Chevrolet
Corvette Limited Edition Indy Pace Car replica (1978)

Why it matters

The 1978 replica was the first Corvette to pace the Indianapolis 500 and the first Corvette special edition built in numbers. It was planned as a run of about 300 and grew to 6,502, and speculators who expected a rarity found a car dealers could not easily resell.

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

Chevrolet's plan grew from 300 cars (one for each 1953 Corvette) to 2,500, and finally to one for every dealer. The 6,502 replicas were built between March and May 1978 with their own VIN series, 900001-906502, at $13,653.21 against a $9,351 base car.

The 25th anniversary year also brought the fastback glass roof and a 24-gallon fuel tank. Dealers asked about twice the sticker price, and the hub says speculators then could not recover it.

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.

The replicas have their own VIN series 900001-906502. They are black over silver with a red stripe (B78 scheme), front and rear spoilers, silver leather or leather-and-cloth, clamshell seats, silver-tinted glass roof panels and dealer-applied decals supplied in the trunk. The package is RPO Z78.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

1. 1
   C3 Corvette generation research hub Level B CorvSport

   • built 6,502 with their own 900001-906502 VINs

   Accessed 2026-11-12
2. 2
   1978 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C

   • 6502 1978 Limited Edition Corvette Pace Cars (1YZ87/78)

   Accessed 2026-11-12