Chevrolet Corvette – The birth of a US legend

“We don’t want to build collector’s items, as other major brands do – we want to build sports cars that every working American can afford,” said Dave Hill, chief engineer of the Chevrolet Corvette C5 and C6 generations.

The classic sports car as we know it – be it a roadster, spider or coupé – is a European invention from the 1930s. Whether the variety of motorsport events in Italy, England or Germany is to blame for this is a matter for automotive historians to debate. In any case, models such as the BMW 328, the Wanderer W25K, the Jaguar S.S. 90 and the Fiat 508 Balilla Sport – to name just a few European models – led to the development of small, manoeuvrable, sporty vehicles that were adapted to the narrow and not yet fully developed roads in Europe.

In the United States, by contrast, the roads were large, wide and significantly better developed – and the appetite for engine capacity and power was far more pronounced than in comparatively poorer Europe. Of course, there were US sports cars – but they were large, with eight- and twelve-cylinder engines on offer, and even the small six-cylinder models had a displacement of three or four litres.

The American soldiers stationed in Europe after the war quickly developed a great passion for the small cars, most of which were built in Britain – and when William Lyons unveiled the XK 120 Roadster at the British Motor Show in October 1948, of which only 200 were planned, the Americans were queuing up ready to buy an XK 120.

Ultimately, 12,055 XK 120 models were built across all series. At the same time, Porsche launched the 356, which the Americans fell in love with just as quickly as they had with the Mercedes SL series, the British TR models or the Italians – from the little Stanguellini and the Siata models right through to the capricious Ferrari and Maserati creations. And at some point, the penny dropped for US manufacturers too: some of their customers wanted to own a small, handy sports car – so they needed to cater to this clientele.

It is said that General Motors’ chief designer, Harley Earl, attended a sports car race at Watkins Glen in New York State in September 1951, where the sight of a Jaguar XK 120 inspired him to build a GM sports car. This decision may also have been influenced by the fact that a few US enthusiasts had begun building sports cars: Powell Crosley and Kurtis Kraft had started building sports cars in 1949 – but production remained very limited; this was followed in 1951 by the Nash-Healey, of which exactly 506 units were to be produced by 1955. In 1952, Harley Earl proposed offering an open-top two-seater with a fibreglass body – the reason being that, given the relatively small production volumes he anticipated, this was the more sensible production method.

The bumpy start of the Chevrolet Corvette C1

Chevrolet Corvette C1
Construction period 1953-1962
Cubic capacity 3.859 cm³
Power 110 kW/150 PS
Torque 302 Nm

On 2 June 1952, General Motors President Harlow Curtice gave the go-ahead for the construction of the first prototype – following an inspection and the drawing up of a financial plan, the decision was made to build the sports car, for which designer Robert McLean created the basic design. The Corvette was named after the small, manoeuvrable warships of the sailing fleets of the 17th to 19th centuries. The basis was a sturdy X-frame, to which standard parts from other Chevrolet models were fitted, including double wishbone suspension with coil springs at the front and a rigid axle with leaf springs at the rear. As the planned small V8 engine was not yet ready, Chevrolet boss Ed Cole opted for the tried-and-tested 3.9-litre Blue Flame six-cylinder, whose power output was increased from 115 to 150 hp – to go with this, the not-so-popular but readily available Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission was chosen.

In January 1953, the decision was made to put the model displayed at the Motorama show into production – the first 300 cars were built from 30 June onwards at the Flint plant in Detroit, after which production was moved to St. Louis, where the first 15 vehicles were reportedly built in December 1953.

The Corvette was by no means received with great enthusiasm: although the car looked good, its performance was not exactly thrilling and the two-speed automatic transmission was frankly unacceptable.

To make matters worse, the Ford Motor Company had also decided to add a coupé to its range – and the first Thunderbird rolled off the production line on 5 September 1954. The big difference: this model was powered by a 4.8-litre V8 engine producing 193 hp, with a three-speed manual gearbox as standard – a four-speed manual and an automatic gearbox were available at extra cost.

