There
was no
1983 Corvette! Why? Many enthusiasts will tell you that the delay was caused by the move of production facilities from
St. Louis to
Bowling Green. But this is a
wrong assumption.
1981 was the transitional year. By late 1981 the transition was complete.
The real problem was the complete redesign for the 1983/1984 model. The Corvette had the same chasis since 1963 and the same body since 1968, a remarkably long time for a cutting-edge sports car. GM wanted a very significant change from the 1979-82 series. Production problems caused by retooling and redieing for the new design were instrumental in the absence of the 83. GM spent so much time redesigning the car, that they didn't have time to produce a new engine! So the 84 Corvettes were all new, except for the engine!
Although not actually sold, some 1983 Corvettes were produced. Some will tell you ten were produced- some will say fifty. Either way, a true 1983 Corvette is on display at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green.