While researching my latest Pick of the Day, a 1986 Chevrolet Corvette that was turned into a kart, I came across several brochures online. One in particular was especially interesting. As expected, it highlighted various updates for the ’86 model year, such as the standard ABS and modified suspension, but it also featured other information that made it stand out.
Technically True?
On the first page of the 1986 Corvette brochure, Chevrolet said, “Another division of GM used to say, ‘Ask the man who owns one,’ and it’s still good advice. So we did — went out and asked a few Corvette owners of the current generation what they like about their cars.”
The first few times I read that introductory sentence, I wondered if General Motors was aware that the Packard Motor Car Company used that slogan. But once I started digging, I learned that James Ward and William Packard started the Packard Electric Company in 1890, which GM bought in 1932.
Compared to a Ferrari — Twice
Ferrari introduced the 328 at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show, so it’s logical to assume that at least one C4 owner compared his or her car to it. But that didn’t happen in this brochure. Going back a little further, Marshall Buck (an audio systems designer and the owner of an ’84 Corvette), said, “When I compared it to my Ferrari Daytona, I found that they were comparable as far as the technical sophistication.” He also praised the C4’s stability, acceleration, cornering, and braking.
Further on in the brochure, architect John Nance, who bought a 1985 Corvette, said, “The new Corvette’s styling reminds me of the Ferrari Boxer — it has a kind of chunky stance. It’s not quite as sleek as the Ferrari 308, but has the chunky feel of the Boxer. I really like the headlamps — the way they’re aerodynamically clean even when in the up position.”
Nailed It!
Click here to buy this 1986 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible on ClassicCars.com
According to former Corvette planner Zara Rolfes, one of the many things her team focused on with the C4 was ergonomics and comfort. Her footwear and nails played a role in refining the cockpit. “The first time I climbed into the clay mock-up I gouged holes everywhere with my high heels, and with my fingernails as I reached for the new left-grab parking brake. All the engineers yelled at me until pointed out that I represented the real world and the design should readily accommodate me. They changed the design.”
The 1986½ “Ultimate Fresh-Air Machine”
To celebrate the first new Corvette convertible since 1975, Chevrolet worked with British artist Harold James Cleworth on a special promotion. If you bought or leased an ’86 Corvette and mailed in the coupon attached to the brochure, you could get one of 600 signed and numbered lithographs of the long-awaited drop-top.
