Aluminum wheels were optional on other ‘78 Corvettes and standard with Pace Cars. When destined for a Pace Car, they were polished more to increase luster.
The Corvette community had never experienced a model whose numbers were intentionally restricted below Chevy’s capacity to produce it. The very notion of such artificial restraint sent collectors and speculators alike into a veritable frenzy. Pace Car fever spread exponentially and then became positively viral when media outlets like The Wall Street Journal took notice. Enterprising dealers were agreeing to sell their allotment of one for a multiple of its window sticker. Equally enterprising buyers got a jump on the situation by obtaining a contract to buy at list or slightly above. Some went on to sell their contract at a sizeable profit
