1960 Corvette XP700 Concept

The XP700 was a Bill Mitchell creation.

Image courtesy of Chuck Jordan Archives

We never saw the XP700 in production although it did travel the show car circuit and was presented as a future Corvette. Note the use of the Dayton wire wheels. They are still manufactured today and are popular with the lowrider crowd.

C2 Concept Drawing

C2 Corvette concept drawing by Larry Shinoda, one of the designers working for Bill Mitchell. Dated April 22, 1960. While not a perfect prediction of how the 1963 model would look, it is close. Note the rounded front edge; also the hood cutlines are not there. A "Corvette" script on the front left of the hood would not appear until 1966. Plexiglass headlight covers, while they had aerodynamic, weight and cost advantages, ran afoul of lighting regulations at the time. Below: The covers could be found on the 1963 Corvette Grand Sport however.

1973 GM Aerovette

The Aerovette started life as the 4-Rotor Corvette in the late '60s and early '70s when the world thought that the rotary / Wankel engine would be the future of automobile propulsion. Fuel economy and emissions problems caused it to be abandoned and GM installed a Chevrolet small block motor and named it the Aerovette.

Image courtesy of Chuck Jordan Archives

Image courtesy of Chuck Jordan Archives

The Aerovette, which is still owned by General Motors, was an early mid engine concept. Unlike most concept cars which begin life as a drawing, the Aerovette went on to become a fully functioning car.

Image courtesy of Chuck Jordan Archives

People often, when looking at concept car drawings, will ask "Why don't the production cars look like this?". The answer is a classic case of the adage "Be careful what you ask for, you might get it." Rearward visibility is a problem and even forward visibility can be a struggle.

Image courtesy of Chuck Jordan Archives

Consider the doors, for example. Because of their articulating design, an opening window was not possible. Not many of us would tolerate that situation.

The Aerovette as it appeared on the lawn at the Pebble Beach Concours in 2024.

Corvette C5 Design Sketches

Although GM sourced, the C5 prototype drawings had little resemblance to the production C5.

The interior C5 concept did look like the production interior (below).

Corvette C6 Design Sketches

Observe the impractically low roofline. Designers can go a bit crazy when equipped with pencils and paper. People sometimes ask "Why don't the cars we buy look like the drawings?". The answer is: Be glad they don't. After all, who needs headroom?

Corvette Big Tank Option

There is a saying: "With great power comes great responsibility". When it comes to Corvettes and Corvette race cars, this can be extended to "With great power comes poor fuel economy".

This became a problem for Corvettes in endurance racing, such as the 24 hour Le Mans race and the 12 hours of Sebring. The solution came in the form of increased fuel tank capacity.

Starting in 1959, there was option 1625, a 24 gallon tank for the Corvette. Little is known about the option other than that it was available. The Corvette Black Book does not list pricing or quantity built. It is also listed for the 1960 model year; the option is listed as 1625A and the price was $161.40. In 1961 the option code was 1625 and the price was also $161.40. The capacity for the stock 1959 - '60 Corvette fuel tank is 16.4 gallons.

Briggs Cunningham's Number 2 Corvette race car was raced on the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1960. It took third place in the Class R General Motors - Powered Sports Cars at the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours. It is currently owned by Bruce Meyer, a prominent Beverly Hills car collector.

To the right is the fuel filler. Notice the wide opening, this facilitated the rapid transfer of large amounts of fuel to the tank.

A window sticker for a 1962 Corvette indicating that it was equipped with a 24 gallon fuel tank. According to the Corvette Black Book, 65 1962 Corvettes were so equipped. Corvette lore has it that 10 1960 Corvettes and 25 1961 Corvettes were big tank equipped, but this cannot be verified.

A 1962 Corvette Tanker. Note the funky fuel filler on the right. All C1 Tanker Corvettes were hardtop only, as the big tank did not make room for the folding convertible tops. This was not a problem as the hardtop is the preferred setup for competition due to its aerodynamic advantages.

Here's an interesting eBay auction. Up for offer is a NOS (New Old Stock or a brand new part that has never been installed anywhere) fuel tank for a C1 Tanker. This is an odd auction to say the least. The only people who may be interested in the purchase is somebody restoring a C1 Tanker Corvette in which the fuel tank is not in restorable condition. Talk about a limited market! Others, who for example are looking to build a C1 racer, could arrange for a steel or aluminum tank to be fabricated for much less than the $11,500 asking price in this auction.