The Thunderbird had almost heralded the early demise of the Corvette: 16,155 Thunderbirds were delivered in 1955, 15,631 in 1956, and a year later as many as 21,380 Thunderbirds were sold. Chevrolet realised that the Corvette needed to become sportier, and so, in the autumn, the new 4.3-litre V8 engine producing 195 hp was added to the range on request; by the 1956 model year, it was already delivering 210 hp – and 225 and 240 hp versions were also available on request and at an extra cost.

This is where the name Zora Arkus-Duntov comes into play; the young, racing-mad engineer, born in Belgium, had joined GM in July 1953 and had strengthened the Corvette team. Over the years, Arkus-Duntov became the key Corvette developer and is today regarded as the ‘father of the Corvette’, as he was to have a decisive influence on subsequent generations.

With its V8 engine and increasingly powerful variants, the Corvette established itself in its first version (C1) as the American sports car, a development aided by the fact that the Thunderbird was becoming ever larger, heavier and more luxurious and was no longer accepted as a sports car. Arkus-Duntov also ensured the C1’s factory involvement on the racetracks and, at the same time, supported private drivers who took their Corvettes to the track and diligently collected trophies and titles there, providing them with expertise and the necessary parts. In 1957, the SS was even developed as a dedicated racing car with 310 hp.

Chevrolet Corvette C2 – The Birth of the Sting ray

Chevrolet Corvette C2
Construction period 1962-1967
Cubic capacity 5.359 cm³
Power 184 kW/250 PS
Torque 475 Nm

The C1 remained on sale for just under ten years – by the end, engines delivering up to 360 hp were available on request. Then came the Sting Ray (C2), a new and fascinating successor, for which the legendary head of design, Bill Mitchell, had paved the way with a host of design studies.

Born in Ohio in 1912, Mitchell was responsible for the design of nearly 72 million cars during his 17 years as head of the design department at General Motors, accounting for almost 50 per cent of the entire US market. These included the 1970 Camaro, the 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado, the 1977 Impala, the 1963 Riviera and the 1975 Seville.

Mitchell had already been head of design at Cadillac in 1938, where he celebrated his first success with the Cadillac 60 Special. However, he became famous for the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray (Split Window). Crucially, however, designer Larry Shinoda was involved in the styling, ultimately defining the shape of the Sting Ray – for the first time, the C2 was also available as a coupé, whereas the C1 had only been available as a convertible. And with its striking shape, pop-up headlights and razor-sharp wings, the new Corvette made the C1 look outdated.

The distinctive feature of the new coupé was the split rear window, which Bill Mitchell had borrowed from the 1936 Bugatti Atlantic – a spectacular design, but one that proved impractical for everyday use and was therefore replaced after just one year by a single-piece panoramic window. The Sting Ray was launched in autumn 1962 and remained in production until mid-1967 – with engines offering up to 7 litres of displacement, it was more than adequately powered, and Zora Arkus-Duntov also created a thoroughbred racing variant, which was launched in 1964 as the ‘Grand Sport’ with an official output of 550 hp – 125 were to be built, but the board did not wish to participate in racing any longer, and so only five examples were produced, which – after a few victories – were sold to private customers. Also of interest was the Z06 package, featuring more power, better brakes, a 138-litre fuel tank and centre-lock wheels, at the hefty price of $1,818.45 – 199 vehicles appear to have been fitted with this package.

The Ever-Popular Chevrolet Corvette C3

Chevrolet Corvette C3
Construction period 1967-1982
Cubic capacity 5.359 cm³
Power 221 kW/300 PS
Torque 360 Nm

After just four years, the model range was unexpectedly discontinued and replaced by the C3 – which is why Sting Ray models are so rare today. The C3 had a significantly longer production run: it was built from September 1967 to October 1982 – and was marketed as the Stingray (now written as one word) from the outset. This makes it the model with the longest production run in Corvette history.

Externally, the third-generation Chevrolet Corvette had grown considerably in length to 464 centimetres, and with its bulging wings – the rear window was modelled on the Ferrari 250 LM – strongly reminiscent of the 1965 Mako Shark II show car, which was first unveiled as a design study at the New York International Auto Show in April 1965.

