1953
The debut of the very first Chevrolet Corvette took place, at the General Motors Motorama in New York, in 1953. Here then is the History of one of “America’s great sports car – the Vette.”
The first Corvette, a convertible concept, made its debut in January 1953. Production began six months later.
1957
It was named for a small, maneuverable warship. Here’s the 1957 model.
1958
All Corvettes, including the 1958, have front engines that power the rear wheels.
1960
The 1960 version was basically the same as its predecessor.
1963
With 1963 came the second generation of the Corvette, named the Sting Ray.
1965
The 1965 Corvette came with four-wheel disc brakes and a “big block” engine option. It included what became a common Corvette feature: retractable headlamps.
1968
The third generation, introduced in 1968, was the longest Corvette Chevrolet yet.
For the new generation, the Sting Ray became the Stingray. It was unofficially referred to as a “shark” model.
1977
The 1977 Corvette offered few new options, but it did have an eight track tape player with an AM-FM stereo.
1978
The film ‘Corvette Summer’ — starring Mark Hamill — came out in 1978, but did not feature this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition.
1979
1979 was the best year ever for the Corvette: The 53,307 units sold are still an annual record for the car.
1984
The fourth-generation Corvette debuted in the mid-1980s. No models were offered for sale in 1983, and only one of the 44 prototypes built remains today. Pictured is the 1984 Corvette.
The new generation, which lasted 13 years, featured a sleeker, more aerodynamic design.
1997
1997 was the year of the fifth generation Corvette. The C5 weighed less than its predecessor, thanks to a lighter chassis, engine, and body panels.
2005
The C6 rolled off the production line in 2005. It ditched the retractable headlamps to shave weight and improve aerodynamics.
2009
The 2009 ZR1 was powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that produced 628 horsepower, good for a top speed of 205 mph.
2011
The 2011 Corvette Grand Sport hinted at the look of the seventh-generation Corvette, and featured Magnetic Ride Control for improved handling.
2013
The last Corvette to roll off the line before the C7 was the 2013 427 Convertible, named for its the 427 cubic inch (7-liter) engine.
2014
Chevy revealed the new C7 Stingray at the North American Auto Show in Detroit.
2018
The 2018 Corvette Stingray was celebrated it’s 65th Anniversary with a Special Edition model. Although rumors of a mid-engine Corvette were becoming a dominant topic, Chevrolet maintained its focus on the C7 Stingray platform with the introduction of the Carbon 65 Edition Corvette. The car, which was offered as either a Grand Sport 3LT or Z06 3LZ model, specially designed to celebrate the history and heritage of Corvette since its introduction in 1953.
2020
Chevrolet formally introduced and unveiled a totally redesigned C8 Corvette on July 18, 2019. The Mid-engine Vette is an updated version of last year’s C7 LT1 engine. The LT2 produces 495-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 developing 470 lb-ft of peak torque. This is the most hp and torque of any entry-level ‘Vette yet.
Car & Driver – 2016 “C8” Article
On September 25, 2014, Car and Driver Magazine published an article titled “C8 Chevrolet Corvette Exclusive! What to Expect from the Heart-Stopping, Mid-Engined Zora!” The feature-length article claimed to have “serious dirt on GM’s secret mid-engined supercar” and featured several renderings of a car that the article referred to as the “Corvette Zora.” Don Sherman, author of the article, opened the piece with the bold claim, “The new Corvette will be the mid-engined American Dream Machine that Chevy couldn’t, until now, muster the courage to build.” How on Point he was back then.
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