The Corvette was 25 years old in 1978 and the celebration was on. All 1978s featured a commemorative badge (right) on the front nose. Above: A special two tone paint scheme consisting of dark silver on the lower body and light silver above separated by a dark silver stripe was offered. The production quantity was not limited and 15,283 were sold.
Corvette Style Upgrade
1978 was a year of significant changes to the C3 Corvette. A new "fastback" design which made for a smoother silhouette and answered criticisms of limited luggage space; owners now had storage similar to the mid-years Corvette coupes. Also like the mid-years coupes, access to the area was through the seats and inconvenient. A hatchback opening would be available in 1982. A retractable cover provided sun protection and security. One drawback to the new design was that the interior would heat up on sunny days, placing increased demands on the air conditioning.
A new temporary space saving spare tire enabled the installation of a new 24 gallon (previously 17 gallon) fuel tank, increasing the driving range between fill-ups, a previous Corvette complaint.
The interior, which was starting to look dated, was upgraded for 1978. The gauges, while still round, were set in a more squared off area. A glove box replaced the map pockets located in front of the passenger. CB (Citizens Band) radios were a booming fad in 1978 and a AM-FM stereo with CB (RPO UP6; $638.00 - ouch!) was available. One antenna was called on to provide for the AM-FM and CB functions, so its performance was compromised.