Chevrolet’s “halo” model and marquee performance car, the Corvette, took a quantum leap in the 80s from an aging two-place sports coupe to a thoroughly modern wedge with the focus on better speed through technology. From the streamlined fiberglass exterior to the futuristic digital dashboard, GM saw the “C4” Corvette as a showcase of the automaker’s engineering prowess.

And while the ‘Vette was heavy and (compared with today’s cars) fairly slow, Chevrolet worked hard to keep the car alive through constant development and ever-growing horsepower. The ‘80s Corvettes lag in value for various reasons, but buying one still puts the owner in an exclusive club.

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9 9/9: 1982

So why is this the low ebb for 1980s Corvettes? It’s the first year of the troublesome “Cross-Fire” throttle-body-injection V8, and the only time since the first C1s that a manual transmission was not available on America’s First Sports Car: Chevy fitted all ‘Vettes with a new four-speed automatic overdrive transmission.

Yes, the well-appointed “Collector’s Edition” Corvette finally turned the C3’s fastback rear window into a much-needed hatch, and threw in fancy copper-tinted glass T-tops to boot. But the lack of powertrain choices and the addition of creature comforts make this ‘Vette more of a “personal luxury car” than a sports coupe. However, change was coming.

8 8/9: 1980

This year marked the premiere of the C3 Corvette’s final refresh, which featured a new front and rear end with integrated spoilers and standard cornering lamps (remember those?). Chevy also broke down and made air conditioning, electric windows and a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel standard … good thing, as the base price for the ’80 Corvette was well north of $13,000.

However, buyers in California got a small price break, because their state’s stringent emissions standards meant Corvettes sold there came with the smallest engine fitted to a ‘Vette since 1961: a 5.0-liter (305 ci) V8, producing 180 horsepower. Regardless of the state where it was sold, all ‘Vettes got the federally mandated and exceedingly silly 85-mile-per-hour speedometer.

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7 7/9: 1981

Fortunately, Chevrolet figured out how to make the ’81 Vette’s 5.7-liter (350 ci) V8 meet emissions standards in all 50 states, so everyone got the same engine. But the engine options dropped down to one: the so-called “L81” V8, producing 190 horsepower. Forget the hotter L82, or anything bigger than a 350. Your only choice was a four-speed manual transmission or — for its final year on the option sheet — a three-speed Turbo Hydra-Matic.

Chevrolet noted in its sales literature that the automatic was required with the trailering package, which raises a question: who on Earth was using their Corvette to tow? Isn’t that what Suburbans were for?

6 6/9: 1984

“The Best Production Sports Car In The World,” crowed Chevrolet upon the arrival of the all-new ’84 Corvette in the spring of 1983 (Chevy skipped the ’83 model year). And looking at the car from the perspective of the mid-‘80s, it was pretty remarkable. Chevy’s designers had turned the C3’s signature form into a clean and aerodynamic shape, with (finally) a useable hatchback. A manual transmission — the unique “4+3 overdrive” — was back on the order form as a no-cost option. The C4 pioneered Goodyear’s uni-directional “gator back” tires specifically designed for Corvette. And the interior was a riot of LCD gauges and multi-adjustable seats.

But the “Cross-Fire Injection” V8 was still buggy (and made just 205 horsepower), the new transverse-leaf front and rear suspension made for a punishing ride (especially with the optional Z51 performance package), and fit and finish were first-year spotty. And if it seems like there are a ton of basket-case ’84s out there, that may be because Corvette’s 1984 model year ran for almost a year and a half.

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5 5/9: 1985

The biggest thing setting the ’85 Corvette apart from the previous model year can be distilled down to three words: tuned port injection. Finally, the Corvette’s 350 V8 received a sophisticated multi-point fuel injection system, facilitated by a gorgeous plenum running the full length of the block, and easily seen under the C4’s enormous clamshell hood.

The new fuel management system helped spike Corvette’s horsepower from 205 to 230, and in GM’s own testing knocked a full second off the ‘Vette’s 0-60 time. There may not have been many other changes, but that one definitely started the C4’s move back into the fast lane.

4 4/9: 1986

Three major changes made ’86 a big year for the now two-year-old C4. First, GM fitted four-wheel anti-lock brakes to the Corvette for the first time, improving stopping performance and predictability. And in the spring of ’86, Chevy offered a full convertible Corvette for the first time since 1975. To celebrate, the Indianapolis 500 picked a bright yellow Corvette to pace that year’s race. In an unusual twist, Chevy decided that all ’86 ‘Vette convertibles were technically Indy Pace Car replicas, and could be ordered with replica graphics from the dealer.

The third change technically wasn’t on the Corvette, but in its owner’s pocket: a new electronically coded “Pass Key,” which was designed to head off thieves. It’s the first application of the security coding now standard on just about every car available.

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3 3/9: 1987

Corvette engineers found another five horsepower in the fuel-injected 350, bringing the total to 240 ... not an impressive number now, but a broad and flat torque curve helped the ’87 get out of its own way (and others’). And when it comes to power, more is always better, right?

Corvette tuner Reeves Callaway first put that maxim to the test in 1987, with a run of twin-turbo ‘Vettes available for special order from select Chevy dealers, complete with a GM warranty, for the low, low price of $27,000 plus a Corvette. The Callaway Corvettes were rated at 345 horsepower, which put them in supercar territory at the time.

2 2/9: 1988

It’s around the late-1980s that cars began to shake off the stupor of the “malaise” era. Mustangs had fuel-injected V8s and Camaros were getting the Corvette’s 350. So, of course, Team Vette stepped up its game again, increasing the output of the “L98” V8 to 245 horsepower. On the outside, Corvettes were rolling on new alloy wheels. Inside, Chevy got wise to the popularity of leather seats, and cut the available colors for the standard “hobnail” cloth seats from five in ’87 … to two.

One new choice this year was the Z52 handling package, which gave the ‘Vette big-for-the-time 17-inch wheels (one inch bigger than the base car), specific gas-pressurized shocks and other enhancements that Chevy cautioned could make the ride too firm for “everyday” use. On the outside, Chevy reinterpreted the popular two-tone look from the '78 Silver Anniversary edition, and offered a limited-edition 35th Anniversary package with bright white paint, matching interior and alloy wheels and a black-painted roof. The effect was striking — and it’s extremely uncommon to find one today in good condition.

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1 1/9: 1989

The ’89 ‘Vette isn’t at the top of the tree because it’s the newest, although that doesn’t hurt. No, it’s here because nearly six years after its introduction, the C4 finally ditched the fiddly 4+3 stick and offered a modern six-speed manual transmission as a no-cost option (the four-speed automatic still came standard).

This last Corvette of the '80s also picked up the bigger 17-inch wheels from the Z52, redesigned standard and optional sport seats, and premiered “Selective Ride Control,” letting the driver choose any one of three suspension settings (Touring, Sport or Performance) through a switch on the console. The mighty ZR1 and a new interior were just around the corner, but the changes for ’89 meant America’s First Sports Car was pointed in the right direction.

NEXT: Every '70s Chevrolet Corvette Model Year, Ranked