1998 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

1998 Chevrolet Corvette ConvertibleThe Indianapolis 500 race started the tradition of using a pace car to keep the starting field in order to begin the race from a rolling...

1998 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

The Indianapolis 500 race started the tradition of using a pace car to keep the starting field in order to begin the race from a rolling start. Prior to 1911, almost every auto race utilized a standing start to begin the race. The pace car is required to collect the field back up at a reduced speed for an organized restart after a caution. For all intent and purposes, the pace car is a safety car.

For consignment one of 1,163 replicas of the 1998 Indianapolis 500 pace cars. It is a coveted spot as a manufacturer to have your latest model showcased as a pace car in the 500, and for this year Corvette won the honors. This low mileage car driven a mere 1,800 miles per year on average since rolling off the assembly line, presents in very nice condition.

Exterior
Draped in Radar Purple Metallic and emblazoned with numerous graphics from checkered flags to word graphics denoting the occasion, this car is simply over the top with the combination of yellow fades to white, red stripes intermixed with these fades, and beautiful badging. A black convertible tops it all off, and on the opposite end (that being the bottom) blazing yellow wheels mimic the graphics. All in very good condition, looking much like it did when on the showroom floor.

Interior
To grab your eyeballs when staring into the inside, yellow leather racing buckets with black bolsters cannot be missed when the top is down or the doors are swung open. These beauties flank a jet black console harboring the armrest/glovebox/gearshift area. To the outsides of the seats are two pristine doors with panels that are a beautiful shiny and gleaming black. Just the sculpting of the door panels, and the handles makes the doors appear to be going 100MPH while standing still! A look to the curving dash where analog gauges are housed, along with a tower of buttons that perform multiple functions, reveals the same effect to moving while standing still. A shout out to the detail department, for the yellow stitching on the shift knob and leather boot. It just brings it all together. Grounding all this is the black carpeting that is thick enough to remove your footwear, and just rub your toes into it.

Drivetrain
An LS-1 346ci V8 with a compression ratio of 10.1:1 and pumping out 345hp is fed by a sequential multi-port injection system is seen when flipping the hood forward. An automatic transmission is attached to the rear of this mill. A note to the engine bay for being deliciously clean and shining.

Undercarriage
Nary a hint of any surface rust (excepting a bolt or 2) undercarriage is clean, and sturdy, and all there. Frame, floor pans, and rockers are very well preserved.

Having the provenance of 1 of 1,163 examples brings with it some stories, maybe some of which are even true. The consigner states, although unfortunately has no documentation, that this car was actually on the track. Our in-depth research cannot prove definitively that indeed it was. A terrific example that is ready to be put through its paces!