The fourth generation of the Chevrolet Corvette spanned from 1984 until 1996. At the time, you might have thought C4 production would never end—for better or worse. Today, it has been more than twice that long since a C4 left the Bowling Green factory, as the final one left on this date in 1996.
Thanks to help from Jim Perkins, Chevrolet’s general manager, Mike Yager became the lucky owner. If his name sounds familiar, it’s because he’s the founder of Corvette parts and accessories company Mid America Designs (now known as Mid America Motorworks).
Yager didn’t have to wait long to see his Arctic White piece of Corvette history because he watched most of it get put together on the assembly line—and the line get torn down as his car progressed through the various stages of production. As the coupe went through each successive stage, Yager had employees at each one sign the parts they installed. He even got in on the action by bolting on some components himself.
After his C4 received the standard six gallons of gas (and probably a little more), Yager fired up the 300-horsepower LT1. But the Vette wasn’t ready to go yet, as it still had to be tested and customized with some visual elements you might recognize from other C4s. And, of course, it had to be shown off at the National Corvette Museum, where it shared space with the first C4 produced. These days, it’s on display at the MY Garage Museum & Retail Store in Effingham, Illinois.
To watch the end of an era in the history of “America’s Sports Car,” watch the two-part series below.
