(Image courtesy of GM Media.)Ĭhevrolet recognized that it did not make sense to release a new drivetrain at the same time as a new overall design, so it was decided that the 1982 C3 Corvette would be fitted with the revised engine and transmission developed for the new C4.ĭID YOU KNOW: Sometimes, it’s all in the details… In the 1982 Corvette, console mounted clocks were quartz units and had the word “QUARTZ” printed on the face of the clock.
(Image courtesy of GM Media.) Brochure Photo from a 1982 Corvette Ad. Production of the 1981 Corvette at the all-new Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant began on June 1st of that year. Ironically, while the 1982 model would continue to carry forward traits from older-generation Corvettes – the 1982 Corvette was the last of a generation which dated its basic body structure to the 1968 model and its chassis back to 1963 – it would also continue to be a “test bed” for technology destined for the fourth-generation Corvette. Hence, the 1982 Corvette would, for one last model year, continue to be a third-generation model. Of course, it wasn’t only the introduction of a new manufacturing plant that indicated a coming change in Corvette’s near future.Ĭertain design changes to the 1981 C3 had already unveiled clues – such as the introduction of fiberglass mono-leaf springs – about what enthusiasts might expect from the next-generation Corvette.ĭespite the certainty that the next-generation Corvette was close at hand, a decision was made by General Motors brass to continue production of the existing Corvette for one final year.Ĭhevrolet executives knew that testing out new manufacturing machinery and developing standardized assembly procedures made more sense when working on a familiar design, rather then trying to develop all of these production standards while simultaneously attempting to manufacture an all-new vehicle. While most of the design specifics surrounding the new C4 Corvette model were still a carefully kept secret from the general public, it was known among automotive enthusiasts that a new model was coming, and that it would be another front-engine design keeping in the tradition of Corvette since 1953. C3 Corvette for Sale 1982 Corvette – The Ultimate GuideĪfter General Motors opened the Corvette manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky in the summer of 1981, many enthusiasts began to suspect that the arrival of a next-generation Corvette was imminent.
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