Why Chevrolet Destroyed All But One 1983 Corvette

Chevrolet has been a staple of the roads for decades, and throughout its illustrious history has provided drivers with some truly iconic vehicles. From some immensely reliable Chevy SUVs to Chevy vehicles you simply can’t get in the United States, the brand’s offerings have made headlines for many reasons. One of the most prominent and celebrated rides of them all is the Chevrolet Corvette, which first took the streets by storm in 1953 and is still going strong today. However, despite the sports car’s popularity, it oddly doesn’t have a 1983 model year, with Chevy destroying almost all of those meant to hit the market that year.

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Technically speaking, the 1983 Corvette does exist, as seen above. Unfortunately for those who wanted one, they never saw a wide release. The fourth-generation Corvette was originally intended for the 1982 model year, only to be pushed back to 1983 and later 1984 for the sake of perfecting various updates. 43 actual 1983-designated Corvette “pilot cars” were made, albeit for internal Chevrolet use in engineering, testing, and the like. With this work done, it was the standard to destroy these vehicles, and 42 of them met such a fate. In the end, only one genuine 1983 Corvette slipped through the cracks.

So, what has ultimately become of the world’s only 1983 Chevrolet Corvette?

The survival of the sole 1983 Corvette is often attributed to Chevrolet plant worker Ralph Montileone. It has been claimed that he got through demolishing all the other Corvettes at the Bowling Green, Kentucky location when it suddenly began to rain. Thus, he went inside and left the last Corvette behind to be crushed tomorrow. When he returned the next day, the rented crusher had been returned, sparing the Corvette’s life. Designated as RBV098, this model was then parked outside and left on its own, existing out of sight and out of mind for some time. Thankfully, it wasn’t left to rot and be forgotten to history.

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When a new Bowling Green plant manager got a look at the decrepit car in 1984, he elected to make it an attraction. He brought it in, cleaned it up, and had it adorned with a patriotic red, white, and blue paint job, putting it on display as the last of the Corvette model year that never was. Eventually, it was returned to its original solid white paint scheme and brought in to commemorate the 1994 opening of the National Corvette Museum. Its place at the museum was later made permanent, and it remains there three decades later for Corvette enthusiasts to admire.

Though the 1983 Chevrolet Corvette never made it to market, it endures as a legendary vehicle thanks to the fascinating tale of its one surviving unit, RBV098. It’s quite the anomaly, after all, seeing as there are only a handful of cars that are so rare only one exists out there.

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