Public opinion reflects new stance
The Chevrolet Corvette was introduced at the 1953 GM Motorama car show, held at New York's plush Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
The first-generation (C1) Chevrolet Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year. Three hundred hand-built 1953 Corvette convertibles were produced, all Polo White.
Among the celebrity buyers of the 1954 Chevy Corvette was Italian actress Sophia Loren, pictured here. The 1954 model year vehicles could be ordered in Pennant Blue, Sportsman Red, Black, or Polo White. In total 3,640 rolled off the assembly line in a plant that by now was located in Saint Louis, Missouri.
The very first Corvettes were assembled at the Chevrolet car plant in Flint, Michigan. The Corvette was the first consumer automobile with an all-fiberglass body, originally selling for US$3,250, equal to US$33,937 in 2022.
The original designer of the Corvette was Harley J. Earl, who was also vice-president for General Motors Corporation from 1927 to 1959. The Daytona 500 trophy is named for him.
The 1955 model offered a 4.8 liter V8 engine as an option. An available three-speed manual transmission served as further enticement. Despite the poor sales of the Corvette at the time, the brand new V8-engined vehicle was an overwhelmingly popular purchase, and offered drivers proper sports car performance.
In 1956 Chevrolet gave the Corvette a makeover. The new design featured a revised front end and the doing away of the tail lamp fins to produce a sleeker, more aerodynamic look. But the most innovative addition was the scalloped sides, which gave the car a more distinctive look.
One of the most recognized Corvette drivers of the 1950s was Betty Skelton. An aerobatics pilot who also raced cars, Skelton set numerous land speed records while working with Chevrolet, and owned a total of 10 models. She's pictured taking time out in 1956 on Daytona Beach.
The most notable exterior redesign feature on the 1958 model was the revised front end with a new dual-headlight configuration. In addition, the '58 model came with a more powerful engine. In the driver's seat of this particular model is American comedienne, actress, singer, and businesswoman Edie Adams (1927-2008), posing for a portrait in 1958 in Beverly Hills, California.
In 1961 Chevrolet went back to the drawing board to completely rethink the Corvette's rear end, which saw the introduction of the sports car's now famous quad-tail light design. The makeover heralded the second generation (C2) of the already iconic-looking sports car.
And despite the advances in Corvette engineering and design made over Chevrolet's 70-year existence, vintage models of America's favorite sports car still retain enviable star status. Pictured is the dashboard of a 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster bearing the signatures of 20 Hollywood A-listers: Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, Orlando Bloom, Adrien Brody, Matt Damon, Benicio Del Toro, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey Jr, Jamie Foxx, Tom Hardy, Angelina Jolie, Gwyneth Paltrow, Sean Penn, Brad Pitt, Steven Spielberg, Meryl Streep, Channing Tatum, Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, and Reese Witherspoon. How many can you recognize?
Sources: (CNET) (Motor Trend) (Corvette Museum)
See also: Vintage celebrity autograph signings
The 1963 model year saw Chevrolet introduce the Corvette Sting Ray. The 1963 model was the first year for a Corvette coupé and it featured a distinctive tapering rear deck. It also sported hidden headlamps, non-functional hood vents, and an independent rear suspension.
The split-rear window design was unique to the first-year coupés.
Bigger is better, reckoned the Corvette's designers and engineers in the mid-1960s. In 1965, an optional big-block V8 could be placed under the vehicle's hood. Four-wheel disc brakes were introduced, as were side exhaust pipes, also optionally available. Horsepower increased as well, beefing up the power.
The Mako Shark I had been introduced in 1961 as a concept vehicle. In 1965 it was redesigned as the Mako Shark II. Only two were made, with one advertised in 1966 as a show car (pictured). Its design influenced the third-generation of Chevrolet Corvettes (C3).
Introduced for the 1968 model year and in production until 1982, C3 coupés featured the first use of T-top removable roof panels. Engines and chassis components were mostly carried over from the C2, but the body and interior were new. In 1969 Chevrolet reinstated the Stingray name (now as one word).
