Celebrating 100 years of Chevrolet
The Corvette has had a long run since Chevrolet first introduced the name in 1953, but the Chevrolet racing heritage has been ingrained since the very beginning. Before Louis Chevrolet even built his first car, he was racing them for others, competing four times on the Indianapolis Speedway. Although he never personally won the Indy 500, despite competing four times, his brother Gaston did in 1920 in a machine Louis had built, only nine years after founding his car-making company.
With such a personal and foundational connection to the race track, it was fitting for Corvette to honor that legacy in its sixth generation, with the 2012 Centennial Special Edition. Only about 2,200 units of this special edition model are believed to have ever been made, and the convertible Grand Sports make up only 528 of that, making this a rare and wonderful collector’s dream in so many ways.
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They had to create a paint color worthy of the occasion
A very special paint was commissioned for the 2012 Centennial Special Edition, and Carbon Flash Metallic debuted to much fanfare and acclaim. Originally intended to be used only once, Corvette has since reconsidered its use and has been applied to other special edition Corvettes, especially on small parts, although not as often to the whole car. It is still a rare find, however, and the dark grey with shimmering flecks of silver in the sun is a seriously cool look.
The rest of the styling is pretty standard for a sixth-generation Corvette, which isn’t to say that it’s boring, by any means. The rear end, especially, is iconic with four exhausts and four brake lights. The pair of gill-vents behind the front wheelwells is also a great look, especially as the paneling behind them is concave to accentuate the styling feature. Shiny silver five-spoke Centennial wheels and bright red brake calipers complete the striking look of this Centennial Special Edition.
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Ebony without the ivory
The interior Ebony black pairs well with the special paint, but there’s really not a lot of additional color to be found inside, except for the red stitching in the Alcantara suede seats, steering wheel, and covered shifter. From the seats to the door panels to the padding on the windshield columns to the dashboard, it’s black all over. A special Centennial emblem can be found on the tri-spoke steering wheel, and no shortage of buttons and controls are placed on both the steering wheel and center console, alongside carbon-pattern accents. The interior seems to be well-kept and creates a cozy, enclosed feel that lasts even when the top of this convertible is down.
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The Grand Sport really lives up to its name
Corvettes have always been known for their impressive engines and the signature sounds they produce, and it’s no different for this LS3 V8 boasting 6.2L (378ci) of naturally aspirated displacement. All that power is sent to the rear wheels by a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 2.73 limited-slip performance rear axle helps ensure that the wheels are pushing as much of that power into the pavement as possible.
The Grand Sport chassis of the C6 generation features a wider track, specially-tuned suspension, and brakes derived from the Z06. The odometer shows just under 25,000 miles, which means there’s a whole lot of life left under the hood.
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Final thoughts: Own a piece of history with this special edition Corvette
There are a number of things that influence how collectible a car is: its age, condition, how many of them were initially made, how many still survive, and perhaps more important than all, the story it tells. This Centennial Special Edition ticks all of the boxes and more, commemorating one of the heavy hitters of racing by pulling out all the stops to stand out among its Corvette peers. That’s no small feat, to say the least.
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