1989 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible (LHD)

Chevrolet’s sixth-generation Corvette was launched to general acclaim in 1984, combining the traditional virtues of great looks and affordability with some major advances in design and technology - indeed, Car and Driver magazine went so far as to describe the Corvette as “the most advanced production car on the planet”. With rack and pinion steering, four-wheel disc brakes and forged-aluminium suspension arms, the new C4 Corvette was certainly a big improvement over the outgoing C3, with a slippery new shape that successfully blended traditional Corvette styling cues with a contemporary aero look. The C4 Corvette retained Chevrolet’s 5.7-litre V8, using Tuned Port Injection from 1985, while the availability of a four-plus-three-speed transmission (with computer-controlled overdrive on the top three gears) was something of a novelty at the time. Development of the C4 Vette continued through the 1980s, with ABS standardised from 1986, the same year the eagerly anticipated convertible returned to the model line-up. Changes for 1987 included roller hydraulic lifters, boosting horsepower to 240 at 4,000 rpm, while a new camshaft and modified aluminium cylinder heads helped the engine breathe a little easier in 1988. New options for 1989 included an optional computer-controlled ZF six-speed manual transmission, along with a Delco-Bilstein Selective Ride Control system with adjustable shock absorbers, while a passenger-side airbag was added in 1990. By the end of the 1980s, the Corvette had matured into a sophisticated, stylish package - the bang for the buck factor still very much the Corvette’s trump card. A total of 9,749 Corvette convertibles were built in 1989 (1990), most equipped with the standard four-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic automatic transmission and L98 350-cid V8 under the bonnet. The sixth-generation Corvette is now recognised as a significant step forward in the history of America’s favourite sports car, offering world-class performance, styling and handling for the first time.