Lot 653: 1989 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible

The reintroduction of a convertible, or roadster, Corvette during 1986 was welcomed by the many traditionalists who had lamented the open model’s deletion in 1975. All coupé-to-roadster transformations require additional body strengthening to compensate for the loss of a fixed roof, but the Corvette’s proved so successful that the convertible ended up stiffer than its closed cousin! The top was manually operated, folding down beneath a hatch in the rear deck, and the convertible came with 9.5” wheels all round and slightly softer suspension settings yet still retained the exemplary high-speed handling characteristics of the coupé. Chevy’s long-running 350ci (5.7-litre) ‘Small Block’ V8 remained the sole engine offered; now equipped with aluminium cylinder heads and ‘TPI’ multi-point fuel injection it enjoyed a welcome 12% increase in maximum horsepower to 230bhp. A new ZF six-speed manual gearbox was added to the range of transmissions for 1989 and a removable glassfibre hardtop became available for the convertible later in the year.
Equipped with the four-speed automatic/overdrive transmission, this luxurious Corvette convertible was first registered in the UK on 1st December 1997 and has been in the current owner’s possession for the past four years. Fitted options include power-assisted steering and air conditioning, while we are advised that the engine has been up-rated with a BBK Power-Plus throttle body, K&N air filter and stainless-steel Magnaflow exhaust system. The car is finished in black with matching hood and tonneau cover, while the interior is trimmed in red leather and features a JVC stereo system with 12-disc CD changer. Professionally serviced and maintained by the vendor, this exciting example of all-American muscle is presented in very good condition and offered with sundry expired MoT certificates, Swansea V5C registration document and current MoT.