This is a 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Edition Convertible (19750), 1 of just 1,163 total built (including 5 Pilot C5’s for factory use) of it’s kind for the world, and of that number, 1 of just around 547 equipped with a six-speed manual transmission. The first-generation (C1) of the Corvette model was introduced in 1953, and with the introduced of the eighth-generation in 2020, the Corvette remains today to be one of the most fascinating evolutions of a sports car over time, and one of the most iconic. The final Corvette model to feature the iconic pop-up headlights is the fifth-generation of the model, developed from 1997 until 2004. The C5 was first ever shown to the world on January 6th of 1997 at the North American International Auto Show. The Chief Designer of the Corvette C5 generation was John Cafaro. The 82nd Indianapolis 500 took place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1998, and for the 11th time, a Chevrolet was used as a pace car for the race, also the 4th time, for a Corvette. In order to celebrate the event, Chevrolet subsequently developed a small number of pace car replicas in order to be sold to the public. One of the only differences between the replica pace cars and the real thing is that the official pace car utilized specially-fitted mandated strobe lights. Both variations share the same ‘Pace Car Purple Metallic’ paint finish, yellow interior, yellow wheels and of course, the eye-catching Indy 500 decals. The C5-generation Corvette’s 345hp LS1 V8 engine required no modifications to be used as a pace car for the race, thus resulting in both the real cars and the replicas to use the same exact powertrain. The Indy Pace Car Option Package (Z4Z) included an electronically-tuned AM/FM radio, a Bose speaker system, a digital clock and much more.
How many made? 1,163 total built + 5 Pilot C5’s and 1 of just around 547 equipped with a six-speed manual transmission.
Engine: 345hp LS1 V8
Debut: Official Pace Car for the fourth time for the 1998 Indianapolis 500
Top Speed: approximately 167mph
0-60mph: approximately 5.1 seconds
Photo Credit: @am_media_ny
Research: @rarecarsonly
1998 Chevrolet Corvette Indianapolis 500 Pace Car Edition Convertible
22.04.2025
Chevrolet