Recently, at a local auto show, I saw a sign propped up on the front of a Corvette looking for more than just a plain “Only?’ 83 Corvette.” I was just looking around for all the Corvette owners, trying to find the story behind the ‘Vanished 83’, and no one seemed to have an answer for me.
Many shrugs and lengthy answers (not excluding government conspiracies).
I was curious, and now I know, was there an 83 Corvette? If not, why? Conspiracy? Mechanical issues?
I’ve tried looking online, scouring the internet for answers, and found some amazing little information, and tons of car enthusiasts discussing this fact.
Those who claim their land, those who claim no time.
After sifting through the junk, I found some information that may have hit the answers for the source.
As it turned out, the production of the 83 was way back, so far back, and there was no way the 83 could be paid off in time! They usually release the new ones in September before the model year, when in fact production was delayed until March 1983!
That’s quite a time commitment when you consider the major hauls that the Corvette wanted to make. What they wanted was a much needed facelift in a growing market.
The Corvette lasted an unheard of five years for basically the same chassis (from 1963 to 1968). Which, in the world of sports-cars, is quite a stretch, but someone always comes out with someone. new
In 1982, about half of the Corvettes were built in 1981, although they sold in the extra six months.
When they decided to complete the redesign for 1984, that’s what pushed them far.
There has been some discussion that perhaps GM moved from its St. Louis location (where, until 1980, all Corvettes were made) to Bowling Green in Kentucky this is what he did, but it was found to be inconvenient.
They took so much time on the redesign that when the 84 came out, everything was new except for one small thing, the engine. In 82 they threw out the engines for what was missing at the time.
That was 83, when it finally came out, 84. Up to the ‘true’ 1983, estimates vary from ten to about fifty cars.
Those were the estimated numbers of cars used for EPA testing and the press release. There are shells of some existing cars, for example the 1983 Corvette shown to the trade press at Riverside Raceway in December 1982.
This is a number that may surprise you, although because of the delays, more than twice as many 84 Corvettes were sold as 82s.
That doesn’t really help them with all the conspiracy theories.
So do you have a 1983 Corvette sitting in your yard? I don’t know, chances are maybe not. That may not be a bad thing, but look on the bright side. Whenever they play with the old golds, there are always some bugs to work out, not really all that comforting when you think of having all the money you could have, but hey, don’t complain too much, you still get it from a vette.
