Chevrolet
Corvette convertible 'Indy Pace Car' (1986)

Why it matters

The 1986 Corvette convertible was the first Corvette convertible in eleven years and was chosen to pace the Indianapolis 500. After the 1978 pace-car backlash, Chevrolet made every reintroduced 1986 convertible a pace car replica.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The convertible was engineered with ASC to be stiffer than the coupe and priced at $32,032, and Chuck Yeager drove the yellow pace car. All 7,315 convertibles built in 1986 carried the Indy 500 pace car plaque, among 35,109 Corvettes that year. Bosch anti-lock brakes, aluminum heads and the VATS key arrived in the same year.

Technical specifications

Engine

Transmission & drivetrain

Chassis, body & dimensions

Performance

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

For 1986 the registry states that aluminium cylinder heads reached production half way through the model year, so all 1986 convertibles and late-production coupes have them; the last 8,594 cars are believed to be so equipped. Anti-lock brakes were standard on all 1986 Corvettes, and the Center High Mounted Stop Lamp above the rear hatch glass debuted that year.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   C4 Corvette (1984–1996): The Complete Fourth-Generation Guide Level B CorvSport

   • every one of the 7,315 built was a Pace Car replica
   • All 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V-8s
   • L98 Tuned-Port Injection 230 to 250 hp (1985–91)
   • wheelbase cut to 96.2 inches

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   1986 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C

   • 7315 1986 Corvette convertibles (1YY67)

   Accessed 2026-11-12
3. 3
   1986 Corvette Tech Center - Model Year Highlights Level A Corvette Action Center

   • aluminum cylinder heads resulted in an increase in horsepower to 235 hp

   Accessed 2026-11-12