1986 Chevrolet Corvette C4 Convertible

America's only true sports car underwent a radical makeover for 1984, the fourth generation Corvette lauded as being truly world class by the motoring press at the time of introduction and was named 'Car of the Year' by Motor Trend magazine.

The sleek new aero styling of the C4 Corvette featured a new clam-shell bonnet and one-piece lift out roof but retained traditional Vette styling cues like the four round tail lights. Underneath, the new model could boast of advanced five-link independent rear suspension, liberal use of aluminium in the structure to save weight and Girling disc brakes all round. Powering the C4 was the venerable 350-cid Cross-Fire L83 V-8 with four-speed manual transmission as standard although the four-speed Turbo Hydramatic automatic option proved a popular choice. Inside the new Corvette boasted state of the art technology, with an electronic dashboard, power windows and air conditioning all as standard issue. The C4 did more than just look good - when journalists took the new car on the track, they recorded the best lateral acceleration figures yet recorded for a production car and raved about the surefooted handling. Not surprisingly, the newest Vette was a sales sensation, hitting 51,547 units in 1984 as Americans scrambled to own the sexiest version of their favourite sports car yet.