C2 Tankers

The concept of a large fuel tank to aid endurance racing really took hold with the C2 Corvette generation. For all five C2 model years a RPO N03 36 gallon fuel tank was an available option costing $202.30 for the 1963 thru '66 model years and, for some reason, $198.05 for 1967.

Above: N03 36 Gallon Fuel Tank option as installed in a 1963 split window coupe. Only coupes were eligible for the option - convertibles need not apply. Limiting the N03 sales was the fact that it reduced the available luggage space. Some N03 owners carpeted the area to prevent scuffing.

Below is a big tank installed on a Z06 race car; notice the larger filler arrangement to allow faster fuel delivery enabling quicker pit stops.

N03 36 Gallon Fuel Tank option partly installed on the 1963 assembly line.

65 1963 coupes were N03 equipped. Most, but not all, were installed in Z06s.

N03 tanks are available as reproductions from the same eBay seller as the C1 tank mentioned earlier. The $8,500 price may be a bit sobering but where else could you find one? It might be useful if you think your C2 coupe needs more range. The original N03 tanks, all of which were fiberglass, sometimes began to seep fuel with age so replacement might be in order.

38 1964 coupes were shipped with the N03; 1965 had 41; 1966 saw 66. Above: despite the final notice document, two apparently well connected 1967 Corvettes were N03 equipped. The total N03s shipped from the St. Louis MO plant was 212.

Here's a question worthy of debate: What is the most desirable and collectable Corvette?

There is of course no absolutely correct answer; there are many opinions on the subject and it all comes down to personal taste and preferences.

Your author has a definite opinion and that would be the 1957 Airbox Corvette. It was a cold air induction system which was (and still is) a popular and effective method of upping horsepower by arranging for the engine to be fed cold air.

The Corvette Black Book says that 43 were built but there are rumors of up to 50. Approximately 22 are known to exist. The airbox Corvette is a true race car that was often campaigned "back in the day". The life of a race car in the '50s and '60s was not an easy one; to make things worse they were not thought of as valuable then so their survival rate was low.

It was a one year only option for '57 with the Code moniker of 579D. Some documentation listed 579E as the Code. The intention was a racing only option as all were built without radios, EMI ignition shielding, heaters, power tops and windows, courtesy lights and windshield washers. There was a 579D Code for 1958, but it was only a fuel injected induction and did not include an airbox.

The airbox works by channeling cold air from ahead of the radiator directly to the intake on the fuel injection system. That air is colder and cold air is more dense which enhances horsepower. Most Corvette engines of the era took in air directly above the induction system - see the below photo. This was air heated by the engine - not good for performance.

All airbox Corvettes had code 684 (Heavy Duty Racing Suspension) which included ducting for brake cooling on the right side of the engine compartment. The cooling air was channeled through the right side rockers to the front and rear brakes. The airbox itself also channeled air to the front and left rear brakes. Drum brakes were what was available in Corvettes in 1957 and, for racing applications, keeping them cool was critical.

To further the case for racing applications, most (if not all) airbox Corvettes came with Code 684, the Heavy Duty Racing Suspension of which 51 were built at a cost of $781.10. The option, which was available on 1957 to 1959 Corvettes, consisted of Heavy Duty Springs and Shocks, Vented Brake Backing Plates, Finned Brake Drums, a Fast Steering Adapter, Heavy Duty Sway Bar and 5-1/2 inch Wide Wheels.

The generator, normally located on the left of the engine bay, was relocated to the right to clear up room for the airbox.

Airbox illustration from the 1956 - 1957 AIM (Assembly Instruction Manual). In addition to being installed on 43 1957 Corvettes, the parts were available from the parts department, enabling others to take advantage of the technology. All airboxes were constructed of fiberglass.

Above is the stock dash for the production 1957 Corvette. Note the tachometer in the center; the joke of the day was that the passenger had a better view of the tachometer.

Below: Corvette racers do not have a sense of humor when it comes to important details like instrumentation. All airbox Corvettes had tachometers mounted on the steering column. The previous dashboard location was filled with a trunk emblem.

