1984 Chevrolet Corvette C4

There were no 1983 Corvettes produced for public sale, but 43 pilot models of the new-generation Corvette were built in 1983 for testing purposes. Today, one of those 1983 pilots is on display at the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The rest were scrapped.

1984 was the first year of a redesigned, all-new Corvette since 1968. During the initial stages of designing the concept that would eventually become the production vehicle, many ideas were entertained. John Delorian, the general manager of Chevrolet, had suggested shortening the vehicle by using the F-body platform which was used for the Firebird and Camaro. This would save chassis pieces and development expenses. The idea was passed over. Another idea was to improve performance and handling by using the mid-engine design. This idea also did not happen. Mid-engine cars were mostly owned by wealthy people who had many vehicles to choose from. On the other hand, Corvettes were often the only vehicle owned by the owner. This meant the vehicle would need to be practical enough to do domesticated chores such as hauling groceries.

The new Corvette would have to meet fuel economy, safety, and emission standards. One way the Corvette was successful at overcoming these obstacles was to become 25 percent more aerodynamic and by reducing the weight by 250 pounds. The wheelbase was also shortened by 2 inches and the length was decreased by almost 9 inches. A collapsible steering column was installed in the event of a head-on collision. The 'bread loaf', a padded structure located where a glove-box usually is located, was used to help cushion the passenger in the event of an accident.

Chevrolet's small-block eight-cylinder engine produced 205 horsepower. The new four+three-speed manual gearbox was located behind the engine. The new 'electronic control module' or ECM provided shorter, quicker shifts. An automatic four-speed Turbo-Hydra-Matic gearbox was still available upon request. A zero-to-sixty mph could be achieved in about 7 seconds with a top speed in the neighborhood of 140 mph.

A double-wishbone front suspension and five-link independent rear suspension was teamed with Goodyear Gator back unidirectional tires. This was in response to Dave McLellan's performance targets for the 1983 Corvette, that is should be the best-handling sports car in the world. The Goodyear tires were developed based on work done on Formula One rain tire development. The tires were also capable of holding up to the nearly 150 mph top speed. They were quiet, visually appealing, long-lasting, and provided the response that was required in a Corvette.

Chevrolet produced 51,474 of its 1984 Corvette, and the first seventy vehicles that rolled of the production line were kept by General Motors for engineering and development purposes. The base price was set at $21,800.

The rear wheel size was increased to 9.5 inches wide. The new design was aerodynamic, elegant, and a modern upgrade from the previous Corvette design. It had a windshield raked at a 64-degree angle, a one-piece, full-width fiberglass top, and a frameless glass back window/hatch. In the back were four round taillamps. The front had hidden headlamps with integrated halogen foglamps and front cornering lamps. Power was from a 90-degree, overhead valve V8 engine that displaced 350 cubic-inches (5.7 liters). It produced just over 200 horsepower and was mated to a THM 700-R4 four-speed automatic with overdrive. They had four-wheel disc brakes and a rack-and-pinion steering setup.