SizzleChest

can someone explain it to me?

fauxrs

I doubt it..... :jester

but seriously, it has to do with the relativly few numbers of them produced...otherwise there is no difference - apart from the paint

Crash Dummy

I'd be surprised if any edition of the Indy Pace car was really that popular. A couple of friends even told me that the Pace Cars sold slower than the other versions in '78. True or fact I don't know. And I was not impressed at all with the C-5 version. I didn't mind possilby winning one at CorvetteMuseum, but I don't want those graphics on a nice looking car. Everyone to their own.

SizzleChest

seats and spoilers as well. What I don't understand is that there were over 6500 of them produced - all identical. That's the 3rd most common colour scheme for 1978.

Shark Racer

Not too many cars can pull off front and rear spoilers without getting called rice.

Nor do I see too many other 78 Corvette Pace Cars on the road. They actually were in HIGH DEMAND. Whether or not they traded hands is entirely different. People thought they were worth more than they really were.

I love mine all the same.

-Steve

Chuck Harmon

The 78 pace car was one of the best looking quasi custom cars the factory produced. It was also the first pace car in a decade that didn't need to be modified to go fast enough to actually pace the Indy cars.

Chuck

Tomi72

I have only seen one here in Finland but I'm a big fan of the 78PCs. The paint scheme, the silver interior and the spoilers just look good!

Maurice

I don't know....but I got it for the 98 pace cars...

Les

It's true- the 78 Pace Car did sell slower than the regular Vettes but that was because the dealers were marking them up quite a bit. There was alot of interest in them and some dealers just wouldn't budge from the high prices because they knew somebody would come in who was willing to pay the big bucks. I happen to like them & see them as an interesting part of our Corvette history. :thumbs:

Rockn-Roll

They were also slow sellers because every dealer got only one. Once that one was sold they couldn't sell any more, cause there weren't any. Apparently if you wanted one you had to search around until you found a dealer that still had one. Even then the dealer could have taken a stock 78 (or even a 77 or 79) and repainted it and added the spoilers and stuff...at least that's the story I heard.

I had an opportunity to buy a pace car with decals and everything, but the one I looked at appeared to have driven the Indy 500 and another 1,000 other races since then! :lol:


[Modified by Rockn-Roll, 1:51 AM 9/23/2003]

gliot1

One comment said the '78 Pace sold slower?????Far from the truth. Orignally Chevy said only 200 would be produced. When the delaers complained they upped it to (1) per dealer. A fierce bidding battle and deceiptful practices by dealers (surprise) led to lawsuits and large dealers buying smaller dealers Pace's away from them. The record price was reported to be $76,000 ($13,500 was the sticker). None of these have recouped the investment. '78 Pace cars typcially go from $5,000 to $10,000 more these days according to the pricing charts. Maybe, I'm biased.....I have a '78 Pace. My interest in them started with my uncle, who bought one new in '78. He had it (10) years and put only 2500 miles on it. He sold to a man who was buying it for his son for graduation. The kid totaled it (3) days later. My uncle was sick. Though he has owned other Vettes and numerous other sprots cars, he still says that '78 Pace was his favorite.

If you want to read up more on the Pace phenomenon, there are many websites which talk to it.

Fasteighty

I really like the paint/decal scheme of the 78 pacers. If I had to pick a pace car to buy, a 78 would be it. :thumbs:

Vader953

Of coarse, opinions are like you know what....................

But I think you all are nuts. The 78 PC is one, if not the, best looking Vette ever made. The 2-tone exterior is beautiful, and the silver interior with the 79-82 seats is awesome. I have the SA edition, but settled for that when I couldn't find a Pace Car in Great condition. The spoilers I think made it even better, giving it a lower appearance. Not only that but they are highly optioned. In MY opinion, a 78 Pace Car with L-82 4-speed and no decals on the door is the best looking Vette ever made. :p:

UKPaul

:iagree:
I think it's the looks, ie the paintjob, that makes it popular (certainly here). I know that BG did 2 tone paintjobs on C3's but (trying not to insult anybody & probably failing badly!) the colors weren't as striking as the pace cars were. Personally, I think that one or 2 of the color schemes in '81 could have been improved on quite a bit eg. Candy blue & silver.
I think they also look better without the decals :yesnod: sorry!
:cheers:

77-C3 & 89-C4

There Is Since when, Came is BB, BB, BB, maybe an LT1 if a 1970

PRNDL

OK, nobody really explained it, so I will :lol: ......

When the 78 Pace Car came out, the Wall Street Journal (you know, the esteemed automotive publication!! :lol: ) ran an article saying what a GREAT investment the 78 pace car would be, so many people ran out and bought one at well over sticker (price didnt matter, it was a GREAT IVESTMENT!!!) and put their investment in storage. Now it is 25 years later, and it seems the "super low mileage pacecar"..... never been titled.... still has plastic on the seats...etc... is a dime a dozen, and seems to command about that price in the market. So the "fascination" as you call it, is the same interest people have in tulip bulbs or ..... WorldCom perhaps... :( MJ

SizzleChest

true, they probably are the nicest looking pace car of the select few.

78pace

Like everything in this world its all a matter of choice and opinion :yesnod:

bnytro

back in 78 my grand father was a chevorlet dealer, he had the option of a pace car or a silver an. it what chevy told him, my dad ordered the L-82, am-fm cassette, every option, my dad order the 4spd but my grand father changed the order to an auto trans and curz, it sat on the show room floor 2 years with 12 miles on it, my granddad was asking at the time 25g's some guy came in 18g's later the car was gone on a trailer, I like it i though the interer was cool and paint was nice, but that year i like the 80 better

hunt4cleanair

And finally...the 78 Silver Anniversary and Pace Car was Chevrolet's first foray into cosmetic packaging to sell Corvettes. In the past, it was high-performance and heavy-duty options that sold Corvettes.

With horsepower maxed out at 220 mph and the heaviest Corvette ever...Chevy had to come up with a marketing mix to continues the positive Corvette sales trend.

So we got Pace Cars and Anniversary paint schemes...the trend that persists to this day.