SN 4007

The First Airbox Corvette

SN 4007 (the full VIN is VE57S104007) is the earliest known airbox Corvette, completed May 15, 1957.

SN 4007 has an impressive list of awards, including being part of the Bloomington Gold Special Collection, Ault Park Concours d'Elegance Award of Distinction, multiple NCRS Top Flight Awards and being inducted into the Bloomington Gold Great Hall as one of the most significant cars in Corvette history.

SN 4007 airbox Corvette was on the auction block at Mecum (link: www.mecum.com) on January 12, 2019 and was bid to $500,000 but the reserve was not met. More information available at the Vette-Vues Magazine web site (link: vette-vues.com). All photos of SN 4007 are courtesy of Mecum Auctions.

Above: The passenger side ducting located on the engine compartment that sent cool air to the right side brakes.

Two views of the SN 4007 fuel injection system. Note the absence of EMI shielding on the spark plug wires and distributors. All airbox Corvettes, being radio delete, did not require the shielding.

SN 4007 dashboard. Note the blank area where the stock Corvette would have a tachometer. Apparently, with it being a prototype of sorts, nobody thought to install the trunk emblem in its place as was done on later airbox Corvettes.

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/w5WhhwwRGL8?si=12Qu99z68zJvTGi9]

The 2025 C8 ZR1 was introduced on July 25, 2024 and was an immediate sensation. The announcement was strategically limited to engine power ratings (1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm with 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm).

GM then doled out performance statistics strategically to keep interest piqued. Top speed numbers were followed by 0 - 60 mph and 1/4 mile acceleration data. Then the MSRP was unveiled on January 9, 2025 - $174,995 - a complete bargain by any standard. And on January 27, 2025 the first ZR1 was auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson charity auction in Scottsdale AZ for $3,700,000.

There's a saying in investment circles: "A rising tide lifts all boats", meaning that when a particular stock, for example, goes up in value then other similar stocks also go up.

C3 ZR1s

Although many Corvette fans are not aware, there was a ZR1 for the 1970 thru 1972 model years. The above convertible 1970 ZR1 was auctioned off at Mecum Auctions on May 18, 2024. Hammer price was $155,000.

Above: This 1971 ZR1 coupe sold for $220,000 eight months later on January 17, 2025 at the Mecum Kissimmee auction.

On January 17, 2025 this 1970 ZR1 hammered at a phenomenal $451,000. Contributing to the result: It was the first ZR1 built and came with a long list of awards.

C4 ZR1s

The C4 ZR-1 has always had a soft spot in your authors heart. The four camshaft 32 valve LT-1 engine was a bold move on the part of GM. It was available for the 1990 thru 1995 model years.

Unfortunately the market has not been kind to them with prices hovering around the $20k level - and this is for cars in excellent condition with low miles.

That changed with the 2025 ZR1 introduction. At the Mecum Kissimmee auction, the above 1990 ZR-1, with 1,010 miles on the clock, achieved a $52,800 hammer price. This is about twice what it would have been less than one year earlier.

The above 1993 ZR-1 Anniversary Edition in Ruby Red also had a hammer price of $52,800. It had 12,319 miles on it.

This is a rare beast: a 1989 ZR-1. Sharp eyed Corvette folks will point out that ZR-1s were produced for the 1990 thru 1995 model years. This car is one of the pilot cars used for development and testing. Interestingly, the engine was labeled as a LT-1.

Car companies normally do not like to see their pilot cars in public hands but GM sold four 1989 ZR1s according to one source. It was during their bankruptcy days so cash was at a premium.

It sold for $66,000 at the Mecum Kissimmee auction on January 16, 2025. It's hard to say how much of a bargain it was with only four in existence. Cosmetically it is in poor shape but that's common with engineering mules.

Although there are no recent Mecum sales for C6 ZR1s, the data from Bring a Trailer shows an uptick in prices.

C7 ZR1s

Similar to the Ford GT, the C7 ZR1 has been a marketplace phenom; few were sold for MSRP and all that were purchased only went up in value. Up until the July 2024 ZR1 announcement from GM, they had been trading for around $200,000. At the Kissimmee auction, four of the seven offered went for well over $200,000.

The above sebring orange seven speed coupe ZR1 with 18 miles on the odometer went for $275,000 at the January 16th 2025 auction.

