This 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Edition is a nicely preserved lower mileage example sporting the iconic 1998 Indianapolis 500 Livery and is ready to be your next summer cruiser! When Chevrolet debuted its Corvette concept car at the New York City Motorama in the early 1950s, few would have expected that not only would the GM marque continue to produce the car for the next 75 years, but also that it would garner a reputation as being America's performance car. See in the early 1950s, Chevys were economical people movers and weren't yet thought of as offering stellar performance on the racetrack. As Corvette production moved into the middle of the 1950s, Chevrolet added a V8 engine along with a manual transmission option and the Corvette would start building its performance-oriented legacy and started to establish itself as a true competitor to the European sports cars that it was originally meant to compete against. Into the 1960s and 70s, Chevrolet had sold thousands of its wildly popular, performance-oriented Corvette but for whatever reason, it never served as the Pace Car at the Brickyard for its famous Memorial Day race. That all changed in 1978 when the Chevrolet Corvette was chosen as the Official Indianapolis 500 Pace Car and to commemorate that accomplishment, the Chevy even sold a limited edition Pace Car Replica sporting the iconic black and silver Indy 500 livery. In 1986, the Corvette was once again selected to pace the racers in Indianapolis and, interestingly, the actual '86 Corvette Pace Car was the first street legal Indy 500 Pace Car since the 1978 Corvette that paced the 62nd 500 Mile International Sweepstakes. The Corvette was chosen as the Indy 500 Pace Car yet again in 1995 and it was driven by famed Indy 500 racer Parnelli Jones. The fourth Corvette model to serve as the Indianapolis 500 was the 1998 model, clad in Pace Car Purple with special Indy 500 decals. To commemorate the special C5 Pace Car, Chevrolet built an additional 1,163 Indy 500 Pace Car Edition cars in 1998 and they were available for purchase at through Chevrolet's dealership network. These Pace Car Edition Corvettes were offered with either a 4 Speed Overdrive Automatic transmission or a 6 speed manual. In total, only 616 were built with 4 Speed OD Automatic transmissions, which makes this particular Corvette a rare car that just about anybody can drive. This 1998 Corvette is believed to have spent the majority of its life down south and comes to us from a southern-based collector who took great care of the car. Powering this '98 Pace Car Corvette is a 5.7 Liter LS1 V8 fed by electronic fuel injection that together were said to have created 345 horsepower when new. The 5.7L LS1 is backed by a 4 speed automatic transmission with overdrive which makes this collectible Corvette an easy car for just about anybody to take for a spin around the block. Exhaust exits the LS1 V8 via a dual exhaust setup that gives this C5 Pace Car its iconic Corvette sound out the rear. Power is sent from the 5.7 Liter V8 to the rear wheels through a limited slip differential so that you can be sure that you'll be able to keep the rubber to pavement. Since this Corvette is a late model collectible, it comes loaded with tons of creature comforts. Squeezing into a tight parking space is a total breeze since this 1998 'Vette comes equipped with power steering. Steering is further assisted with the "Magnasteer" speed sensitive rack and pinion steering rack that makes it easier to take a tight curve at higher speeds. With power disc anti-lock brakes in all four corners, bringing this Corvette to a complete stop is also easy especially with all that horsepower under the hood. You'll be able to stay cool on the hottest summer days and warm on cool fall or spring nights since this '98 Corvette is equipped with dual zone air conditioning and heat. The black cloth convertible top is manually operated, easily by a single person, and it is in wonderful condition. Riding on a set of yellow painted cast aluminum wheels with 245/45ZR17 radial tires up front and 275/40ZR18 radials in the rear this Pace Car replica has an eye-catching look and fantastic ride cruising down the road. The exterior has been finished in Indianapolis 500 Livery consisting of Pace Car Purple basecoat/clearcoat paint and the special Indy 500 decals. The interior of this 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Edition is absolutely stunning! The bucket seats have been correctly and recently reupholstered in gorgeous two-tone Black and Yellow leather and both are 6-way power adjustable seats. The black upholstered door panels, center console, carpeting, leather wrapped dash, and leather wrapped steering wheel are all in wonderful condition as well and appear to remain in the stock configuration. The instrument cluster is equipped with a 200 MPH Speedometer, 7,000 RPM tachometer, oil pressure gauge, temperature gauge, volt gauge, and fuel gauge, along with a display for the Driver Information Center (D.I.C.). The interior is also loaded with numerous desirable creature comforts including power windows, memory power seats, adjustable mirrors, and power door locks. With an AM/FM/CD entertainment system, you'll be able to listen to all of your tunes while cruising down the road. Whether you're buying your very first collector car or you're adding to an existing collection of classic Corvettes, this 1998 Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car Edition would make an excellent addition. Give Ellingson's a call today at 763-428-7337!
*5.7 Liter LS1 Engine *345 Horsepower *4 Speed Overdrive Automatic *Power Steering *4 Wheel Anti-Lock Power Disc Brakes *Dual Zone Air Conditioning *Southern History *Indianapolis 500 Livery *Yellow & Black Leather Interior *AM/FM/CD Entertainment System *1 of 616 Pace Cars Built w/ Automatic *Odometer Reads: 53,606 Miles
