigious Indianapolis 500 race. Corvette also received its first major restyling in 10 years with the new fastback design
and instrument panel. The striking black and silver paint scheme adds to the aerodynamic profile.”
“This example was the first Corvette I purchased to start my collection. The odometer shows just 77 miles. Many of the limited edition Pace Car replicas
built in ’78 ended up being delivered without the Indy 500 decals. But this car still contained the factory box of unused race decals to be installed by
the dealer. So, I did!”
...Dave Ressler
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