Chevrolet Revived Corvette Convertible in 1986 After 11-Year Gap Triggered by 1975 Cut
Updated
Updated · Jalopnik · Jun 21
Chevrolet Revived Corvette Convertible in 1986 After 11-Year Gap Triggered by 1975 Cut
3 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · Jun 21
Summary
Chevrolet brought the Corvette convertible back in 1986, ending an 11-year absence after dropping the body style following the 1975 model year.
The 1975 cutoff came as the oil crisis, tighter emissions rules and feared rollover standards hit the industry, while Corvette output fell to 165 horsepower and convertibles made up just 12% of sales.
The last 1975 convertible left the factory in late July 1975, and the first new drop-top C4s reached showrooms in early 1986 at $32,032—about $5,000 more than the coupe.
Demand never fully recovered: Chevrolet built 7,315 C4 convertibles in 1986 versus 27,794 coupes, and the C5 again launched coupe-only for 1997 before the convertible arrived in 1998.
The stop-start history reflects a broader decline in traditional open-top cars, with the report noting buyers have largely shifted away from convertibles in recent decades.