The Mako Shark II made its second debut at the Paris Motor Show on 5 October 1965. This time, however, it was equipped with a 7.0-litre, eight-cylinder engine and was roadworthy. This car formed the basis for the new Stingray.

Due to drastically tightened safety regulations, production of the convertible had to be discontinued in 1975. The previous year had seen the launch of the first Corvette fitted with an exhaust catalytic converter – and in 1977, GM celebrated the production of its 500,000th Corvette, whilst two years later, annual production peaked at 53,807 units. In 1981, a move was on the cards for the second time since December 1953: production was relocated from St. Louis to Bowling Green in Kentucky, where the Corvette is still built today.

However, the C3 became famous not only for its striking bodywork, but also for the ZL-1 engine, which – although the company still wanted nothing to do with motor racing – was actually developed for Bruce McLaren’s Can-Am cars, but was also fitted in very small numbers in the C3. Officially, the 7-litre V8 produced 430 hp – in reality, it was likely 525 hp, which, with a little effort, could reach 600 hp in the racing cars. Today, the C3 is regarded as a cult classic among Corvette fans.

Chevrolet Corvette C4 – A Case for the A-Team

Chevrolet Corvette C4
Construction period 1983-1996
Cubic capacity 5.737 cm³
Power 153 kW/300 PS
Torque 437 Nm

The fact that the C4 took so long to arrive – it was launched in spring 1983, nearly 18 months behind schedule – was not only due to the change of production facility, but also because the company had waited too long to start building the successful C3, of which 542,862 units were produced, including 70,586 convertibles.

To further improve handling and weight distribution, the C4 developers moved the engine further towards the centre of the vehicle, towards the bulkhead. The wider cardan tunnel gave the body greater rigidity. ABS (from 1986) and traction control (from 1992) enhanced active safety, whilst a new ZF six-speed manual gearbox introduced in 1989 reduced fuel consumption. With the introduction of the catalytic converter and the phasing out of the 7-litre engines, only V8 engines with a 5.7-litre displacement and significantly lower power output were used.

Power output now ranged from 230 to 245 hp; it was not until the ZR-1 version, launched in 1990, that the car once again delivered serious performance with 375 hp. Equally important, however, was the launch in 1986 of the first convertible since 1975 – the elegant and rather understated Corvette was finally available as an open-top model once more.

Another milestone in Corvette history was reached in 1992 with a white convertible: the one-millionth Corvette rolled off the production line, coinciding with the opening of the Corvette American Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. The Corvette C4 was built from March 1983 until the end of 1996, with a total of 358,180 units produced, including 74,651 convertibles. In early 1997, after 13 years of production, the successor model, the Corvette C5, was launched.

All-New Corvette C5

Chevrolet Corvette C5
Construction period 1997-2004
Cubic capacity 5.666 cm³
Power 246 kW/335 PS
Torque 508 Nm

The development of the fifth-generation Corvette took a surprisingly long time – originally planned for the 40th anniversary in 1993, GM ran into financial difficulties and there were also a number of changes in management, including the retirement of the head of design, Chuck Jordan. When the C5 finally made its debut at the Detroit Motor Show on 6 January 1997, the fifth generation turned out to be a completely new Corvette, with everything from the chassis and engine to the bodywork redesigned from scratch. The result was a sports car that could easily hold its own against all its European rivals. The legendary David E. Davis Jr. wrote in Automobile: “The 1997 Corvette is a winner. Unlike any of its predecessors, it possesses a smoothness and finesse that would require decades of intensive study of the art of distillation and further years of quiet ageing, were it a whisky”.

Alongside the coupé and convertible, Chevrolet also offered a Targa version from 1999 onwards – for the first time in Corvette history, three model variants were now available at dealerships. That year, Chevrolet also made a successful official return to the racetrack with the Corvette and the C5-R, featuring a 7-litre engine and 600 hp, whilst performance-conscious customers could opt for the 411 hp Z06 variant from 2002 to 2004 – 60 convertibles and 2,025 coupés were delivered, but only to customers in the USA.

