The year 1987 marked a special moment in Chevrolet history as GM’s largest division celebrated its 75th Anniversary of automobile production. Former Buick racecar driver Louis Chevrolet (1878-1941) and General Motors founder William C. “Billy” Durant (1861-1947) teamed up to build the 1912 Chevrolet Classic Six Touring car in Flint, Michigan. This anniversary year was celebrated with Chevrolet being the honored marque during the annual Monterey Historic Races at the Laguna Seca track in California. The Chevrolet Motor Division and private owners brought precious Chevys of all types to this once in a lifetime gathering… and Corvettes played a huge part.
In the fourth year of C4 Corvette production, 1987 saw only minor fine-tuning to an already great car. As a Chevrolet Press Release described it…
“Chevrolet Corvette, America’s fastest production vehicle, continues its ‘world class’ status in ’87, adding new features and options to improve vehicle performance, appearance and reliability. There’s really no way to distinguish the ’87 ‘Vette from the ’86 version – at least not externally. The (new) Z52 sport handling package is optional on ’87 coupes… The 5.7 liter Tuned Port Injection (TPI) V8 workhorse takes on anti-friction, roller-hydraulic lifters… other hardware changes in the valve train total up to a low-friction, low-noise and improved-durability system. Customer convenience areas have also been improved for ’87. Passengers get the same convenient 6-way power seat adjuster that Corvette drivers have enjoyed. Drivers get an optional lighted visor vanity mirror. In a continued effort to thwart thieves, key components carry identification for theft deterrence. Telltale instrument cluster revisions find the overdrive engage light positioned below the tach curve. The generator low-output indicator moves to the center console driver information module.”
The unidirectional alloy wheels, introduced in 1984, continued usage for 1987, however the center section and radial brake cooling vanes of 1987 wheels, their final year, appeared with argent gray paint.
New 1987 convenience options included an illuminated vanity mirror (D74) for the driver's sunshade, and a passenger-side power seat (AC1). Twin remote heated mirrors became available for convertibles as RPO DL8. Heated mirrors were included with the RPO Z6A rear window defogger option for coupes. To eliminate wind buffeting when the windows were lowered, side mirror airstream deflectors were added to convertibles and early coupes, but their actual usage appears inconsistent. Relocation of the overdrive-engage telltale light from the center instrument panel (1984-86) became easier to view within the 1987 tachometer display. Electronic air conditioning controls (C68) available on 1986 coupes, was now optional on convertibles as well.
The new Z52 "sport" handling package was introduced in 1987 which combined elements of the harsher Z51 performance package with the softer base model suspension. Option Z52, for a modest $470 extra, included the radiator cooling boost fan, engine oil cooler & heavy-duty radiator, Delco-Bilstein shock absorbers, the Z52’s wider l6x9.5-inch wheels, quicker 13:1 steering ratio, bigger front stabilizer (except early production), and the convertible-inspired structural improvements incorporated on coupes. Z52 was available on both coupes and convertibles, with automatic or manual transmissions.
Under the hood, new roller valve lifters reduced engine resistance which added five more horses for overall improvement to 240-hp. Also, die-cast magnesium valve rocker covers for the aluminum cylinder heads were secured with center-located Torx screws, rather than peripheral, to better eliminate the inherent problem of oil seepage which had been problematic since V8 introduction in 1955.
From model-years 1955 through 1980, Corvette buyers had a choice of multiple engine horsepowers and/or displacements available at extra cost. However, beginning with 1981, Corvette customers had only the availability of a standard base horsepower engine. That changed in 1987, but it came with a whopping price tag. In a unique and historic arrangement between the Chevrolet Engineering group and Callaway Engineering of Old Lyme, Connecticut, the 1987 Corvette could be ordered with the special optional (RPO B2K) Callaway Twin Turbo package. As a Callaway press release explained…
“…Callaway will introduce through selected Chevrolet dealers the ultimate street Corvette, the Callaway Twin Turbo, a brute of a machine that produces 0-60 times of 4.5 seconds and ¼ mile times of 13.2 seconds @ 109.1 mph. Pumped up by twin IHI RHB52 turbochargers, the 5.7 liter motor makes 465 lb.-ft. of torque @ 2800 rpm, and 345 SAE net hp @ 3800 rpm. Estimated top speed is 175 mph.”
The Callaway was a super-performance car… the fastest street-legal American production car you could get… with an option price tag of $19,995 extra! A mere 188 Callaway Twin Turbo Corvettes were built for 1987, all with manual transmissions, and none certified for California.
Total 1987 Corvette production was 30,632, including 10,625 convertibles, available in 12 exterior colors including eight metallic paints, and four optional two-tone colors (coupes only). Excluding the 1988 White/Black 35th Anniversary coupe, this was the last C4 Corvette coupe to offer a two-tone color scheme. Bright Red was the most popular exterior paint with 5,043 coupes and 3,242 convertibles built. On the rare side, just 87 cars were painted Copper Metallic. Once again, Car and Driver magazine's yearly ten best automobiles in the world list included the 1987 Corvette.
