The 43 pilot-line '83 Corvettes were actually built at the Bowling Green assembly plant. Thirty-three were assigned to Corvette Engineering and GM Proving Ground activities, and the remaining 10 were kept at Bowling Green for manufacturing development purposes. Because of the Corvette Team's insistence that the new Corvette be as defect free and of the highest possible quality, initial production for the fourth-generation car did not begin until some time in January 1983, and The General made a decision to serialize and sell the new Corvette as an '84 model.
The '84 Corvette was a resounding success! It was named Car Of The Year by Motor Trend Magazine, and by the end of the 18-month production run, 51, 547 '84 Corvettes were built and sold.
The '83 Corvette? None were, or ever will be, sold to the public. Of the 18 prototypes and 43 pilot-line '83 Corvettes, only one, a pilot-line car with VIN 1G1AY0783D5110023, remains. Literally and figuratively one of a kind, this incredible example of Corvette history is on permanent display at the National Corvette Museum.