This 2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible in Long Beach Red with 866 miles hit $258,500 at Mecum Kissimmee. For yur author, it checked all the boxes: ZR1, Long Beach Red, Seven Speed manual, Convertible, do I have to say more?

The 2025 Corvette ZR1 has significant history behind it; previous renditions are a tough act to follow.

All Corvette generations have a ZR1 in the mix except for the C1, C2 and C5. Conversely, the Z06 - the other high performance designation for the Corvette - has participated in the C2, C5, C6, C7 and C8 generations. Both Corvette classifications are tied with five each.

C3 ZR1

It all started in 1970, with RPO ZR1, listed as a "Special Purpose Engine Package". The main feature was the legendary LT-1 engine and a nice list of suspension upgrades and other goodies intended for road racing. Comfort options such as A/C, automatic transmission, power windows and radio was not available. 25 were built with the option itself costing $968.95. The option was also available in 1971 (quantity 8) and 1972 (quantity 20), the other years the LT-1 engine was available. Corvette lore has it that ZR1 stood for "Zoras' Racers", Zora being Zora Arkus-Duntov, the original chief Corvette engineer and the father of the Corvette.

1970 Corvette ZR1 convertible auctioned off at Mecum Auctions on May 18, 2024. Hammer price was $155,000. It was the recipient of multiple awards, including Bloomington Gold Certified on June 18, 2006 and NCRS Top Flight and NCRS Duntov Mark of Excellence.

Right: LT1 engine was widely respected by the road racing community. Note the lack of EMI shielding; with no radio installed, it was not necessary.

C4 ZR1

The ZR-1 (note the hyphen, the only time it would be part of the nomenclature) came into prominence in 1990 as a C4 with a unique four overhead camshaft, four valve per cylinder engine with the LT5 designation. The excitement in the Corvette world was similar to what happened with the 2019 Corvette ZR1 introduction. For more information, see the ZR-1 page (link: corvettestory.com).

The C4 ZR-1 was informally known as "King of the Hill", a moniker supposedly seen on some low level GM documentation. GM carried the torch in 2017 with a press release titled "2019 Corvette ZR1: Return of the King", which concluded "It's good to be the King".

C6 ZR1

The tradition continued in 2009 with the introduction of the C6 ZR1 (link: corvettestory.com). New Corvette ground was broken with the debut of forced induction in the form of a supercharger. The engine designation was LS9. The C6 ZR1 model years extended to the end of the C6 reign in 2013.

C7 ZR1

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Tadge Juechter discusses the engineering behind the 2019 Corvette ZR1

The C7 Corvette ZR1 had a one year run in 2019. The engine designation was LT5 and was rated at 755 hp @ 6,300 RPM. While the C8 ZR1 is offering turbochargers, the 2019 rendition was also boosted but by a supercharger.

C8 ZR1

The 2025 C8 ZR1 was introduced on July 25, 2024. It immediately became the sensation of the automotive high performance world with it's 5.5 Liter, twin-turbocharged DOHC flat-plane crank V8 engine dubbed the LT7, and rated at 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm with 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm.

Juechter will retire this summer after 47 distinguished and dedicated years with General Motors with 31 of those years devoted to Corvette.

Who has the best job in the world? Many people will claim that distinction but in the hearts and minds of Corvette folks, a likely candidate for the honor would be Tadge Juechter.

Tadges GM career started in 1977 at the Lordstown OH GM plant and in 1993 he joined the Corvette program. In 1999 he became Corvette's Assistant Chief Engineer and in 2006 he became the Corvette Executive Chief Engineer.

Left: Tadge at the introduction of the convertible C7 ZR1 in Los Angeles on November 28, 2017. Click here (link: youtu.be) for a YouTube video of Tadge's talk. I had the chance to chat with Tadge at the event. I told him I am active with the local Vintage Corvette club and showed him a picture of my '68 convertible. I asked him what he thought of older Corvettes. He looked up for a bit and then said "I think the best Corvette is the next Corvette".

I think I kind of put him on the spot as a GM executive since they are supposed to be in favor of the new models but do not want to alienate anybody in the Corvette world. Tadge is clearly a first class act.

GM CEO Mary Barra accompanies Tadge Juechter in a teaser photo in a "camouflaged" Corvette C8.

