1989 was the year of the first text message. It was also the year that the Corvette adopted the six-speed manual transmission. The transmission was a collaboration between the German firm ZF and Chevrolet. Its computer-aided gear selection (CAGS) helped the Corvette meet EPA standard for fuel economy by electronically disabling intermediate gears under certain driving conditions.

In previous years, the Corvette had been available in three different suspension trims, but in 1989, introduced RPO FX3 Selective Ride and Handling, which, when optioned with the Z51 Performance Handling package, allowed the Corvette owner to choose one of three suspension presets to customize his ride.

The ‘89 Corvette was the first Corvette produced in fourteen years which was available with a removable hardtop.The ‘89  convertible, in base form, sold for $36,785. Out of the 26,412 Corvettes sold in 1989, 9,749 were convertibles. 1,573 buyers optioned for $1,995 hardtop option.