Here’s an interesting peek under the fiberglass of the 1982 Corvette, the final year of the third-generation sports car by Chevrolet.

By 1982, the third-generation Corvette had grown rather long in the tooth. Introduced way back in 1968, the C3 continually evolved over its lengthy product cycle, growing a succession of flexible front and rear bumpers and ultimately, even an opening rear hatch. Meanwhile, the original C3’s wide assortment of powerful small-block and big-block V8s eventually gave way to emissions-hobbled 350 CID cast-iron V8s (305 CID in California for 1980) offering less than 200 horsepower. Chevrolet did the best it could to compensate for the performance shortfall with continual chassis upgrades and a long list of comfort and appearance add-ons.

Many of these features are detailed in this nifty six-minute dealer film for the 1982 Corvette, the final year for the third-generation Chevy sports car. (Chevrolet then officially skipped over the 1983 model year to introduce an all-new C4 Corvette for 1984.) Noteworthy mentions include the new 700-R4 four-speed automatic transmission, the short-lived Cross-Fire fuel injection system, and the aluminum Dana 44 IRS unit with fiberglass monoleaf spring. Toward the end, there’s a segment dedicated to the 1982 Collectors Edition with its special Silver Beige paint, shadow graphics, and upholstery, along with the aforementioned opening rear glass. Video below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHTDfOFtmIw