Chevrolet Corvette
(1953 - 2013)
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United States
Chevrolet Corvette: All 7 models
Car articles about Chevrolet Corvette by year
The Chevrolet Corvette was launched 60 years ago. To date, seven generations have appeared and the initially unsuccessful small-series sports car has blossomed into the most produced genuine American sports car, which is also happy to take on the best European competitors, even if many people don't want to hear it. This report provides an overview of seven generations and shows the vehicles in breathtaking pictures. Interested parties can also follow the many references and browse through brochures and technical data.
When the first Corvette was presented in 1952, there was great enthusiasm. However, the plastic coupé was less well received by buyers than by the press. Unit sales were low and the car was immature. Year after year, however, the first Corvette, now known as the "C1", became more attractive, stronger and more successful. This comprehensive article describes the early years of the Corvette and shows various examples in detail, including sales brochures and pictures from production.
When Zora Arkus-Duntov suggested to GM in 1956 that they build a racing Corvette that could compete with the fastest sports prototypes of the time, he found an open ear. In just six months, the Corvette SS was built according to the standards for racing cars at the time. Fast lap times, including under Juan Manuel Fangio in Sebring, were the reward for the effort, but the vehicle proved to be unreliable in the race. As a result, the XP-64 project was stopped before success was achieved. This report describes the background to the XP-64 project and shows the 1957 Corvette SS in words and pictures, supplemented by two documentaries from the time.
While the Chevrolet Corvette started out as a US interpretation of an English roadster in 1953, the design had become fully Americanized by 1958 at the latest. But don't be fooled by the overloaded front end and the many functionless trim parts. Because underneath the GRP, the four-eyed Corvette was the most active to drive that had ever existed. This article tells the story of the Corvette vintages 1958 to 1960 and shows them in many historic photos.
During the long construction period of the Chevrolet Corvette, many studies and concept cars were created. We present some of these studies in a series of articles. The one-off Chevrolet Corvette XP 700 from 1958/1959 can be seen as the final evolutionary stage of the Corvette C1. The XP 700 was presented as a near-production study in 1960 and was decisive for the further development of the design of future Corvette models. This report describes the background to the XP 700 development and shows the main characteristics in words and pictures.
Station wagons were already popular in the USA in the late 1950s. Chevrolet presented an extreme version in 1954, the "Nomad" based on the Chevrolet Corvette. However, the production version was then based on the Chevrolet Bel Air and Impala models, initially three-door and later five-door. This report portrays a Chevrolet Nomad from 1960 and tells the story of its development.
In the early sixties, development of the second generation Corvette (C-2) was already well advanced. The design was based on the Stingray racer (XP-87), whose appearance was influenced by the marine world. To prepare the future customers of the C2 for this new organic design language, a show car was built, the XP-755, called Shark. The idea was born while fishing, when design chief Bill Mitchell caught a shortfin mako. This report describes the 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Shark and its before and after history, accompanied by many pictures, some of which have never been published before.
The Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport would have written racing history differently if it had been able to live up to its potential in the 1960s. However, due to the GM bosses' ban on racing, it celebrated a shadowy existence. Only 5 were built. Due to their rarity, new incarnations of the old specifications are constantly being created, such as the Tachyon Grand Sport from Holland shown in this article.
In 1963, the second generation of the Chevrolet Corvette finally shed the last bit of the street cruiser look of the 1950s. With independent suspension, up to 450 hp and an outstanding gearbox, it gave the established European competition a run for its money. Our driving report describes the impressions gathered behind the wheel of a 1964 Convertible and shows the Corvette in many photos.
From 1967 to 1982, Chevrolet built the Corvette C3, which was visually based on the Mako Shark II concept car from 1965 and technically closely related to its predecessor, the C2. Over the long production period, changes were the order of the day, and the former muscle car became a comfort tourer that was somewhat stifled by environmental laws. Overall, the C3 was the most successful Corvette of all time, with over 540,000 units sold. This driving report portrays a wonderfully yellow Corvette C3 from 1969 with the 350 HP engine and briefly outlines its development history.
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All 7 Chevrolet Corvette models
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