While the redesign gave the Corvette a fresh look for the new model year, Chevrolet also recognized the importance of commemorating the car's quarter-century of production. For the first time in the brand's history, two special-edition Corvettes were introduced for the 1978 model year: the Silver Anniversary Edition and the Indy Pace Car coupes. On March 15, 1977, the 500,000th Corvette rolled off the assembly line at Chevrolet's St. Louis manufacturing plant.