Today, the C5 is regarded as the model that not only enabled Corvette to reclaim victories and titles in motorsport, but also, thanks to its driving dynamics and performance, finally put it on a par with the European elite.

Onward and Upward with the Chevrolet Corvette C6

Chevrolet Corvette C6
Construction period 2005-2013
Cubic capacity 5.967 cm³
Power 298 kW/405 PS
Torque 546 Nm

Once again, the next generation of the Corvette was completely redesigned, as the aim was to “perfect the C5, which was 90 per cent perfect, to 99 per cent”, according to chief developer David Hill. The result was an even sleeker design, which did away with the pop-up headlights and featured new 6-litre and, from 2008, 6.2-litre V8 engines. The initial 400 hp was supplemented in 2006 by the new Z06 with a 7-litre engine and 505 hp – followed in 2008 by the ZR1 with a supercharged 6.2-litre V8 producing 647 hp, which pushed the Corvette past the 300 km/h mark.

Better than ever and fully matured, the C6 then bowed out in spring 2013 to make way for the C7, which celebrated its premiere in Detroit on 13 January 2013. There was a coupé and a convertible version, both powered by a 6.2-litre small-block V8 producing 466 hp, which was equipped for the first time with direct petrol injection, variable valve timing and AFM cylinder deactivation, which allows four of the eight pistons to idle at low engine load.

The Seventh Installment: The Chevrolet Corvette C7

Chevrolet Corvette C7
Construction period 2013-2019
Cubic capacity 6.162 cm³
Power 335 kW/455 PS
Torque 610 Nm

In 2014, the next generation of the Z06 made its debut in the C7 – powered by the new LT4 aluminium V8 engine with a supercharger and dry-sump lubrication, delivering 650 PS and 881 Nm of torque. Consequently, its performance figures are on a par with those of a supercar.

In 2017, the C7 Grand Sport was added to the range – a variant positioned between the base model and the Z06, which, whilst foregoing the supercharged engine, features the Z06’s lightweight chassis, aerodynamics package, dry-sump lubrication and suspension. It is actually the best C7, as the 466 hp harmonises perfectly with the superb Z06 chassis and its magnificent brakes – and since the engine is significantly lighter than the supercharged unit, there is also less weight on the front axle, which significantly reduces the tendency to understeer. It’s safe to say that the C7 Grand Sport represents the pinnacle of Corvette history – with phenomenal performance and perfect suitability for everyday use. Only those who prioritise sheer acceleration should opt for the Z06, as the Grand Sport is significantly more fun on winding roads.

With the C7, Chevrolet brought the era of front-mid-engined sports cars to a close in 2020 – the initial six-cylinder and later eight-cylinder engines had always been hidden beneath large bonnets.

Breaking new ground with the Chevrolet Corvette C8

Chevrolet Corvette C8
Construction period since 2020
Cubic capacity 6.162 cm³
Power 354 kW/482 PS
Torque 613 Nm

Then, in spring 2020, the C8 arrived at dealerships – and here the V8 engine was now mounted behind the occupants, in front of the rear axle. A bombshell that was received with mixed feelings by Corvette enthusiasts – but which brought the company many new, younger customers who had grown up with mid-engined cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, McLaren or Porsche and the Audi R8.

Power comes from the familiar 6.2-litre V8 with 495 PS – it reaches 100 km/h in 3 seconds and has a top speed of 313 km/h. The price is unbeatable: the coupé costs €99,000, whilst the cabriolet version is available for €106,000 – prices that prospective Ferrari or Lamborghini buyers can only dream of. And the equivalent Porsche is also significantly more expensive. No wonder the C8 is selling like hot cakes and waiting lists are inevitable.

*The performance figures refer to the entry-level engine.

Photos General Motors

Author: Jürgen Lewandowski

Jürgen Lewandowski schreibt seit mehr als 40 Jahren über Menschen und Autos - und hat mehr als 100 Bücher veröffentlicht. Traumklassiker: Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 Touring Spider und Lancia Rally 037. Eigener Klassiker: Alfa Romeo R.Z. von 1993. View all posts by Jürgen Lewandowski →