Two firsts for 1978: a Silver Anniversary Edition and an Indy Pace Car replica that ballooned from 300 planned cars to 6,502, or 15 percent of the year's production.
CORVETTE MODELS
Corvette Anniversary Editions:
Every Anniversary Car
Chevrolet has marked the Corvette’s birthdays since the 25th in 1978 with a special paint-and-trim edition: the Silver Anniversary, the 35th (1988), the 40th (1993), the 50th (2003), the 60th (2013), the Carbon 65 (2018) and the 70th (2023), plus the Centennial Edition of 2012 for Chevrolet’s own hundredth. This page catalogs every one with its colors, its RPO code, how many were built, what they bring today and a guide to each, with the anniversary that had no car (1983) and the milestone cars beside them.
Quick Nav: The Story · At a Glance · The Editions · The Milestones · Values · The Guides · By Edition · Market Reports · FAQs
The Basics
What This Is: The catalog of every anniversary-edition Corvette, with the colors, codes, production and values of each and the guides, the market reports and the posts beneath
The Editions: 1978 Silver Anniversary (25th) · 1988 35th · 1993 40th · 2003 50th · 2012 Centennial (Chevrolet’s 100th) · 2013 60th · 2018 Carbon 65 · 2023 70th
The Codes: B2Z (1978), Z01 (1988), Z25 (1993 and 2018), 1SC (2003), ZLC (2012 Centennial), Z25 60th package (2013), Z25 (2018), the 70th package (2023)
Built: 15,283 Silver Anniversary; 2,050 35th; 6,749 40th; 11,632 50th; 650 Carbon 65; the Centennial, 60th and 70th were options with take rates on their year pages
The Missing One: 1983, the 30th: no 1983 Corvette was sold, so the anniversary passed without an edition
Related Pages: The special editions (the full catalog), the pace cars (the 2002 50th and the 2022 Z06 70th paced Indianapolis), the market reports on anniversary values, the year pages
The Overview
The anniversary edition is the Corvette’s most reliable special: every ten years since 1978, and twice in between, Chevrolet has painted the car a commemorative color, trimmed the interior to match, added a badge and an RPO code and sold it as a birthday present. The Silver Anniversary of 1978 sold 15,283 and set the pattern; the 35th of 1988 was the first numbered one; the 40th of 1993 went on the ZR-1 too; the 50th of 2003 brought Magnetic Ride Control to the Corvette; the 60th of 2013 wore best on the 427 Convertible; the Carbon 65 of 2018 was the first with carbon-fiber aero; the 70th of 2023 was the first on a mid-engine car and the first Z06 anniversary. Chevrolet’s own hundredth birthday in 2012 added the Centennial Edition to the list.
This page catalogs them in one table, with the car’s own picture, the colors and the code, how many were built and the guide, and a second table for the anniversaries that were not editions: the 1983 that was never sold, the one-millionth car of 1992, the 2008 pace-car replica that marked the first pace car’s 30th and Callaway’s own 25th. The State of the Market series on anniversary values is linked beneath, with every anniversary post by edition.
Values: the anniversary editions carry small premiums over the standard cars of their years except where the car underneath is itself rare (the 40th Anniversary ZR-1, the 427 Convertible, the Carbon 65 Z06), and the documentation (the RPO on the build sheet or window sticker) is what matters; a repainted tribute is a standard car. The market reports have the figures.
The Anniversaries, One by One
Eight editions and the birthday that had no car.
1978: the Silver Anniversary
The Corvette turned twenty-five in the year it got its fastback glass, and Chevrolet marked it twice: with the Indianapolis 500 pace car and its 6,502 replicas, and with the Silver Anniversary paint (RPO B2Z, $399), two-tone Silver over Charcoal with a pinstripe at the beltline, on 15,283 cars, nearly a third of the year. Every 1978 carries the 25th-anniversary emblems; the B2Z cars are the edition. It is the most common anniversary Corvette and the cheapest way to own one.
1983: the one that never was
The thirtieth birthday fell in the year the C4 was late. Chevrolet built 43 pilot 1983s and sold none, launching the new car as a 1984 in March 1983; the anniversary passed without a car, and the single surviving 1983 sits in the National Corvette Museum. The 1984 catalog never mentioned it.
1988: the 35th
The first numbered anniversary car: 2,050 coupes in white over white with a black roof hoop, white wheels, white leather and a console plaque (RPO Z01, $4,795). Callaway built a handful of 35th Anniversary twin-turbos as well. The 35th is the anniversary edition collectors chase most among the C4s.
1993: the 40th
Ruby Red paint with Ruby leather and anniversary emblems (RPO Z25, $1,455) on 6,749 cars across the coupe, the convertible and the ZR-1, whose 405-horsepower LT5 makes the 245 Anniversary ZR-1s the most valuable anniversary Corvettes of the classic era. The one-millionth Corvette, built the summer before, is the other 1992–93 milestone.
