The 1970s and early ’80s were a tough time for automakers selling sports cars in the U.S. It did not matter if you were Porsche, Ferrari, or Chevy – emissions regulations combined with increased safety standards had a serious negative effect on performance cars of the era. This was when the 0-60 time for a Ferrari 308 GTBi was only 7.9 seconds and even Porsche’s 928 took seven seconds. In America, the sports car was almost completely gone except for one survivor: the Corvette.
You have to give GM credit for continuing to build and develop the Corvette during the energy crisis, climate crisis, and overall downfall of the entire world of sports cars that was happening at the time. It could have just cancelled the car and moved on, but it chose to keep the C3 going for a Corvette record of 15 years, all the way to 1982. The 1982 model gave the aging yet still desirable C3 Corvette one last bow with the Collector Edition.
Featured on AutoHunter, the online auction platform driven by ClassicCars.com, is this 22K-mile 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition.
According to the seller, this 1982 Vette is powered by its original numbers-matching L83 5.7-liter V8 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Finished in Silver Beige Metallic over a black leather interior, this C3 Corvette is now offered with a window sticker, an owner’s manual, original purchase documentation, a clean CARFAX report, and a clear title.
The exterior of this 1982 Collector Edition Corvette is painted in its original Silver Beige Metallic paint (code 59) with accent pinstriping and a gradient rocker treatment. I have to say that these cars look really cool in person and photos never seem to do them justice. The paint looks like a color Porsche would come up with and the paint quality from the then-brand-new Bowling Green, Kentucky Corvette plant was superior to what the C3 had before. The car features its iconic pop-up headlights, removable bronze-tinted glass T-top panels, and, being a Collector Edition, a useful hinged glass rear hatch. The Collector Edition 15-inch turbine-style aluminum wheels are wrapped in brand-new 255/60 Cooper Cobra Radial G/T tires.
The interior looks to feature all original panels with the exception of the six-way power seats, which have been recovered in black leather. For me, the crazy tri-tone Collector Edition leather seats are part of the fun of this car. If I bought this Corvette, I would call one of the many excellent classic Corvette parts suppliers and get a set of original-color seat covers for about $850.
Under the hood, everything appears to be in good shape and in original condition. The numbers-matching Cross-Fire fuel-injected L83 5.7-liter V8 looks to be completely stock and I don’t see anything that makes me think that someone has made changes to this car. The underside shows some surface rust as this is an original – not restored – car, but I would clean that stuff up and then just drive and enjoy this low-mile machine.
If you are looking to buy yourself a last-minute Christmas gift, you might want to save a few dollars to bid on this nice driver-level example of the last of the C3 Corvettes. The auction for this 22K-mile 1982 Chevrolet Corvette Collector Edition will end the day after Christmas on Thursday, December 26, 2024, at 12:00 p.m. (MST).
Visit the AutoHunter listing for more information and a photo gallery