• Chevrolet has been producing the Corvette since 1953.corvette headlight at dusk image by Jorge Moro from Fotolia.com
  
  In 1953, Chevrolet introduced the Corvette, a two-seat sports car. The Corvette was the first car with a plastic body to be mass produced. The 1986 model came in two trims -- a convertible and a coupe. More than 35,000 Corvettes were produced in 1986, and the vehicle was used as the pace car at the Indianapolis 500 auto race.
  
  

Engine

• The 1986 Chevy Corvette featured a 5.7-liter, V-8 engine that delivered 230 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 330 foot-pounds of torque at 3,200 rpm. The engine had a bore and stroke of 4.0 by 3.48 inches and a compression ratio of 9.5-to-1. The engine used a multi-point fuel injection system, which helped the vehicle go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds and complete a quarter mile in 14.4 seconds.
  
  

Performance

• The 1986 Corvette came with a four-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. There were two available axle ratios: 2.73 or 3.07. The anti-lock brake system featured power-assist and vented, 11.5-inch front and rear rotors. The five-bolt, cast alloy wheels measured 16 by 8.5 inches.
  
  

Dimensions

• The 1986 Corvette's dimensions varied depending on the trim. All models measured 176.5 inches long and 71 inches wide, and had a 96.2-inch wheelbase. The ground clearance was 4.7 inches. The convertible measured 46.6 inches high and weighed 3,266 pounds, while the coupe measured 46.7 inches high and weighed 3,280 pounds. The vehicle had capacities of 20 gallons of fuel, 14.6 quarts of coolant and 4.5 quarts of oil.
  
  

Colors

• The 1986 Corvette's exterior came in 16 paint colors, including silver metallic, gold metallic and bright red. The interior could be equipped with one of 10 color and material schemes, including graphite cloth and blue leather.