Chevrolet Corvette Cars

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About Corvette

For over 50 years, the Corvette has been America's sports car, offering both performance and reliability through six generations of production.

The brainchild of GM designer Harley Earl, the Corvette was introduced to rave reviews in 1953, and over the years, through the assistance of Zora Arkus-Duntov, became a true performer, dropping the standard "Blue Flame" 6-cylinder for the first small-block V8 in 1955, adding fuel injection in 1957, and introducing the big-block 396-ci V8 in 1965.

Through the solid-axle cars, the mid-years, and the Mako-Shark II-inspired third-generation cars, collector interest has always remained high, with buyers willing to pay up for the best, most original examples.

1953-1962

Chevrolet's response to the flood of European sports cars in the 1950s was the Corvette, a cross between Italian and American dream car styles. The panoramic windshield and jukebox dash were just what Uncle Sam ordered, but the flimsy soft top and the fiberglass bodywork, combined with rather feeble power outputs, made the early Corvette a hard sell to the American public.

Major improvements in style and comfort came with the 1956 model, and mechanical fuel-injection and a 4-speed option in 1957 made the Corvette a world-class performer.

6-cylinder and fuel-injected cars are the most valuable, but all early Corvettes turn heads like few other automobiles.

1963-1967

Ten years after the first Corvette was created, Chevrolet shocked the world with the revolutionary Sting Ray. Four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes (from 1965) made the Corvette handle, while optional fuel-injection (to 1965) and monster big-block engines (from 1965) made it go.

Automatic-equipped cars use the 2-speed Powerglide, but the 4-speed manual is most desirable. Reproduction parts are plentiful, and maintenance is easy, but the hideaway headlights can be problematic and paint can stress crack. 1963 "Split Window" coupes, fuel-injected cars, and maximum horsepower cars are the most valuable, but lower-power cars are great values and fine drivers.

1968-1982

The 3rd Generation Corvette spanned the peak of the performance era and the depths of the 1970s. Its new shape came almost directly from the Mako Shark II show car, and there were both convertible and coupe versions, the latter now fitted with T-tops. Big blocks were available from 1968 to 1974, with output from 390-hp to 560-hp. The 350-ci small-blocks ranged from the 1970 LT1 at 370-hp (gross) to the 1975 L48 at 165-hp (net).

Major revisions for '73 and '77 altered body styling details and added creature comforts. 1968-1972 Corvettes offer the most performance and are the most collectible, and high-horsepower 1968-69 cars will cost well into six figures.

1984-1996

The fourth-generation Corvette was created with a clean sheet of paper, and it looked the part, with a completely new design inside and out. Cross-Fire injection was first offered, but 1985 and later cars were fitted with the superior L98 350 V8 with Tuned-Port Injection, and convertibles returned in 1986 after an 11-year absence.

The space-age LED instrument panel can be problematic and expensive to repair, and working on these modern, computer-controlled cars is hardly for shade tree mechanics, although most components are still available. Convertibles and the ZR-1 models are the most desirable; while the ‘88 Corvette Challenge models and the ‘96 Grand Sport are most collectible.

1997-2004

The Corvette featured an all-new design for 1997, with an all-new 5.7-liter LS1 V8 coupled to a rear-mounted transaxle—a Corvette first. Nearly every component was redesigned, making the C5 lighter, stronger, and more efficient than the C4 it replaced.

Thanks to the new rear-mounted transmission, which could be had in either 4-speed automatic or 6-speed manual versions, the new Corvette maintained a nearly perfect front-to-rear weight bias, which made it a better handler than previous models. It's a very capable performer, especially in Z06 trim, but it's also quite usable, with many owners finding them comfortable enough to drive on a daily basis.

2005-2011

For the 2005 model year, Corvette's designers returned to the drawing board, producing a car that was smaller than the C5, but also much more powerful, with the new base-model car boasting a full 400-hp from its all-new LS2 V8.

For the first time since 1962, Corvette had exposed headlights, and convertibles were available with a power-operated top. Even base model cars are quite fast, but the reintroduction of the Z06 in 2006 raised the bar, offering 505-hp from its dry-sump 7.0-liter, LS7 V8. In 2009, new ZR1 debuted, with a supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V8 making 638-hp—good for top speed runs of over 200 mph.

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