Tadge worked on five generations of the Corvette starting with later versions of the C4. He was instrumental in the development of the C7 with a priority regarding the interior for which we are all grateful. He was also the lead on the 2019 C7 ZR1 - named Road and Track Performance Car of the Year - and was triumphant by all accounts.

Success with the C7 led to similar work on the C8 which we all know to be totally new and different and that much more of a challenge. Above: Tadge helps to reveal the C8 to the world on July 18, 2019.

2025 Corvette ZR1 Swan Song

Tadge ended an illustrious career with the ZR1, as fitting as could be imagined for an amazing career that included induction into the Corvette Hall of Fame on August 12, 2024.

The ZR1 set new performance standards for the Corvette with a twin turbocharged engine rated at 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque. It is clearly a performance monster with a future as a track day star.

An appropriate and well deserved honor

The front windshield glass and front tunnel reinforcement panel beneath every Corvette Stingray, Z06, E-Ray, and ZR1 will feature the above graphic image of Tadge. According to a GM press release it will be featured on all Corvettes in the "2025 model year Corvettes and beyond." Wow.

"Tadge made our vehicles and our company better every day that he came to work, for nearly five decades, with his career culminating in the fastest, most powerful Corvette of them all," said GM President Mark Reuss. "ZR1, and all Corvettes that follow, will wear this symbol commemorating his immense contributions and celebrating his legacy forever."

As of July 1, 2024, Tadge has been replaced by Tony Roma. He is the sixth person to be known as the Corvette chief engineer.

Definition of Seminal: Highly original and influencing the development of future events.

1) Small Block Chevy - Engine

Left: Cutaway drawings by David Kimble of the new small block engine.

It was a partnership made in high performance heaven - the Chevrolet Small Block engine made the Corvette famous and the Corvette made the Chevrolet Small Block engine famous.

It was introduced in 1955 and was also a major milestone in automotive engines. The engineering was advanced and featured a compact design, overhead valves and low production costs. Whenever a list of the world's most significant automobile engines is compiled, the Chevrolet small block is always included.

Although it has undergone many changes and updates, the engine we get with the 2024 C8 Stingray is a direct descendant to the V8 first available in 1955. Both feature in the block camshafts in an OHV design with the cylinders placed at 4.40 inch bore centers.

56 years after the debut of the first production small-block, on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at the GM Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan, GM held a party to celebrate. Participants got to build the milestone 100,000,000th engine which is a 638-horsepower supercharged LS9 small block. It represents the fourth generation of the small block and as of 2011 it was the most powerful engine ever built by GM for a regular-production car. GM will preserve the engine as part of its historical collection.

2) 1957: Fuel Injection

Why fuel injection? The problem was that during long sustained high speed cornering, a situation often encountered in road racing, fuel in the carburetor bowls would slosh around and cause fuel starvation to the engine. Clearly a bad thing.

Chevrolet pulled something amazing out of the hat for 1957: Fuel Injection. First run in 1956 at the Sebring race, the Rochester Ramjet injection was an answer to Mercedes-Benz which featured fuel injection in the 1954 300SL. The innovation solved a fuel starvation problem caused by fuel sloshing while cornering with carbureted engines under race conditions. The fuel injection system is displayed in a cutaway drawing to the left.

To keep this development in perspective, consider this: Almost all of the high priced supposedly advanced competition -- including Jaguar, Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini -- did not go with fuel injection until the 1970s or later. Mercedes-Benz, in 1955, did offer fuel injection in the 300SL - a more expensive car than the Corvette.

Left: Ad touting the advantages of fuel injection. Middle: GM Fuel Injection photo. Right: This one is a hoot. The marketing folks must have had a lot of fun poking fun at the Italians and the fact that they were not competitive regarding engine technology. Note the Ferrari like competition peering out jealously from under a car cover.

The fuel injection in 1957 was the start of Corvette's role as a halo car for GM; the Corvette would continue to serve as a showcase for the best of GM. With its introduction, the horsepower (283 hp) was equal to its cubic inch displacement of 283 cubic inches, the one horsepower per cubic inch milestone was achieved.

3) 1957: Four Speed Transmission

The Corvette started life with a significant disadvantage in the transmission department. For the first two years and well into the third year, the only choice was a two speed Powerglide transmission. At the time, four speed manuals were standard with even low cost sports cars such as MG, Triumph - even the lowly VW Beetle was so equipped.

