They weren't actually "pulled back". They were never released for sale to begin with.
The offical story was that GM was having engine development problems, so they decided to delay the introduction until the 1990 model year. That was probably true, but I personally think that it had just as much to do with the fact that the new interior (among other changes) was coming in 1990. So rather than spend the money to manufacture and stock replacement inventory of 1989 ZR-1 specific items like the digital gauge cluster - an expensive piece to say the least - which was different from the L98 version (it had a 7000 RPM redline), they decided to hold off for a year.
As for the 84 1989 Corvette ZR-1s, they were all used as test vehicles by both GM engineers and the media. After the decision was made to delay the program, GM kept one of them - a Competition Yellow with black leather interior - for their own collection, which now resides in the Corvette Museum. The rest were all supposed to have been destroyed.
However, the story doesn't end there. There are a small hand full (and I do mean, SMALL) of crushed 1989 ZR-1s that were salvaged by a few very resourceful individuals that managed to get their hands on them. Most, if not all, are in the process of restoring these cars. They are very rare indeed and will probably fetch a lot of money at auctions in the future. But more importantly, they are an important part of ZR-1 history.
Of course, I should also mention, there were a number of early developmental Corvettes (I think as far back as 1986 or 1987) that were also equipped with LT5 engines. Nobody really talks about these, but during the early stages of development, GM shipped a few (I don't know exactly how many) Corvettes to Lotus Cars in England so that they could fit and road test the early LT5 engines. The interesting thing about these Corvettes is that they had the standard body on them - they weren't widened at the rear. As far as I know, none of these Corvettes ever made their way back to the U.S. and were also supposed to have been destroyed. Although knowing how deep the enthusiasm for Corvettes can be, and certainly for the ZR-1, I would not be surprised to learn that that some (if not all) of these Corvettes were also salvaged and are undergoing restoration. Only time will tell.
That's what I love about the ZR-1. The legend runs deeper than most people realize.
Hope that helps.
Corvette Store
1989 ZR1s what happened 2 them?
I had also speculated that some went to race teams? Tommy Morrison? Be sure to let us know about the protype if it happens! An 89 ZR-1 is my dream car.
