By Scott Teeters as written for Vette Vues
January 3, 1983 – Production begins on the 1984 model Corvette, the all-new C4 Corvette.

Dateline January 2016: Chevrolet had a lot riding on the all-new C4 Corvette – expectations were very high since the C3 had been riding on the C2 chassis that was designed in 1960! Even though the new C4 used the 1982 Cross Fire Injection, rated at 205-hp, the new structure, modern suspension and brakes, and huge tires made the new Vette handle better than ever.

The 1984 Corvette wasn’t formally introduced until March 1983. Since the all-new Corvette met the 1984 federal requirements, Chevrolet General Manager, Robert Stemple made the command decision to skip the 1983 model year and do an early model release as a 1984 car. Consequently, the 1984 model had an extended production run, allowing sales to hit 51,547 units – the second highest sales year in Corvette history. 1979 and 1984 were the only Corvette yearly sales totals to go over 50,000 units.

Vehicles with VIN 0002-0071 are built as test vehicles; the 71st car built is given VIN 0001, and donated to the National Council of Corvette Clubs for a charity raffle. The new C4 Corvette had a base price of $21,800, and jump of $3,510. Considering the vast overall improvement over the C3, no one was complaining about the price hike!