The Corvette was available with a manual trans in 1955 but it was only a three speed. It was also a truck sourced part with not so great shifting characteristics and a non synchromesh first gear. So when a proper four speed became available in the Corvette in 1957, it was a big deal. The street cred for the Corvette amongst sports car enthusiasts had been established.

Left: GM was justifiably proud of the four speed transmission as seen in the 1967 ad.

4) 1963: Independent Rear Suspension

Since its inception, the Corvette has been GM's halo car - it usually featured new technology. The first clue was in the body material from the beginning: Fiberglass.

Another technological advance came in the form of an independent rear suspension (IRS) in 1963. This was a bold move on the part of GM. To put it into perspective, consider this. It wasn't until 1992 - 29 years - after the introduction of the 1963 'vette that a car with an IRS designed by Chrysler (the 1992 Viper) was available to the public.

The IRS was a radical move and positioned the Corvette as a serious road car. The improvement was dramatic and car enthusiasts from all backgrounds took notice. Overall, the handling was much better and so was the feel. The new Corvette was not only faster on the race track, it also felt better. By comparison, the earlier Corvettes felt more cumbersome. The steering feel, agility, responsiveness and "fun to drive" factor was such that even foreign car aficionados took notice.

5) 1965: Big Block Engine

We are all aware of the Corvette's bad boy reputation. Its source can be debated but one candidate is the Big Block motor that was featured in the late C2 and early C3 Corvettes. While not true, there were rumors that the big blocks would register on the Richter scale whenever driven nearby.

They started in late 1965 as a 396 cubic incher and then went to 427 cubic inches in 1966 via a bore and stroke increase. It stayed as a 427 mill and then went to 454 cubic inches in 1970; that would be the largest displacement engine that GM would offer in a Corvette. The last year for the big block, at least in its C2 / C3 format, was 1974. Horsepower rating was down to 270 hp.

6) 1968: Coke Bottle Shape

How the C3 Corvette got it's "Coke Bottle Shape" moniker. Notice the pinched in area just above the bottom of the coke bottle and a similar pinched in area on the doors of the Corvette.

The side view of the Corvette has a similar theme with the front and rear fenders. Notice also that both are a relatively narrow design.

The drawings are from actual patent filings; see https://patents.google.com/patent/USD212152S/en (link: patents.google.com). The inventor is Henry G. Haga and it is assigned to General Motors. Henry is in the Corvette Hall of Fame (link: www.corvettemuseum.org).

It's important to note that much of the design philosophy of the 1968 C3 continued through the C7 generation which ended in 2019.

7) C5: Advanced Technology

If you were to look for when the most significant changes in Corvette technology took place, your search would end with the introduction of the C5 Corvette in 1997.

The automotive world changed significantly during the reign of the C4 Corvette. Computers had not only become part of the cars but perhaps more importantly were being used extensively in the design and engineering process.

Performance car standards, along with customer's expectations, had changed. Previously high performance meant comfort sacrifices. Bone rattling, noisy and uncomfortable rides was the price of speed and there was no getting around it. But technology had changed and when the latter part of the 1990s arrived, going fast did not require self imposed torture.

The C5 was introduced in 1997. It was an entirely new car; more so than any other Corvette generation in that all major elements - the drivetrain, the chassis and the body - had not appeared before.

Something else was new: When describing the C5, road testers used the word "refined", which was not how previous Corvettes were labeled. It's not that the Corvette was going soft in its later years; the difference was in the state of the automotive art.

The reason behind the significant improvements can be found in the utilization of CAD (Computer Aided Design) and CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) as part of the development process.

Of the many innovations of the C5, the rear transaxle was at the top of the list. With a transaxle design, the transmission and the differential are located in a combined case at the rear axle. This was the same layout used in the Porsche 944 and Ferrari Daytona. The goal was improved balance; with the weight shifted more to the rear a better front / rear weight distribution was possible. In the case of the C5, weight distribution was 51% front / 49% rear which is close to ideal and an excellent statistic for a front engine car. Another advantage of the rear transaxle was more space in the cockpit area, which resolved a complaint from C4 owners who felt that the footwell areas was too small. Note the torque tube in front of the transaxle and to the right in the above photo. It mechanically coupled the engine to the transaxle which improved handling response, delivering that wonderful and often elusive "sports car feel".

