Corvette : A true American Classic
The Corvette has now become a household name in most part of the world when it comes to entry level performance coupes. The entire idea behind the Corvette was , just to be conceptual show car in the 50's , but the desire to own such a car that was small , quick and luxurious was growing among the people.
Today the Vette is a car that everyone admire and dream , just the same feeling the viewers of the 1953 , New York Motorama had . This car has become a very popular icon and has lived the American Dream . So lets see the history of this classic icon that lives upto its name even today.
In 1953 , Chevrolet along with other automakers was showing off one of its concept cars , the Corvette . The Corvette that was named after a small world war II quick fire boat was enthralling the crowd towards it. This convertible then went into production the same year in June. Making it the worlds first car to have become a production car from that of a concept.
The C1 Corvettes
The first Corvettes were all convertibles and were imposing the traditional American charm . They were sold in colours loved by America , White , Red and Blue. As production began 1953 , the sales were slow due to the pricing and low marketing . In the first two years of production just 3900 Corvettes were sold.
In 1955 the Corvette had its first facelift . This time the body got an aerofoil design making it more aerodynamic and agile . This upgrade made the car 1.5 seconds faster than the previous model. GM with large inventory of unsold 1954 cars , now limited the Corvette production to 700 per annum. GM also added a new V8 engine as an option.
The Trendsetter
In 1956 GM once again got a major facelift to the car . This time the car had a new face and side coves . The car from 1956 had several new features like radio , power windows , hydraulic roof , heavy duty brakes and beginning from 1956 the V8 became standard on all Corvettes.
In 1957 the car received minor upgrades to the interiors and the engine was changed from a 283 cu in 283 hp to a 327 cu in 360 hp engine. this engine continued up until 1962. This 1962 model was the last model to feature a wrap around windshield. The cars also had duck tailed back and rounded tail lamps that continued until 2014.
The Stingray
The 1963 was designed based on the Mitchell Stingray , a car originally designed by Bill Mitchell. The Mitchell Stingray was a car that inspired several cars of its generation. The 1963 was offered as both a convertible as well as coupe. The coupe featured a unique split rear window. The standard features on the car were hidden headlamps , non functional hood air vents and independent rear suspension .
The 1964 edition had disc brakes on all four wheels and a bigger 6.5 V8 was offered. In 1964 a fuel injected variant was introduced , it was named the Z06. The Z06 got stiffer suspension , fine tuned engines , finned drums and functional hood vents. Only 771 models were ever sold making this one of the rarest models. The new affordable Big block V8 7.0 engines were bought in large numbers . Over 2000 cars were produced in just two months.
The C3 Corvettes: The mature car
By now the corvette was in the market for over 20 years. The 1969 model became more mature and got more muscle to defend itself against the growing muscle car competition . The hidden headlamps , engine , chassis and taillamp were all carried over from the earlier versions.
This series of the Corvette was a growing stage where the front carried the urethane bumper while the rear carried the classic chrome two piece bumper set. The C3 was offered in two variants the coupe and the convertible with a removable roof. The car was on sale until 1978 when it marked its 25th anniversary. The 25th anniversary edition car was a major upgrade as the engineers really developed the chassis and bodywork giving it an aerodynamic redesign thereby reducing drag. This technique went on to build a great reputation fro the car as it had a very powerful engine and a light body , that it was used as a Pace car in the 1978 Indy 500.
The C4 : Electronics era
The C4 corvette was born into the era of electronics. The corvettes for the first time featured an LCD cluster gauge and lighted interior . The transmission also changed from a manual to an automatic , mated to a manual gearbox. The C4 was also the first complete makeover since 1968.
The C4 was offered in three variants Coupe , Convertible and the Targa. The Targa edition was launched to compete with the Porsche . The 1988 35th anniversary edition was celebrated with the launch of the ZR1 . The expensive ZR1 had better styling with wider side wheels and lower ground clearance . Later in 1993 , to celebrate the 40th anniversary , a new feature was added , Passive Keyless entry a first in class feature. The ZR1 production ended in 1995 with 7000 cars being sold. To end the C4 Chevrolet launched the Grand Sport edition . This edition was offered in Admiral blue with a white stripe through the centre and red stripes over the wheels arches. The GS also included an OBD system , along with Traction control and run flat tires.
The C5: Achieving greater heights
The C5 was a car that lived to every Corvette enthusiasts expectations. The car by now had large fan club and mod garages . The C5 was a beautiful car with sleek curves and mature styling. The car was offered in both Coupe and Convertible . Now the car had become much lighter , thanks to the invention of Carbon fibre and aluminium body. This version of the car car focused on lower body roll on high speed cornering , this thought lead to the lower GC of the car.
The C6: The best of the lot
The C6 corvette was the best corvette ever designed . Sharing just 70% of its parts with its predecessor , the C6 became a light weight track and road car directly competing with the Viper and the Porsches. The urethane bumpers , aerodynamic body kits , Carbon fibre hood and roof and ceramic brakes all made the C6 the best car in its class. The hidden headlamps now dropped , the weight of the car reduced and the sportier looks flaunted all those who admired the car . In 2013 to mark the 60th anniversary of the car Chevy bought back both the ZR1 and the Z06. The Z06 was a track based car while the ZR1 was a GT version . The last C6 was produced in 2013 before the all new 2014 edition.
The C7 and Mods.
The C7 was launched in 2014 with a new design and engine. Several mods were applied to the car by external sources . The C7 also holds the record for the fastest electric car in the world. The electric version was designed and brought up by a mod garage in Dallas , Texas.
The Corvette is a true American Classic that lives upto its dreams even today . Its character hasn't changed and so is the perspective of its buyers.
