Someone is selling a beautiful 1979 Chevrolet Corvette L82 for just under $20,000 in Columbus. It has a bright yellow paint job with a plush tan leather interior. The car features dual exhaust, air conditioning, AM/FM radio, and L82 badges. You will see some minor wear on the seats and exterior but overall the car looks clean and classic.
This particular ’69 has only 29,000 original miles. So if you want something that looks old but drives like new, this is your stop. The corvette has four speeds and packs 225 HP. It’s available for viewing at Cruisin Classics, located on Fisher Road.
The History of the Corvette
Though the Corvette has, over time, built quite a name for itself, it wasn’t always this popular. When the classic sports car first hit the market, its sales figures proved underwhelming. Chevrolet manufactured 300 Corvettes in 1953 but sold only 183 of them. in ’55, the company upgraded the engine to a 4.3-liter V-8 and by the next year, the Corvette’s horsepower ranged between 210 and 225.
Through the late 50’s and early 60’s, the car received both mechanical and aesthetic updates. In 1963, Chevrolet said farewell to their first-generation Corvette and introduced a new model. Both automatic and four-speed manual transmissions became available. And Chevrolet realized their untapped market: racers. ’65 introduced a 6.5-liter engine with 425 gross horsepower.
In the 1970’s, the Corvette offered increased safety features. Horsepower suffered in the middle of the decade but began to bounce back in the early 80’s. in 1986, the convertible option returned to the market. By 1992, Chevy had produced 1 million Corvettes. In honor of the original design, the millionth model to roll off the factory line was white with a red interior.
2005 brought a six-speed unit. In ’06, the Corvette beats its personal best with a whopping 505 HP. And by 2015, the public could purchase the car in six-speed, seven-speed, or eight-speed transmissions. Some aesthetic and minor engine changes occurred over the next five years, which brings us to the present.
The 2020 model, dubbed the C8, is the first of its kind. The C8 has moved its engine behind the passenger compartment, ahead of the rear axle. This shift has been in progress for decades and so far has been met with optimism. The Stingray model has an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission but does not offer a manual transmission option.
Where Do We Go From Here?
Who can say where the Corvette will go next? But given its continued dedication to improvement, we would guess it will continue to offer some of the best options around when it comes to high-powered, fairly-priced sports cars. And, of course, if you wind up buying one, you’ll want to ship it home with Columbus Auto Transport.