In honor of the new 2014 Corvette Stingray, we take a look back at Chevrolet Corvettes past and introduce you to the future—get ready for a powerful ride.
In honor of the new 2014 Corvette Stingray, we took a look back at Chevrolet Corvettes past.
Sixty years ago this month the first Chevrolet Corvette arrived on the scene at the General Motors Motorama Show in New York City. Since then this legendary sports car has captivated the country and raced its way into the cultural zeitgeist—from Prince’s 'Little Red Corvette' to Austin Power’s shagadelic flag-wrapped Sting Ray. Now in its 7th generation (the 2014 was just introduced at this week’s Detroit Auto Show), Chevy’s latest model is sleeker, sharper, and more major than before while still staying true to those features that crowned its classic ancestors. See for yourself what’s made the Corvette one of the most coveted cars on the market for over six decades and counting.
Making its big debut in 1953, the Corvette was the first mass-produced car to feature an all fiberglass body. Lightweight and faster than steel mobiles, the material also gave designers greater flexibility to create that cool curvy shape which captured the attention of potential buyers. Although the C1 years only produced convertibles, those preliminary models set a design precedence—including dash-to-axle proportion, dual round taillmaps, and a dual-cockpit-style interior—for future generations.
The revolutionary second generation, often considered to be one of the best looking cars ever made, took sleek and sporty to a whole new level. Dubbed the Sting Ray after the concept race car that inspired its design, this ‘Vette featured a lower center of gravity, retractable headlamps, and the landmark ‘split rear window’ styling supported by its all-new coupe body. With the addition of independent rear suspension, the C2 also dramatically improved the car’s road-holding performance and made for a much smoother drive.
Introduced as the new Stingray (now branded as one word versus the previous two-word Sting Ray), the C3 later became known as the “shark,” thanks to its long shape and aggressive styling. A “transitional” generation for the Corvette, this model saw some big changes from ’68 to ‘82 including a smaller block engine and less horsepower due to new regulations. By 1973, the material composition had also changed to include less traditional fiberglass and more lightweight plastic. The longest span of all the generations, this period proved the popularity of the car was still going strong—in fact, the 58,307 sales in 1979 remains the Corvette’s annual sales record.
Synonymous with acid-wash jeans, big hair, and muscle tees the C4 was the iconic poster car of the 80’s (if you grew up in that era we’re going to bet you had a picture of it plastered on your wall). This new model built on the technology of the times with its sleek new style and backbone frame structure. It also saw significant high-tech changes on the inside as well, starting with electronically-controlled performance and safety features and an electroluminescent instrument panel with digital readouts. And thanks to Turn Port Injection, the C4 moved into the category of high-performing sports cars with great fuel economy.
Although it looked large and in-charge, Corvette’s fifth generation model weighed almost 100 pounds less than its predecessor (a rare occurance in the automotive world). While its body contained more plastic than ever before, the car’s lighter weight was also a result of a hydroformed box frame and a new, aluminum-valve small-block engine. Jumping on the green bandwagon with this generation, Corvette was one of the leaders in changing over to a more environmentally-friendly waterborne paint system that drastically reduced solvents.
In order to reduce weight and aerodynamic drag on the sixth generation, Corvette nixed the retractable headlights for the first time since the 1962 edition and fixed them to the car instead. By 2006, the Corvette had a lighter, aluminum-based structure, giving it a power-to-weight ratio not seen in many luxury sports cars. These changes were all a preview of what was to come with the release of the new and improved C7.
While it may share the same name as the ‘63 model, don’t get confused—the 2014 Corvette Stingray is far from your father’s car. This week's highly-anticipated launch at the Detroit Auto Show revealed one of the hottest cars to come from the storied brand, and we were lucky to get a first-hand look. Blending the ideal mix of technology and performance, the C7 has an estimated 450 horsepower, 450 lbs.-ft of torque, and goes from 0-60 in less than 4 seconds—not to mention, it’s extremely fuel-efficient at 25 mpg. Some great new updates include a 6.2L LT1 V-8 engine, a seven-speed (yes, seven!) manual transmission and a smaller-diameter steering wheel. Aside from riding in style, you’ll also be riding in a significantly lighter vehicle, thanks to a carbon fiber hood and removable roof panel, plus a new aluminum frame. Unfortunately, you’ll have to wait until the third quarter (and shell out the rumored $50,000 price tag) to get behind the wheel of this high-quality car, but once you do, you’ll probably never want to get out. Keep clicking through to get a closer look.
The new 'Vette exudes style, performance, and technology from every angle.
The 2014 is powered by the brand new LT1 6.2L Small Block V-8 engine.
The precision interior was inspired by a fighter jet's wraparound cockpit.
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See The New C7 Corvette Car and Revisit Corvette Cars from the Past