2003: the 50th
Anniversary Red with Shale leather and champagne wheels (RPO 1SC) on 11,632 coupes and convertibles, and the first appearance of Magnetic Selective Ride Control, which the 50th introduced to the Corvette and every Z06, ZR1 and Grand Sport has carried since. The 50th Anniversary convertible paced the 2002 Indianapolis 500 with Jim Caviezel driving, and every 2003 wore the 50th badge.
2012 and 2013: the Centennial and the 60th
Chevrolet’s hundredth birthday gave the Corvette the Centennial Edition of 2012 (RPO ZLC): Carbon Flash Metallic, satin-black wheels, red calipers, Louis Chevrolet badges and Magnetic Ride, on every model. The Corvette’s own 60th followed in 2013 as a design package in Arctic White with Blue Diamond leather, optional Pearl Silver Blue stripes and badges, available on every model and worn best by the 427 Convertible Collector Edition, the Z06’s 505-horsepower LS7 in a convertible for the first time, 2,552 built.
2018: Carbon 65
For the 65th, 650 Grand Sports and Z06s in Ceramic Matrix Gray with visible carbon-fiber ground effects, hood and spoiler, blue leather and suede and a numbered plaque (RPO Z25): the first anniversary car with carbon aero and the last of the front-engine anniversaries.
2023: the 70th
The first mid-engine anniversary and the first on a Z06: White Pearl Metallic Tricoat or Carbon Flash with Ceramic White leather, red calipers, stripes and 70th badges, on the Stingray and the new Z06, with the Z06 70th pacing the 2022 Indianapolis 500 with Sarah Fisher driving. The 75th, in 2028, is the next one.
MORE: THE ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS, THE SITE’S FEATURE / THE STATE OF THE MARKET: ANNIVERSARY CORVETTES / ALL THE SPECIAL EDITIONS
The Anniversary Editions at a Glance
Every anniversary edition with its color, its code and its number; the catalog below carries the pictures and the guides.
| YEAR | ANNIVERSARY | COLORS | RPO | BUILT | MODELS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | 25th: Silver Anniversary | Silver over Charcoal, pinstripe | B2Z | 15,283 | Coupe |
| 1988 | 35th Anniversary | White over white, black roof hoop, white wheels and leather | Z01 | 2,050 | Coupe |
| 1993 | 40th Anniversary | Ruby Red, Ruby leather | Z25 | 6,749 (245 ZR-1) | Coupe, convertible, ZR-1 |
| 2003 | 50th Anniversary | Anniversary Red, Shale leather, champagne wheels; Magnetic Ride | 1SC | 11,632 | Coupe, convertible |
| 2012 | Centennial (Chevrolet 100th) | Carbon Flash, satin-black wheels, red calipers | ZLC | option | All models |
| 2013 | 60th Anniversary | Arctic White, Blue Diamond leather, optional stripes | Z25 | option (427 Convertible 2,552) | All models |
| 2018 | Carbon 65 | Ceramic Matrix Gray, carbon aero, blue interior | Z25 | 650 | Grand Sport, Z06 |
| 2023 | 70th Anniversary | White Pearl or Carbon Flash, Ceramic White leather, stripes | 70th pkg | option | Stingray, Z06 |
The Anniversary Editions
Eight editions in forty-five years, each with its picture, its colors and code, how many were built and the guide.
| THE EDITION | YEAR | BUILT | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
Silver Anniversary Edition (25th) Two-tone Silver over Charcoal with a pinstripe, aluminum wheels and sport mirrors, RPO B2Z, on the new fastback body; the first anniversary Corvette and the most common The guide / Year page |
1978 | 15,283 |
 |
35th Anniversary Edition White over white with a black roof hoop, white wheels and leather, a console plaque and RPO Z01; the first numbered anniversary car, coupes only The guide / Year page |
1988 | 2,050 |
 |
40th Anniversary Edition Ruby Red with Ruby leather, anniversary badges and wheel-center emblems, RPO Z25, on the coupe, the convertible and the ZR-1 The guide / The 40th ZR-1 / Year page |
1993 | 6,749 |
 |
50th Anniversary Edition Anniversary Red with Shale leather, champagne wheels and the debut of Magnetic Selective Ride Control, RPO 1SC, coupe and convertible; the convertible paced the 2002 Indianapolis 500 The guide / Year page |
2003 | 11,632 |
 |
Centennial Edition (Chevrolet’s 100th) Carbon Flash Metallic with satin-black wheels, red calipers, Louis Chevrolet badges and Magnetic Ride, on every model from the Grand Sport to the ZR1; Chevrolet’s birthday, not the Corvette’s The guide / Year page |
2012 | option |
 |
60th Anniversary Design Package Arctic White with Blue Diamond leather, the 60th badges and optional Pearl Silver Blue stripes, on every model; worn best by the 427 Convertible Collector Edition, the LS7 in a convertible for the first time The guide / Year page |
2013 | option (427 Convertible 2,552) |
 |
Carbon 65 Edition Ceramic Matrix Gray Grand Sport and Z06 with visible carbon-fiber aero and a blue interior for the 65th birthday, RPO Z25 The guide / Year page |
2018 | 650 |
 |
70th Anniversary Edition White Pearl Metallic or Carbon Flash with Ceramic White leather, red calipers, stripes and the 70th badges, on the Stingray and the new Z06; a Z06 70th paced the 2022 Indianapolis 500 The guide / The Z06 70th / Year page |
2023 | option |
The Anniversaries That Weren’t Editions
The birthdays and milestones marked some other way: the 1983 that was never sold, the one-millionth car, the pace-car replica for the first pace car’s 30th and Callaway’s own 25th.
