There’s an unsolved riddle in California regarding the only surviving 1983 C4 Chevy Corvette
- This Chevy Corvette C4 is the only 1983 model in existence
- Due to production issues, Chevy had to postpone the launch to 1984
- The idea was to destroy all pre-production prototypes, but one survived
Published on Aug 21, 2024 at 8:16 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Aug 21, 2024 at 8:16 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
This 1983 Chevy Corvette C4 was supposed to be a normal Corvette for a normal market.
However, due to a unique set of circumstances, it ended up accidentally becoming one of the rarest Corvettes in the world.
Only one survived, and people still don’t know how.
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Chevy was aiming to unveil the new upgraded Corvette C4 as a 1983 vehicle, but there were some production issues.
As a result, Chevrolet decided to postpone the launch to 1984.
We should bear in mind that since 1953, when the first Chevy Corvette was unveiled, there has never been a year without a new Corvette.
This is the first reason why the 1983 Corvette is rare – because you can buy a Model Year Corvette for every year in the calendar except 1983.
Over 40 were built, one survived
![1983 Chevy Corvette C4](https://supercarblondie.com/wp-content/uploads/Chevy-Corvette-C4-1024x576.webp)
In total, Chevrolet built 43 prototypes and pre-production vehicles for the 1983 Corvette C4.
Then, when they realized there was no way they could get the production model out in time, they instructed employees to destroy the pre-production vehicles.
As sad as it may sound, this is more or less standard practice, or at least not something that’s shocking.
So the idea was to write off 43 cars, but one got spared, and no one knows why.
There are various theories as to why this particular model survived, a white 1983 Corvette with VIN #1G1AY0783D5100023.
But at the end of the day, over 40 years later and with no way to determine the reason beyond doubt, it all boils down to pure chance.
A rainstorm may have saved this 1983 Corvette C4
![1983 Chevy Corvette C4](https://supercarblondie.com/wp-content/uploads/1983-Chevy-Corvette-C4-1024x640.webp)
It was apparently a rainy day when the order to destroy these Corvettes reached the person responsible for this ominous task, or at least that’s what the legend says.
The legend also says this particular employer was a bit lazy, or perhaps they were tired and just wanted to get home.
But whichever, the bottom line is 42 Corvettes were destroyed, and one slipped through.
The white car, the only 1983 Corvette C4 in existence, is a permanent resident of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
A one-off exception
![Corvette resurfaces after long hiatus with astonishingly low mileage](https://supercarblondie.com/wp-content/uploads/corvette_great.jpg)
![Corvette resurfaces after long hiatus with astonishingly low mileage](https://supercarblondie.com/wp-content/uploads/corv_front.jpg)
Corvette is a lot of things, but it isn’t rare, so this 1983 Corvette C4 is a bit of an exception.
This is because Corvette is one of those cars that don’t need to become rare to become sought after.
Michael Jordan, for example, actually owns a Chevy Corvette C4, despite the fact Chevy made over 350,000 units.
Today, Corvette is still one of America’s favorite performance cars, even with the new mid-engine layout.
The fact that Chevy keeps pushing the envelope when it comes to its engine certainly helps.
The new Z06, which took two years to develop, puts out 670 horsepower from its naturally aspirated V8.
# Tags - Cars, Chevrolet, Classic Cars, Corvette
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Alessandro Renesis
Experienced content creator with a strong focus on cars and watches. Alessandro penned the first-ever post on the Supercar Blondie website and covers cars, watches, yachts, real estate and crypto. Former DriveTribe writer, fixed gear bike owner, obsessed with ducks for some reason.