1953 - The first Corvette was created. Sleek and sexy, the Corvette was to become an American icon. The early Corvettes were beautiful to look at but had some quality issues, such as leaky tops. The Corvette has become the longest running automotive nameplate in Chevrolet history. Since it's first creation, well over 1.3 million Corvettes have been produced. With limited production due to the fact that they were all hand built and assembled, the 1953 Corvette, with a total of only 300 copies produced, is the rarest and most sought after Corvette model year.
1954
Through the years the style has changed and they have been injected with more and more power. The first Corvette ran at 150 hp at 4200 rpm, ran off a six volt electrical system and had a Powerglide automatic transmission. It was later shown that a manual transmission was preferred in a sports car. In 1957, a new technology was pioneered by Corvette- fuel injection, giving it about 290 hp.
1958
The 1958 Corvette saw another body freshening and more options available. This year had the most exterior chrome and was the heaviest of the C-1s. From its quad headlights and hood louvers to its twin trunk spars and bumper exiting exhaust, it was the flashiest Corvette ever built.
1965 Roadster
1965 brought the introduction of the 425 hp 396 in³ big block. Four-wheel disc brakes were introduced in 1965, and side exhaust pipes became optional on the Sting Ray.
1982 Corvette Coup
In 1982, an opening rear hatch was offered for the first time on the Corvette available on the Collectors Edition model only. A new engine featuring cross fire injection, a fuel injection carburator hybrid, was also introduced that year as the L83. It was the only engine available in 1982, and was not offered with a manual transmission.
Corvette ZO6
The Z06 models replace the FRC hardtop (1999-2000) models as the highest performance C5 Corvette in 2001. The Z06 used an LS6, a high-output version of the standard LS1 Corvette engine producing 385 hp (287 kW) instead of a heavier double-overhead cam engine like the ZR-1. The new Z06 arrived as a 2006 model in the third quarter of 2005.
It has a 7.0 L (7,008 cc/427.6 in³) version of the small block engine codenamed LS7 . Officially certified output is 505 hp (377 kW). Its performance is significantly better than the Ford Mustang and comparable to the Dodge Viper SRT-10 .
Then came the 2009 ZR1. With its 638 horsepower LS9 supercharged V8, ZR1 is capable of 205 mph on the test track 6.2 Liter V8 with Eaton TVS Supercharger and intercooler produces 604 lb.-ft of torque. Along with an improved motor, the ZR1 also comes with extensive carbon-fiber body parts, including (but not limited to) wider fenders, the hood, roof panel, roof bow, front fascia splitter and rocker moldings.
If you want one of these bad boys you'd better be willing to fork over a good chunk of dough. The possible cost of this car could reach $100,000.00!
Model years for the Corvette are C1 - 1953-1962, C2- 1963- 1967 Stingray, C3 1968- 1982 Stingray, C4 - 1983-1996 with the B2K Callaway Twin-Turbo and the ZR-1 (1990-1995) , Grand Sport (1996),Collector Edition (1996), C5 - 1997- 2004, Z06 (2001-2004), C6- 2005 - 2010. There were changes to the car's body style as well as performance through out the years. To find out more about the older model years visit the National Corvette Museum website.
Some day, I wouldn't mind having one of these sleek and sexy cars parked in my garage. My only problem is, what year do my husband and I like best? As time goes on the value of the vintage Corvettes continues to climb. Nothing turns your head quite like seeing a vintage Corvette zipping down the road.
