Rare Car Archive

Makes › Chevrolet United States › Corvette › C3 · Generation · 1968–1982

Chevrolet Corvette C3

11 rare versions and 4 documented colour variants of the Chevrolet Corvette C3 (1968–1982). The rarest documented: Corvette ZL1 (2 Built).

Chevrolet Corvette C3
Photo: Eric Friedebach
11Rare versions
4Colour variants
1968–1982Years

Why this page

The Corvette C3 as a whole was built in large numbers, so it is not a rare car in itself and has no car page of its own. This page collects what is rare about it: the versions, engine and option packages built in small numbers – each with its own page and full history when it is a car collectors look for by name – and the factory colours with a documented production count, which are rows in a table, not cars of their own. Body styles of one version (coupé, convertible, hardtop) are rows of that version's production table.

Rare versions of the Corvette C3

Every documented rare year and version. Each has its own page with production figures, specifications, history and individual chassis.

YearPhotoRare versionBuiltRarity
1968–1969 Corvette L88 (C3) 216 Extremely Rare
1968–1969 Corvette L89 aluminium-head 427/435 (1968–1969) 390 Very Rare
1968–1969 Corvette L71 427/435 tri-power (1968–1969) 2,722 Rare
1969 Corvette ZL1 2 Ultra Rare
1970–1972 Corvette ZR1 (LT-1 Special Purpose Engine Package) 25 Ultra Rare
1970–1972 Corvette LT1 350 (1970–1972) 1,949 Rare
1970 Corvette LS5 454/390 (1970) 4,473 Rare
1971 Corvette ZR2 (LS6 Special Purpose Engine Package) 12 Ultra Rare
1971 Corvette LS6 454 188 Extremely Rare
1978 Corvette Limited Edition Indy Pace Car replica (1978) 6,502 Limited Production
1982 Corvette Collector Edition hatchback (1982) 6,759 Limited Production

Rare factory options of the Corvette C3 4

Factory options ordered by only a few buyers, with the number of cars that had them. An option is a row in this table, not a car of its own; each count says what it counts and where it comes from.

YearCodeOptionCars with it
1973YJ8 Cast aluminium wheels1 41
1973Z07 Off-road suspension and brake package1 472,1
1974Z07 Off-road suspension and brake package3 473
1975Z07 Off-road suspension and brake package4 1444

Factory colours of the Corvette C3 4

Factory colours with a documented production count. A colour is a row in this table, never a car of its own; each count says what it counts and where it comes from.

YearColourCodeVersionBuilt
1968 Tuxedo Black5 — Corvette 7085
1977 Corvette Chartreuse6 — Corvette 16
1980 Dark Green7 — Corvette 8447
1981 Bright Blue Metallic8 — Corvette 18

Sources

Sources of the colour figures on this page. Each car has its own sources on its page.

  1. 1
    1973 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C
    • 4 1973 Corvettes with RPO YJ8
    • 45 1973 Corvettes with RPO Z07
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    C3 Corvette generation hub (variants, options, production notes) Level B CorvSport
    • Z07 off-road suspension and brake package, fitted to only 47 cars
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  3. 3
    1974 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C
    • 47 1974 Corvettes with RPO Z07
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  4. 4
    1975 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C
    • 144 1975 Corvettes with RPO Z07
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  5. 5
    1968 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C
    • 708 1968 Corvettes painted Tuxedo Black (CorvSport colour table)
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  6. 6
    1977 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C
    • 1 1977 Corvettes painted Corvette Chartreuse (code 41)
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  7. 7
    1980 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C
    • 844 1980 Corvettes painted Dark Green (CorvSport colour table)
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  8. 8
    1981 Corvette Pricing, Factory Options, & Colors – CorvSport Level C
    • 1 1981 Corvettes painted Bright Blue Metallic (code 24)
    Accessed 2026-11-12