1979 Corvette – Vette-net

By the late 1970s, Corvette production was moving at a pace that had never been seen in the history of the car.

Little did anyone realize that, after the popularity of the 1978 Pace Car and Silver Anniversary Editions in 1978, Corvette was about to set another production record – manufacturing more than 50,000 Corvettes in one year – with the 1979 model year. At the same time, Corvette was about to surpass another record – a base sales price of more than $10,000 – for the first time in the car’s history.

Pricing: $10,220.23 (Coupe)

Engine options: 350ci, 195HP Engine (standard), 350ci, 225HP Engine

Transmission: 4-speed manual (standard) 4-speed manual (close ratio) 3-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic (optional)

Top speed: 127mph

Units Produced: 53,807

Available Colors: Classic White, Silver, Black, Corvette Light Blue, Corvette Yellow, Corvette Dark Green, Corvette Light Beige, Corvette Red, Corvette Dark Brown, Corvette Dark Blue

Highlights of the year:

While the fastback Corvette design introduced in 1978 carried over into the 1979 model year, there were a few, mostly subtle, refinements made to the car’s overall appearance. For one, the “25th Anniversary” emblems were replaced by the more traditional “crossed flags” which had been a key identifier of the Chevy Corvette for more than a quarter-century.

Additionally, the chrome trim that wrapped the 1978 rear window, and the roof panels was replaced with black trim moldings. Tungsten-halogen headlights were phased into 1979 production early in the model year for increased visibility. The tungsten-halogen headlight beams replaced only the high-beam units. Lastly, a couple of items in the 1978 Pace Car Package became options for the 1979 model year.

Mechanically, both the base L48 and optional L82 engines received a 5 horsepower increase due to a new “open flow” muffler design. Additionally, the low restriction, dual-snorkel air intake that had been introduced on the L82 engine was added to the L48 engine, which gave the base engine an additional 5 horsepower boost, resulting in an overall output of 195hp for the L48 and 225hp for the optional L82 engines, respectively.

In total, Chevrolet manufactured 53,807 Corvettes in 1979, which set the record for the most Corvettes built in a single year of the car’s 26 year history. It was the height of the Corvette’s acceptance, which was ironic given that General Motors had once been convinced that the C3 model would never sell half as well. Instead, the car’s popularity was stronger than ever, despite an increasing number of competitors vying for consumer attention. It had proven to be indispensable as both a high-profit personal car as well as a showroom sweetheart.

Photos of the 1979 Corvette: