Corvette Values: 11-mile 1978 Corvette Pace Car

1
11424

1978 Corvette Pace Car

DM in Illinois submitted this 1978 Corvette Pace Car Replica to Corvette Values:

1978 Corvette Pace Car Replica, VIN #1Z8748592XXX. Optional L82 350/220 hp engine, automatic transmission. 11 original miles. Black and Silver with Silver interior. Indy 500 Pace car graphics not installed. Cruise control, power steering, power brakes, power windows. AM/FM Stereo CB and power antenna. Never been titled – still has original Country of Origin document.

Find out how we valued this Corvette after the jump.

1978 Corvette Pace Car 1978 Corvette Pace Car 1978 Corvette Pace Car

The VIN #1Z8748S902XXX indicates this is a Pace Car replica as they were the first Corvette model to receive their own unique VIN – the 8th digit is a ‘9’. Production of the 1978 Corvette Pace Car was limited to 6,502 units. Initially 300 units were planned, however, demand was such that Chevrolet built one for each of its dealerships.

This was the first production Corvette to be identified as a ‘special edition’ as it was designated to be the Pace Car at the Indianapolis 500 Race. A lead story on the front page of the Wall Street Journal indicated this model would become an immediate collectable Corvette. There was a quick impact on the selling price of these Corvettes with the asking of $10,000 over the list price of $13,653 for the 1978 Pace Car.

Demand for this Pace Car peaked shortly after the 1978 Indy 500 Race. By this time, numerous Pace Cars had been sold at the premium price. Many of these owners thought this was an excellent investment and placed their Indy 500 Pace Car Corvettes in storage with the original delivered miles of under 20. In fact, many of these Corvettes remain in storage today, many have never been titled.

It appears that this 1978 Pace Car is one of those Vettes. The original list price included all of the desirable options and included the standard L-48 185hp motor and automatic transmission. This 1978 Pace Car Corvette includes the upgrade L-82 220hp motor which was a $525 option. It is also equipped with AM-FM stereo radio with a CB feature, a $170 upgrade for the Pace Car.

This 1978 Pace Car is in showroom condition as evidenced by the 11 original miles shown. In addition, it has not been titled.

The Pace Car had door decals indicating it was a Pace Car. These were a dealer installed feature. The decals are available, however, were not installed on this Pace Car.

We place a value of $29,000 on this 1978 Pace Car.

On a comparative basis, a 1978 Pace Car with the L-82 motor, automatic transmission and 16 original miles sold for $31,000 at the Barrett-Jackson Auction last January in Scottsdale, AZ. At this auction, the owner of the Corvette had to pay a consignment fee and the auction provided the sales hype as the bidding took place.


Corvette Appraisals:
With Corvette values rising yearly, make sure your insurance coverage keeps up with your Corvettes value by having it appraised online at VetteFinders.com. Our online appraisals are only $69.95 and are usually completed within three business days. Click here to start your Corvette appraisal now.
Source:
VetteFinders.com Appraisal Service
Related:
Corvette Values: 1978 Corvette Pace Car
Corvette Values: 1961 Corvette Roadster
Corvette Values: An Unrestored 1967 Corvette Roadster
Technorati Tags:
| | | | | | | | | |



-

1 COMMENT

Comments are closed.