1982 Chevrolet Corvette

This 1982 Collector Edition Corvette was purchased new at Dutch Miller Chevrolet in Huntington, WV, by Mr. Call. Mr. Call had purchased this Corvette as an investment and drove the car around town and to local car shows.A family member would later purchase the Corvette from Mr. Callâs widow and brought the car home to Upstate New York, where he also used the car sparingly, preserving the Corvette's originality. He would take the Corvette to a massive show once a year, put on by the local Corvette club in Sylvan Beach, NY, which attracted over 500 Corvettes. This Corvette went on to place in each of the last two years in the Top 30 Corvettes awarded. To celebrate the departure of the third-generation Corvette, Chevrolet offered a final commemorative âCollectorâs Editionâ model. Recalling their experience with the 1978 Pace Car replicasânamely, the number of bogus Pace Cars created by consumers who converted base-level coupes into Pace Car âclonesââChevrolet decided that the 1982 Collector Edition Corvettes would be built only âas neededâ to satisfy customer orders. Additionally, unique vehicle identification plates were affixed to further deter anyone from turning a standard car into a Collectorâs Edition knockoff. For many enthusiasts and critics alike, the 1982 Collector Edition Corvette was considered the best C3 of them all. David McLellan stated that it was âa unique combination of color, equipment, and innovation (resulting in) one of the most comprehensive packages ever offered to the Corvette buyer.â The Collector Edition Corvette was the first to feature a rear-lifting glass hatchback, which has since become standard on all Corvettes built after 1982. (Image courtesy of GM Media.) First and foremost, the 1982 Collector Edition Corvette introduced a frameless, lifting rear-glass hatchbackâa Corvette firstâin place of the customary fixed backlight, which had been standard on the C3 since its introduction in 1968. The introduction of the rear hatch on the Colle