GM built 43 1983 Corvette pilot cars. These were pre-production C4s carrying 1983 vehicle-identification numbers, created to validate assembly procedures, engineering changes, testing, and training before the new Corvette entered regular production.
The C4 program encountered supplier-quality problems and production-line changeover delays. Rather than release an unfinished 1983 model, Chevrolet canceled the planned model year and began regular production as 1984 Corvettes. That is why the C4 is generally listed as a 1984–1996 generation even though its development cars bear 1983 VINs.
None of the 43 pilot cars was released as an official public-production Corvette. GM destroyed all but one. The surviving white car, VIN 1G1AY0783D5100023, is displayed at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
A common mix-up is confusing the 43 pilot cars with the C4’s broader prototype total. The quiz asks specifically about pilot cars, not every experimental or engineering vehicle associated with the program.