8) C8: Mid-Engine Layout

By the time the C7 generation was coming to an end, an obvious truth appeared. The Corvette, if it were to remain competitive as a performance car, needed to go mid engine.

And so Zora Arkov-Duntov's dream of a mid engine production Corvette became a reality.

The extraordinary change was the beginning of a new Corvette era. It immediately became recognized not only as one of the great sports cars, it also became one of the great performance cars.

GM did not stop there. Some truly significant performance improvements followed, including the 2023 Z06, the 2024 E-Ray and the (recently announced) 2025 ZR1.

A husband went to the police station to report his missing wife:

Husband : I've lost my wife, she went shopping yesterday and has still not come home.

Sergeant : What is her height ?

Husband : Oh, 5 something . . .

Sergeant : Build?

Husband : Not slim, not really fat.

Sergeant : Color of eyes?

Husband : Never noticed.

Sergeant : Color of hair?

Husband : Changes according to season.

Sergeant : What was she wearing?

Husband : Dress/suit/blue jeans -- I don't remember exactly.

Sergeant : Did she go in a car?

Husband : yes.

Sergeant : What kind of car was it?

Husband : 2015 Corvette Stingray 3LT with the Z51 Performance Package, shark gray metallic paint, with the 6.2 litre V8 engine with Direct Injection generating 460 HP. 8-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, and GT bucket seats, and has a very thin scratch on the front left door....... at this point the husband started crying...

Sergeant : Don't worry sir ....... We'll find your car.

OK, these two are not Corvette specific but I had to include them anyway!

This is the ZR1 that got swallowed up in the Corvette Museum sinkhole incident on Feb. 12, 2014. This meme is actually based on fact as the ZR1 started up no problem - See the YouTube video (link: www.youtube.com). Notice the prodigious oil leak as it is being driven off.

Sometimes it's a Racetrack!

For whatever reason, the C1 generation did not include any colors named after racetracks; that changed with the C2 generation.

Riverside Red - 1963, 1964; Riverside Gold - 1969

Riverside Red was a nod to the Riverside International Raceway, often known as RIR. It was located in Riverside County, CA and was built in 1957; it has legendary status amongst southern California racing fans. It hosted many racing formats, including IndyCar, Sports Cars, NASCAR and drag racing. The final major race, the Budweiser 400, was in 1988. See the Wikipedia entry (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Sebring Silver - 1963, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000 - Sebring Orange - 2021

Sebring International Raceway is a road course located near Sebring, FL. It is famous for hosting IMSA races, FIA WEC, Trans Am and even a Formula One race in 1959. It opened in December 1950 and currently hosts the 12 hours of Sebring which can be thought of as the American Le Mans. Wikipedia entry (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Daytona Blue - 1963, 1964, 1999; Daytona Yellow - 1969, 1970; Daytona Sunset Orange - 2005, 2015, 2016

Daytona Blue is a nod to the Daytona International Speedway located in Daytona Beach, FL which opened in 1959. There is a road course and a tri-oval which is famous for its NASCAR Cup Series races. Its most notable race is the Daytona 500, the NASCAR season opener. Wikipedia entry (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Nassau Blue - 1965, 1966, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2004 thru 2007, 2009

Nassau Blue referenced the Nassau Trophy Road Races held at Nassau in the Bahamas from 1954 to 1957. Photos from the era (link: bangshift.com) show at least two Corvette Grand Sports participating. Recent events, starting in 2011, are known as the Bahamas Speed Week Revival. Also worth noting: Nassau Blue was available for 10 Corvette model years, more than any other racetrack tribute Corvette colors.