The Corvette's power began to fall in 1973 as octane requirements were reduced in preparation for the move to unleaded fuel. Accordingly, engine compression ratios were lowered which resulted in reduced power ratings. Similarly, to meet new federal safety standards, the 1973 Corvette's chrome front bumper was changed to withstand impacts of 8 km/h (5 mph) so as to protect lights and other safety features.
The Corvette turned 25 in 1978. To mark the anniversary, Chevrolet equipped that year's model with a new fastback rear end. The occasion was also celebrated with the Indy 500 Pace Car limited edition (pictured) and a Silver Anniversary model featuring silver over gray lower body paint.
In 1981 Chevrolet relocated to a new production facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky, as the old Saint Louis, Missouri, plant was formally brought offline. Chevrolet marked 1982 as the third-generation Corvette's final year. Opting to skip model year 1983, the new fourth-generation (C4) Corvette was introduced as a 1984 model (pictured)—the first complete redesign of the Corvette since 1963.
In 1986 Chevrolet reintroduced a convertible to its lineup, the first convertible Corvette since 1975. The drop top became the second Corvette Indy Pace Car, making its debut at the 1986 Indianapolis 500.
In 1990, the ZR1 option Corvette (pictured) was introduced. In July 1991 the one-millionth Corvette rolled off the assembly line at Bowling Green. A special 40th Anniversary Edition was released in 1993, but in 1995 production of the ZR 1 ended. The following year, 1996, was the final year of C4 production.
The fifth-generation Corvette (C5) arrived in 1997. Redesigned from the ground up, the C5 featured many new concepts and manufacturing breakthroughs that would be carried forward to the C6 and C7. A convertible version was introduced in 1998.
Chevy's Z06 model, which made its debut in 2001, replaced the fixed-roof coupé model as the highest performance C5 Corvette.
Image: Frank Williams.
Unveiled at the 2004 Detroit auto show, Chevrolet's sixth-generation (C6) Corvette became the first model in four decades to ditch retractable headlights in favor of fixed units.
The new Z06 arrived as a 2006 model in the third quarter of 2005. Sporting a design based on the fastback coupé, this model was powered by the latest LS-series V8 engine: the Z06 could reach 95.5 km/h (60 mph) in just 3.4 seconds! The latter half of the 2000s also saw the return of the ZR1.
Replacing the previous Z51 package, Chevy's Grand Sport returned to the Corvette lineup in 2010. Grand Sport shares a name with limited-edition models from 1963 and 1996, but that's all it had in common. This was an entirely new model.
The last C6 Corvette was manufactured in February 2013, to make way for the seventh-generation (C7) Corvette, once again christened Stingray. A convertible version was also introduced.
Boasting a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine with 650 horsepower, the Corvette Z06 made a welcome return in 2015. In fact, over the next few years or so, several models would re-emerge out of the Chevy Corvette stable, including the Grand Sport in 2017 and the ZR1 variant, in 2019.
The eighth-generation (C8) 2020 Corvette is the first production Corvette to have a rear mid-engine configuration. Other firsts include being offered without a traditional manual transmission, while the convertible version is the first Corvette with a retractable hardtop.
Chevrolet's Corvette C8 Z06 debuted in the 2023 model year, offered in coupé and convertible body styles. Meanwhile Chevy has confirmed it is working on both a gasoline-electric hybrid and battery-electric Corvette.
The Chevrolet Corvette is one of the most iconic automobiles ever manufactured. Introduced in the United States in 1953, this two-door luxury sports car is now in its eighth design generation, with each model building on the innovative engineering and cosmetic features that have made the "Vette" one of the most cherished of American vehicles. Fancy buckling up and taking a spin through its manufacturing history?
Gear up, click through the gallery, and motor along the key events in the story of the Chevy Corvette.
Discover the history of the iconic Chevrolet Corvette
Get to know the grandpa of automobiles
LIFESTYLE Automobile
The Chevrolet Corvette is one of the most iconic automobiles ever manufactured. Introduced in the United States in 1953, this two-door luxury sports car is now in its eighth design generation, with each model building on the innovative engineering and cosmetic features that have made the "Vette" one of the most cherished of American vehicles. Fancy buckling up and taking a spin through its manufacturing history?
Gear up, click through the gallery, and motor along the key events in the story of the Chevy Corvette.