2003 Chevrolet Corvette Anniversary Red

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Vehicle Specification

Chevrolet

Make

Corvette

Model

1581174

Listing ID

Convertible

Body Style

Manual

Transmission

Gasoline

Fuel Type

2003

Year

Used

Condition

Red

Exterior Color

Vehicle Description

The Chevrolet Corvette

One of the first American-produced cars with a fiberglass body, the initial Corvette was powered by a six-cylinder engine and intended to compete with the European sports cars United States soldiers were exposed to during and after World War II. Only 300 1953 Chevrolet Corvettes came off the assembly line, the lowest production in Corvette history. Sales of the two-seat roadster were disappointing to General Motors management in the next two model years, and historians speculate GM would have “pulled the plug” on the Corvette had Ford not introduced the two-seat Thunderbird in the 1955 model year. While Ford executives marketed their Thunderbird as a personal luxury car as opposed to a sports car and used that platform to chase perceived market trends over the next several decades, Chevrolet stayed with the two-seat sports car platform for the Corvette. The car has evolved today through eight generations (referred to as C1, C2, C3 and so on) and is still considered the flagship of the Chevrolet line. The Corvette can boast a rich racing heritage in several genres and has served many times as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 as well as other forms of motorsports. Preparing for the 2003 model year, General Motors executives planned a special car to commemorate the Corvette’s 50th anniversary. Initially plans called for the car to be polo white with a red interior (the only color/interior combination available on the introductory offering) but that plan was scrapped. With a total production run of 35,469 Corvette units in 2003, only 7,547 convertibles were offered with the special 50th anniversary package (RPO 1SC) which included many popular convenience options and special wheels. This 2003 Chevrolet 50th anniversary Corvette convertible was acquired by the present owner from the original purchaser of the car in August 2010, with the car having 2,300 miles on the odometer at that time. The options tag in the vehicle’s glove box confirms the car to be a true 50th anniversary edition. Under the present ownership the Corvette has been housed in a humidity-controlled environment and driven sparingly in the past nearly 12 years. Additional options include memory package with automatic climate control, driver and passenger reclining seats, body side moldings, monochromatic electric mirrors, magnetic selective ride control, power telescopic manual tilt steering wheel, heads-up display and Delco-Bose AM/FM stereo with CD player. Under the hood is an LS1 5.7 liter engine rated at 350 horsepower, backed with a six-speed manual transmission. Power is transmitted to the 3.42:1 rear axle.