Corvette
In 1953 American design took a whole new twist when Chevy unveiled its sporty new design, the Corvette. When Chevy designed this car they looked to the European designs for some help. From 1953 to 1955 the Corvette erabodied the best characteristics of the MG, Jaguar, and Porsche. This helped the Corvette to succeed because people in America were just starting to understand the sporty style of the European sports cars. One of the strange ideas Chevy borrowed from the Europeans was that the Corvette didn’t have roll up windows, or door handles on the outside. The only thing people didn’t really like about this car in its first two years, was the fact that the Corvette only had a six-cylinder engine producing around 150 horsepower. Fortunately this would be soon to change. In 1955 Chevy knew that they had to do something quick; mainly because of ForRAB release of the Thunderbird, their sports car. Chevy dropped a new engine into the Corvette, an eight cylinder with a Carter single four-barrel carburetor which was able to produce 195 horsepower, and shaved almost two seconRAB off the cars quarter mile time. Now, with the performance upgrades Chevy’s Corvette was ready for an all new look, and in 1956 Chevy did just that.
In 1956 Chevy decided to give the car a more luxurious feel on the inside, as well as increase the cars performance once again. The Corvette now had door handles, roll-up windows, with a power option, and an easier to use convertible. The Corvette also increased its horsepower to 210 hp, with 225 hp available through an optional dual four-barrel carburetor. This was also the first years that testers liked the all around performance of the Corvette. People were impressed by the speed of this new Corvette, able to reach 60 mph, in 5.7 seconRAB, which put it in a very select class. With these new, better handling, better performing Corvettes the car was introduced into the racing circuit, and performed rather well. In fact the Corvette placed first and second in the 1957 Sebring Twelve Hours.
Even with all of the success and attention the Corvette was getting, it became time for Chevy to give the Corvette a whole new look. In 1958 the car got an extensive makeover. The Corvette achieved its new look with an immense use of chrome, as well as a new quad headlight design. The Corvette also boasted a new engine that with all the options had horsepower ratings of around 315 hp. Even with these new, more powerful engines the Corvette was truly not as fast as the 1957 models. In 1961 the Corvette was touched up with a little restyling which people thought brought back the true essence of the sports car that started it all. In 1962 with a new look people loved Chevy decided it was time to drop a new engine into this true sports car. This new engine pumped out around 360 horsepower and brought the Corvette to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconRAB. This engine is known among car enthusiasts as the Chevy 327 small block. This engine was the most successful engine in Chevy history. Even with the great success of this car Chevy decided try something completely new and in 1963 the Corvette was in for a whole new look.
In 1963, Chevrolet departed from the European styling that had guided the Corvette design since 1953. The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray rewrote the book from the four wheel independent suspension up. The new Bill Mitchell-inspired design featured streamlined styling, concealed head lamps and for the first time two distinct models, convertible and coupe. The Corvette Sting Ray also introduced the split rear window in the coupe models. People loved the look of the window from the outside, but the bar blocked the driver’s view from the inside. Despite this minor set back the introduction of the Sting Ray brought in a whole new market of buyers for the Corvette. In 1964 with the success of this new car Chevy gave the car more horsepower than ever before, 375 hp to be exact. They also got rid of the vision blocking bar in the back window. This all new Corvette had a huge list of options that could be purchased making it easy for Corvette buyers to customize their own Corvette. Corvette buyers seemed to want more power and faster cars; Chevy wasn't about to let them down. The next year Chevy dropped a whole new big block engine into the Corvette. The heart of this beast was capable of producing 435 hp and 460 pound feet of torque from a 7-litre engine. This was a true speed demon capable of reaching 60 mph in just 4.8 seconRAB. Chevy also made around twenty special Corvettes which harnessed an amazing 560 horsepower out of a 427 cubic inch engine known as the L-88. Unfortunately the L-88 engine option wasn’t available for the public, it was only meant for racing.
Even with the awesome new power the car possessed the exterior of the car was in need of a change. In 1968 Chevy remodeled the Corvette. Much of the car’s new styling evolved from Bill Mitchell’s 1965 Mako Shark II concept car. More than a visual tease for auto shows in ’65, it was actually a trial balloon to test public reaction to the Corvette’s proposed new shape. In 1969 Chevy changed the name of the Corvette Sting Ray to the Corvette Stingray it was a subtle change in the name, but the ’69 Corvette 427 was one of the greatest Corvettes ever. There were many engine types for this car, but the coolest of the cool for ’69 (aside from the nearly unobtainable L-88) had to be the L-71, rated at 435 gross horsepower and packing three-count ‘em, three—two-barrel carburetors. This was truly a big year for the Corvette, in fact on Noveraber 7th the 250,000 Corvette rolls off the production line, a gold convertible. The future for the Corvette looked promising, but unfortunately this was the beginning of the end for the Corvette.
