basecoat/clear coat process, which used an enamel base color coat followed by a clear top coat. Also, only Bowling Green cars were painted in two-tone combinations.
     Only one engine was offered, the 190-hp version of the 350 small block, mated to either a four-speed manual gearbox or automatic transmission. To comply with ever-increasingly stringent emissions regulations, the 1981 Corvette received GM's new "Computer Command Control," a rudimentary computerized system that controlled spark advance and fuel mixture to lower hydrocarbons and other emissions.
     To improve fuel mileage, every attempt was made to improve drivetrain efficiency and lower vehicle weight. To this end, the '81's automatic transmission featured torque converter clutches for the two top gears and a plastic transverse rear leaf spring that saved 36 pounds of unsprung weight on models equipped with base suspension and automatic transmission. More weight savings were found in
the use of magnesium valve covers and tubular exhaust headers that weighed less than cast iron exhaust manifolds.