You Don't Need to Shell Out to Celebrate Corvette’s 70th

In 2023, the Corvette will be celebrating its 70th birthday. It’s a monumental achievement; as Chevrolet notes, Corvette is the oldest nameplate of any car still in production (car being the operative word there, as some other types of vehicles are older, like its stablemate the Suburban, which goes back almost 90 years).

To mark the occasion, Chevy is doing what is expected of any automaker celebrating a milestone: they’re releasing a 70th Anniversary Edition package that buyers can tack on to 2023 model year Corvettes, whether you want the relatively new mid-engine Stingray or the new new high-performance Z06.

Is an appearance package with no performance upgrades a relatively boring way to honor such an important milestone? Maybe. But Chevy is about to launch the highly anticipated, super-powered Z06 this summer, so there’s really no need to offer yet another variant. And besides, the birthday upgrades do look slick all on their own.

For the 70th Anniversary Edition packages, Corvette buyers will have the choice of two unique paint colors, a new White Pearl Metallic Tri-coat (with optional Satin Gray stripes) or Carbon Flash Metallic (with optional Satin Black stripes), and two upgraded seat types. The special edition also includes unique wheels (that differ between the Stingray and Z06) with anniversary center caps, 70th Anniversary Edition badging on the exterior and logos throughout the interior, and red accents in the stitching, seatbelts, brake calipers and engine cover, among other things. Oh, and did we mention the custom luggage set with the 70th Anniversary Edition logo?

No price has been announced for the package just yet, but it won’t be chump change. If you’re not keen on waiting for it or the Z06 to become available, there is one option for the well-heeled. At Barrett-Jackson’s annual Scottsdale sale, the first retail production 2023 Corvette Z06 — we’re talking VIN 001 — which will include the 70th Anniversary upgrades will be auctioned off to benefit the nonprofit Operation Homefront. That particular lot will sell this Saturday, January 29, and that will likely be a bank-account-draining affair.

If you count yourself a Corvette fan who is interested in the new mid-engine model but not enough to pay out the nose for either of these options, there is one interesting footnote Chevy made in these announcements.

“All 2023 Corvettes, including those not equipped with the 70^th Anniversary Edition package, will feature a commemorative 70^th anniversary interior plaque located on the center speaker grille and a graphic imprinted on the lower rear window,” the company said.

There you have it: the pragmatist’s way to celebrate 70 years of the ‘Vette.