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carvettes 1953
1953: Chevrolet reveals the Corvette dream car on January 17, 1953, at New York’s Waldorf Astoria hotel, as part of the kickoff to that year’s GM Motorama. Named after small, highly maneuverable naval escort ship, the show car is also known as the EX-122. -
carvettes
1963–1964: Restyled along lines laid down by design boss Bill Mitchell’s 1959 race car and re-engineered to be the first Corvette that Duntov wouldn’t be ashamed to drive in Europe, the Sting Ray arrives for ’63 with hidden headlamps the famed “split-window” fastback that lasts for only one model year. It is smaller, has an independent rear suspension with a single transverse leaf spring, and offers electronic ignition. The Z06 Special Performance Equipment option is introduced on the 1963 Sting -
carvettes
Sculpted to resemble the Mako Shark II show car of 1965 and offering a 435-hp, 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) engine, the third-generation Corvette starts a 14-year run on what is essentially a carry-over chassis. The ’68 debut ushers in that ’70s sun-seeker’s savior, the T-top, although full convertibles are still on the menu. The battery is moved to a compartment behind the seats, and the ignition switch makes its last appearance on the dash until 1997. Our 1968 road test calls it the “Barbarella -
carvette
1984: Chief engineer Dave McLellan finally starts fresh with a new and smaller-perimeter frame, forged aluminum control arms, power rack-and-pinion steering, and a slippery exterior. The Stingray name goes into hibernation, where it slumbers next to—initially at least—powerful engine options. Introduced in March 1983, the C4 features 205 horsepower, 290 lb-ft of torque, a one-piece removable roof panel, and digital instruments. Drag coefficient clocks in at a claimed 0.34, 24-percent more effici -
carvette 1994
1997: Dave Hill makes his mark as the new chief engineer, sweating details to deliver a refined sports car. The 345-hp, LS1 V-8 engine features an aluminum block. A new backbone frame, a rear transaxle, and a small-block moved behind the front suspension add nimble handling to the Corvette’s long-standing virtues of high performance and affordable price. Our Csaba Csere writes, “Purists have tended to dismiss [its] value by reciting the litany of quality and refinement shortcomings that accompan -
carvette 2005
2005: Filing the C5 down to a tidier, lighter, 5.1-inch-shorter package on a longer wheelbase, the C6 is the first Corvette with headlights since 1962. It also gets a nicer interior and seats, and finally powers up the convertible top. Plus the base price is $290 lower. Hill says it is more about perfecting rather than inventing. We think they succeeded: Writes C/D‘s Larry Webster in our first test: “It’s the perfect everything sports car: fast enough to keep you interested during a day of lappi -
carvettes 2010
2010: The Grand Sport model returns, powered by the base LS3 V-8 and packing the elements of the discontinued Z51 performance option. Side airbags are now standard on all models. -
carvette
2011: With seven available models, including the Z06 Carbon Limited Edition, the lineup and option availability is the greatest in Corvette history. Curiously, a Corvette doesn’t pace the Indy 500. -
carvette 2012
2012: To celebrate the division’s 100th birthday, Chevrolet busts out a Centennial Edition package (available on all Corvettes), featuring Carbon Flash Metallic paint, satin-black graphics, satin-black wheels with red stripe, unique badges, a specially trimmed interior, and Magnetic Selective Ride Control. More important, the Corvette returns to pace Indy with celebrity chef Guy Fieri at the wheel. -
carvette
2014: The C7 Corvette Stingray debuts at the Detroit auto show in January 2013 wearing a hood and a roof made from carbon fiber, and is followed in March 2013 by the introduction of the Stingray convertible at the Geneva auto show. Packing a naturally aspirated 455-hp, 6.2-liter pushrod V-8 mated to either a seven-speed Tremec manual or a six-speed automatic, we can tell you it’s plenty quick. The optional Z51 performance package adds an electronically controlled limited-slip diff; closer gear r
