“Cross-Fire injection adds to the Corvette performance equation.”
1982 was the final year for the “shark” Corvette, but the first year for the L83 Cross-Fire 5.7 liter/350 ci V8—a throttle body fuel-injected design that put out a respectable for the day 200 bhp and 285 lb-ft of torque. The downside was that it was only available with a four-speed automatic transmission; a manual transmission would not return until the middle of the 1984 model year.
Top speed for the 1982 Corvette was 125 mph, and Road & Track managed a 0-60 time of 7.9 seconds. Estimated fuel economy was 15 city/26 highway by the day’s standards—not bad for a fairly large V8 with primitive engine controls. With a 23.7 gallon gas tank, a 1982 Corvette owner could expect a range of 355 to 390 miles with a 10% fuel reserve—notably better than one year earlier.
The heavily-hyped Cross-Fire was an intermediary step for General Motors on the way to true multi-port electronic fuel injection for Chevrolet’s small-block V8. For Corvette, it brought the best horsepower in a standard engine since 1972, though it was not the relative screamer that the L82 (optional from 1973 to 1980) had been. However, the flat intake manifold design compromised fuel injection’s potential fuel economy gains—real improvements would wait until 1985’s L98.
Other changes for 1982 included the availability of the Collector Edition, as well as many new exterior paint colors and interior color options. Lost in the Cross-Fire publicity was the move from a three-speed automatic to a four-speed automatic transmission.
Standard exterior and mechanical equipment in the $18,290 base Corvette (about $63,400 in today’s dollars) included tinted glass for all windows, removable roof panels, a Delco Freedom II battery, power steering, four-wheel power disc brakes, and P225/70R15 tires (a size still readily available) on 15-inch by 8-inch steel rally wheels. Inside, air conditioning, power windows, a Tilt-Telescopic steering wheel with a leather-wrapped rim, a quartz analog clock, and an AM/FM stereo radio with dual front speakers were all included.
The Collector Edition, Individual Options, & Production Numbers
The $22,538 Collector Edition (about $78,200 in 2025 dollars and about what a 2026 Corvette Stingray 2LT coupe goes for) added a functional hatchback (a first for Corvette), P255/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT tires, aluminum wheels, and specific Silver Beige paint, striping, seats, and interior trim—along with a 23% addition to the base price.
Individual exterior and mechanical options included power sport mirrors ($125), power door locks ($155), cruise control ($165), electric rear window defogger ($129), gymkhana suspension (only $61 for specially tuned shock absorbers, higher-rate rear spring, and a rear stabilizer bar), two-tone paint ($428), aluminum wheels ($458), and P255/60R15 Goodyear Eagle GT tires ($543). Optional interior equipment included a six-way power driver’s seat ($197) and an AM/FM stereo radio with a cassette player ($423).
Options that date this car include the stereo radio with a cassette player and Citizens Band radio ($755), the stereo radio with an 8-track player ($755), and the radio delete (-$124). Corvette buyers piled on the options in 1982: the average buyer ordered $2,195 worth, raising the sticker to $20,485 (about $71,100 in today’s dollars).
In its final year, the shark still sold decently—but the end for a car that featured many design components from 1963 was in sight. Chevrolet moved 25,407, of which 6,759 (about 27%) were the pricey Collector Edition.
The View From 2025
There is strong club support for the 1982 Corvette, as there is for all Corvettes. According to Hagerty’s valuation tools, a loaded non-Collector Edition 1982 Corvette in #1/Concours condition is $42,700, with a more typical number #3/Good condition car going for $17,200. 1982 Corvettes are regularly featured in the Hemmings Motor News classifieds, eBay Motors, and Bring a Trailer. As I update this blog entry in September 2025, there’s a Silver Metallic over Dark Claret Metallic two-tone Corvette with red cloth seats and 15,000 miles for sale on Hemmings, asking $30,000.
Make mine one of the relatively rare (and absolutely gorgeous) Silver Green Metallic cars, with the silver green leather seats.
Other Corvettes I have written about include the 1980 coupe, the 1981 coupe, the 1984 hatchback coupe, the 1986 convertible, and the 1988 35th Anniversary hatchback coupe.
Last updated September 2025.
Eighties Cars 