An introduction to Corvette
The glorious Corvette history started in 1953, when Chevrolet
first came out with the Corvettes. It has endured the tests and
ravages of time, and is now considered to be at par with some of
the greatest cars in the world. The first all American sports
car built by an American company, today Corvettes are
manufactured almost exclusively by General Motors in their plant
in Kentucky.
The early Corvette produced in 1953, was a reflection of the
styling flair of Harley Earl, who convinced GM that two-seater
sports cars were the ultimate American dream. The name Corvette
comes from a small maneuverable fighting frigate. The early
Corvettes were almost hand built using fiberglass instead of
steel for the lightweight effect. At that time, Chevrolet was
known for producing excellent performing cars in a no nonsense
package. So, though the cars were good value, sales continued to
decline.
The Corvette history would have ended with this small chapter
except for the arrival of Zora Arkus-Duntov in the engineering
department of GM. Duntov single handedly transformed the
Corvette from a two-seat car to a genuine sports car by taking a
265 version of the engine and applying the three-speed manual
transmission to it.
Corvette history covers 6 generations of the famous Corvette
cars beginning from C1 through to C6. The C1s are usually
referred to as solid-axle, and were in production till 1962. By
1963, turbulent times lay ahead for the Corvette, with various
other cars trying to outshine each other. The Corvette rose to
the competition with the C2 that started rolling out in 1963.
This year saw the dramatic popularity of the Corvette Sting Ray
coupe with its split rear end window, and non-functional
ford-like vents. The split window was taken off the very next
year due to safety concerns, making this model of the car one of
the most sought after by vintage collectors. Greater engine
power, four-wheel disc brakes, and side exhaust pipes appeared
in the later versions and were available till 1969.
The famous L88 version of the Stingray was another landmark in
Corvette history. A true blood racing car, the L88 was in
production for only three years, and was quickly gobbled up by a
market that was thirsting for the trendy sports beast. "Not for
the Faint of Heart", was the song that Chevrolet came up with to
advertise their new L88. The L88 was never actually intended for
public use. The high performing car had many capabilities that
were relatively unknown to most users of the time.
The C3 was patterned after Chevrolet's Mako Shark design. This
series started rolling out in 1968 and lasted till 1982. Small
changes in styling rendered the Corvette even more stylish and
lightweight. 1973 saw the last of the Corvettes with chrome
bumpers. 1975 was the last year a Corvette convertible was
produced, and in 1980, the Corvette got a new aerodynamic design
overhaul that drastically reduced drag.
The glorious Corvette history moves on to the C4 or fourth
generation Corvette, which saw the first Corvette to have a
glass hatchback. The C4 was a total redesign and the emphasis on
this model was handling. This model was acclaimed as being the
best handling car ever. The mid-eighties saw GM collaborating
with Lotus for developing the pricey ZR-1. The Grand Sport
version of the Corvette released in 1996 marks the end of the C4
series. High performance and superb looks were highlighted in
this model. The C5 rolled out in 1997 and was in action till
2004.
The look of the car had improved considerably in this version.
The performance also proved that this model was much superior to
the previous versions. The C5-R and the Z06 are other remarkable
cars in this series. The C6 is not very much different from its
predecessor. The main thrust of the upgrade seems to be aimed at
perfecting the older model and removing some snags and hitches.
The new Z06 arrived in 2006. Corvette history is full of the
various awards and prizes won by Corvette both for its looks as
well as performance