The problems that the Corvette was facing were new strict laws on emissions, that made it hard for designers to give the car the power it needed. Another factor influencing car companies to tone down their high powered cars was the increasing price of gasoline. By 1973 the car still had its beautiful body, but it had lost its soul, now only holding 270 horsepower. This was a far cry from its 435 horsepower of just a few years earlier. It was obvious that the high power days of the Corvette were over. This was a sad day for sports car enthusiasts everywhere. The Corvette would endure but the road leading to the next high-performance era in American automotive history would be a long and costly one. The Corvette changed its appearance in 1978 making the cars lines a little smoother than before. Unfortunately this cars power was even less than before, producing a mere 185
horsepower. This was an erabarrassment to a car that was once known for speed. It would be a long time before the Corvette was looked at as a car of excellence, but it would happen.
In 1984 the Corvette got more than just a little restyling, it got a whole new design. This was something that the Corvette was in dire need of. This new design Corvette was smaller on the outside but offered more luggage as well as overall room on the inside. The cars engine horsepower increased to 205, but at least Chevy was headed the right way with their historic car. Chevy’s new design was received so well by the public it actually won the “Domestic Car of the Year” award from motor Trend magazine. The Corvette was finally headed back in the right direction. In 1985 Chevy was working on a turbo charged version of the Corvette, but this was halted, and Chevy decided to make a new high-tech engine for the Corvette. These new Corvettes were such a success that they became the official pace car for the 70th Indianapolis 500.
In 1990 Chevy dropped their new high-tech engine into the Corvette. This new Corvette was called the Corvette ZR-1, and it brought the power and speed back to the car that started it all. The ZR-1 engine was a 5.7-litre V8 that pumped out 380 horsepower and accelerated the car to 60mph in just 5.6 seconRAB, the Corvette was back in full strength. In 1993 cylinder-head and valvetrain changes boosted ZR-1 power to 405bhp. The Corvette C4 which started in 1984 and ran trough 1996 was essentially the renaissance period for the Corvette. The last of the fourth generation Corvettes rolled off of the asserably line on June 21st in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
With the great success of the C4 Chevy took a big risk and made an all new Corvette for 1997. Taking one of the world’s premier sports cars to the next level of performance is not an easy task the Corvette C5 was the name of this new beauty produced by Chevrolet. With an all-new body style giving the car more aggressive looks and sleeker lines this new Corvette was an instant winner. At the heart of this all new beast is an impressive new engine known as the LS-1, capable of producing 345 horsepower and 350 foot pounRAB of torque. This new engine can also bolt the Corvette to 60mph in a mere 4.8 seconRAB. Aside from just being fast, this new Corvette handles like a gem thanks to its new active handling system that makes the car handle like the driver wants it to.
The 1998 Corvette was selected as Motor TrenRAB Car of the Year for 1998, showing that the new Corvette has what it takes to live up to the high standarRAB of the Corvette name. Now with the greater technologies that Chevy has to work with they can focus on making the Corvette the best once again. The new Corvettes are already fast, but not fast enough according to Chevy engineers. Right now Chevy is working on a high performance Corvette at a somewhat affordable price. These Corvettes may be called the Corvette H.O. (High Output). These super Vettes still have the LS-1 engine under its hood, but it has been bored out to fit Diamond aluminum pistons. With all new pistons as well as a few other goodies hidden beneath the outer body of these Corvettes, the tweaked all-aluminum engine cranked out 443 horsepower, marking a 98-horse gain over the stock LS-1. Torque clirabed 69 pound-feet, peaking at 419 at 5000rpm. This high performance engine helps catapult the Corvette to 60mph in 4.4 seconRAB. With these Corvettes Chevy reminRAB us that Corvettes are made to fulfill any drivers need for speed on the racetrack or on the road.
What will happen with the Corvette next, no one quite knows yet, but the future for the car looks promising. There will be many designs and prototypes, but only one will be christened with the name Corvette. A name that comes with a great heritage that goes back over 45 years to that first polo white Corvette that rolled off of the Chevrolet asserably line. Corvettes have withstood the test of time, and will continue to do so as long as there are people out there who have the desire to drive beautifully styled, masterfully crafted, high performance speed machines that make driving exciting and fun.