1987 Chevrolet Corvette C4

The fourth generation of the Corvette - the C4 - was produced from 1984 through 1996 and quickly regained its place as one of the world's most desirable sports cars. It was a clean break from the previous generation of Corvette with a completely new chassis and modern, sleeker styling. Primary emphasis was placed on handling, road handling, and ride comfort. Unlike its predecessors, the C4 did not use separate body-on-frame construction. Instead, it used what GM termed a 'uniframe', which consisted of a traditional perimeter frame, with the windshield frame, doorposts, and the rear portion of the floor pan integrated into one welded assembly.

Awards received by the C4 Corvette included 'Car and Drivers' top 10 cars in the World, the 70-0 mph braking award, and several by Motor Trend included in August of 1987 - top speed, best braking, and best skidpad.

The 1987 Chevrolet Corvette was available as either a hatchback coupe or a convertible. The coupe sold for $28,000 and 20,007 examples were produced while the convertible cost $3,150 and found 10,625 interested buyers. Under the bonnet was a 90-degree, overhead-valve V8 engine that displaced 350 cubic inches (5.7 liters) and offered 240 horsepower. This was an increase in power by 10 HP over the prior year. This additional HP was the result of new roller hydraulic lifters, while also helping improve the vehicle's gas mileage.

Standard equipment on the 1987 Corvette included an AM/FM seek/scan radio, tilt/telescope steering column, theft-deterrent system, tinted glass, twin remote-control mirrors, four-wheel disc brakes (with ABS), power steering, power windows, and intermittent wipers. Two four-speed gearboxes were available - a manual or an automatic. A new option this year was an electronic tire-pressure monitoring system which alerted the driver via a dashboard light when tire pressure became low. Other available options included automatic air conditioning, performance axle ratio, engine oil cooler, Delco-GM/Bose music stereo electronic tuning cassette system, 6-way power driver's seat, leather seats, custom two-tone paint, and more.

Total production for 1987 was 30,632 Corvettes.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jan 2013