| THE CAR | YEAR | BUILT | |
|---|---|---|---|
 |
The 1983 Corvette (the one and only) The 30th-anniversary year with no car: 43 pilot C4s were built in 1983 and none sold, so the anniversary passed without an edition; one survives at the National Corvette Museum The guide / Year page |
1983 | 1 survives |
 |
The One-Millionth Corvette A white 1992 convertible with a red interior, like the 1953, built on July 2, 1992 at Bowling Green; swallowed by the museum sinkhole in 2014 and restored The guide / Year page |
1992 | 1 |
 |
Indy 500 Pace Car Replica (the 1978’s 30th) Black and silver with the red stripe, for the 30th anniversary of the first pace car; coupes and convertibles The guide / Year page |
2008 | 500 |
 |
Callaway 25th Anniversary Edition Callaway’s own anniversary: 25 supercharged Grand Sports for the twenty-fifth year of the B2K twin-turbo The guide / Year page |
2012 | 25 |
What the Anniversary Corvettes Are Worth
The site’s three-part State of the Market report on anniversary-edition values, and the feature that tells their stories.
The State of the Market: Anniversary Edition Corvettes, Part One — the 1978, 1988 and 1993 cars
The State of the Market: Anniversary Edition Corvettes, Part Two — the 2003, 2012 and 2013 cars
The State of the Market: Anniversary Edition Corvettes, Part Three — the 2018 and 2023 cars and the outlook
The Anniversary Edition Corvettes — the feature: every anniversary car in one story
Every Anniversary Edition Guide
The guides to each edition, newest first.
Anniversary Corvettes: Every Post
Everything tagged to an anniversary edition: the cars for sale, the Corvette of the Day pictures, the auction results.
FAQs
Which Corvette anniversary editions were made?
Eight: the 1978 Silver Anniversary (25th), the 1988 35th, the 1993 40th, the 2003 50th, the 2012 Centennial (Chevrolet’s hundredth, not the Corvette’s), the 2013 60th, the 2018 Carbon 65 and the 2023 70th. The 30th (1983) had no car because no 1983 Corvette was sold.
How many anniversary Corvettes were built?
15,283 Silver Anniversary 1978s; 2,050 35th Anniversary 1988s; 6,749 40th Anniversary 1993s (245 of them ZR-1s); 11,632 50th Anniversary 2003s; 650 Carbon 65s. The Centennial, 60th and 70th were option packages rather than numbered runs; their take rates are on the 2012, 2013 and 2023 year pages.
What is the rarest anniversary Corvette?
The 245 40th Anniversary ZR-1s of 1993, then the 650 Carbon 65s of 2018 and the 2,050 35th Anniversary cars of 1988; among the packages, the Z06 70th Anniversary of 2023 is the scarcest. The 1983, of which one survives, is the rarest Corvette of all and not an edition.
How do I tell a real anniversary edition?
By the RPO code on the build sheet, tank sticker or window sticker: B2Z (1978), Z01 (1988), Z25 (1993, 2018), 1SC (2003), ZLC (2012) and the 60th and 70th packages, plus the numbered plaque on the 1988 and 2018 cars. The paint can be copied; the paperwork cannot. The VIN decoder and RPO pages have each year’s codes.
Are anniversary Corvettes worth more?
A little, as a rule: the high-volume editions (1978, 2003) carry small premiums over standard cars; the scarce ones (the 40th ZR-1, the Carbon 65 Z06, the 427 Convertible with the 60th package) carry real ones. The State of the Market series above has the figures, and documentation decides everything.
Why was there no 30th anniversary Corvette?
The C4 was late. Chevrolet built 43 pilot 1983s, sold none and launched the new car as a 1984 model in March 1983; the anniversary year passed without a Corvette for sale. One 1983 survives at the National Corvette Museum.
Did the anniversary cars pace the Indianapolis 500?
Two did: the 50th Anniversary convertible in 2002 (Jim Caviezel driving) and the Z06 70th Anniversary in 2022 (Sarah Fisher). The 1978 Silver Anniversary year’s pace car was the separate Pace Car replica; the 2008 replica marked that car’s 30th. The pace-car page has every one.
When is the next anniversary Corvette?
The 75th falls in 2028; Chevrolet has marked every tenth birthday since 1978 and the 65th in between, so a 75th edition would follow the pattern. Nothing has been announced.
