Chevrolet produced the C3 Corvette from 1967 until 1982, with the car bringing about a new interior and body but keeping some engine and chassis components from its older sibling, the C2
1978 marked the 62nd edition of the Indy 500 and also Corvette’s 25th anniversary. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway selected Corvette as a pace car for that year’s race, with Jim Rathmann (the winner of the 1960 edition) behind the wheel of a C3.
Chevrolet wanted to commemorate the event with a limited run of Pace Car replicas. 300 of them were initially planned, a number that would match Corvette’s production numbers from its first year, 1953. Ultimately, Chevrolet tweaked up the numbers to 6,502, one unit for each dealer.
The one we’re checking out today has just been listed on Bring a Trailer. The current owner got it in 2011 from Central Chevrolet in Fremont, California, where the car was initially delivered. Chassis 1Z87L8S900153 here is powered by a 350ci L48 V8 engine that sends power to the rear wheels through a three-speed automatic transmission and a Positraction differential.
Although the L48s used by C3s delivered to California were rated at 175 hp (177 ps), the listing mentions this car packs a 185 hp (188 ps) unit that also produces 380 Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque. Thanks to that, this Corvette should reach a top speed of 140 mph (225 km/h), as shown by the speedometer.
Being a Pace Car replica, it features a two-tone black and silver paintwork with some minor imperfections and a thin red stripe just below the blending point. Some exterior features include 15″ alloy wheels with a similar red stripe, pop-up headlights, front and rear spoilers, as well as removable glass T-top roof panels.
The all-silver interior includes leather bucket seats and a three-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel framing an odometer with only 856 miles (1,378 km) on it. Even though it’s still early and the auction will still be going for about 9 days, the car has gathered 4 bids, with the highest one being just below the $15k mark at the time of writing.