Glen Green - 1965, Watkins Glen Gray 2017

Watkins Glen International - nicknamed "The Glen" - is a racetrack in upper New York state. It hosted Formula One races for twenty consecutive years from 1961-1980. It still is a functioning racetrack with IMSA, Ferrari Challenge, Trans-Am, NASCAR and NASA events. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Goodwood Green - 1967

Goodwood Circuit is a historically significant racetrack located near Chichester, England. It came to life after World War II as a former RAF airfield and last hosted a race in 1966. Current events include the Goodwood Festival of Speed (a classic hill climb event) and the Goodwood Revival, a three-day festival that celebrates cars and motorcycles that competed from 1948 to 1966. (Wikipedia link, link: en.wikipedia.org)

Mosport Green - 1966

Mosport Park / Mosport International Raceway is located in Bowmanville, Ontario and was built in the late 1950s and is currently known as the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park. It has hosted Formula One races and currently hosts IMSA, NASCAR, Trans-AM and motorcycle events. (Wikipedia link, link: en.wikipedia.org).

Lynndale Blue - 1967

Lynndale Farms Raceway was a short lived 2.5 mile racetrack located in Pewaukee, WI that closed in 1967. It held a number of sports car and SCCA races. Operating a racetrack is a tough business and local opposition regarding noise levels and bad weather had taken its toll.

Elkhart [Lake] Blue - 1967, 2019 thru 2023 and Elkhart Green - 1972, 1973

Road America is a road course located near Elkhart Lake, WI. It first offered road races in September 1955 and is still active with over 400 events a year, including Indy Car, NASCAR, IMSA, Trans-Am and SCCA racing.

Marlboro Maroon - 1967, 1970

Marlboro Motor Raceway, located in Upper Marlboro, MD, was originally built in 1952 as an all-dirt oval track. In 1954, it was paved and converted to a road course. A number of SCCA races were held including the 12 Hours of Marlboro and various SCCA events. It closed after the 1969 season. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Le Mans Blue - 1968, 1969, 2004 thru 2007, 2009

Le Mans is the one race track that needs no introduction if you've seen the great racing movie Ford v. Ferrari. The 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race is one of the premier racing events in the world, rivaled only by the Indianapolis 500. It was first run in 1923. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org). Not to be confused with the 24 Hours of LeMons (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Mulsanne Blue - 1970, 1971

Mulsanne Straight is not a racetrack but a portion of the Le Mans racetrack. The 3.7 mile straight which, since 1990, is interrupted by two chicanes for safety reasons. At one time, before the chicanes were installed, cars reached 250 mph on the straight. The current record is 226.9 mph. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Silverstone Silver - 1968

Silverstone Circuit is a British racetrack in England near the villages of Towcester, Silverstone, and Whittlebury. It has held Formula One races, including the first ever World Championship Grand Prix in 1950 and it continues those duties to this day. It is also famous for hosting motorcycle races. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Monza Red - 1969, 1970

The Monza Circuit is a 3.60 mile racetrack near the city of Monza, Italy. It was built in 1922 and has hosted Formula One races from 1950 to 1979 and 1981 to present. It is famous for its high-speed oval portion, which was controversial due to safety issues, and last used in 1969. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Monaco Orange - 1969

The Monaco Grand Prix is one of the most storied automobile races in history. First held in 1929, it became a regular part of the Formula One calendar in 1950. It is a 2.074 mile circuit and is a tight narrow course where passing is difficult. The driver with the most wins - 6 - is Ayrton Senna and the constructor with the most wins is McLaren, with 15 victories.

Bridgehampton Blue - 1970, 1971

Bridgehampton Race Circuit located near Sag Harbor, NY opened in 1957. In the early years, it hosted major races, including the World Sportscar Championship, Can-Am, and NASCAR Grand National. As the 1970s came about, it mostly hosted amateur events. Its demise came about in a similar manner as other racetracks: Local noise complaints, increased real estate values, and a lack of funding. It last hosted an event in 1998. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Donnybrooke Green - 1970

Opened in July 1968 as Donnybrooke Speedway in Brainerd, MN, it lacked safety barriers, runoff areas, and restrooms. SCCA and NHRA events were held at first; then CanAm races in 1970 thru 1972. Currently there is a 13 turn, 2.5 mile Competition Road Course and a 10 turn, 3.1 mile Donnybrooke Road Course. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Ontario Orange - 1970 thru 1972

Ontario Motor Speedway was a motorsport venue located in Ontario, CA and was an attempt at a west coast Indianapolis 500 race which never achieved that lofty goal. It was a 9° banked 2.5 mile oval track with a 3.194 mile infield road course. It hosted Indy cars, NASCAR and NHRA events. It did not work out as a business venture, and became a commercial real estate project. It closed in December 1980. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Mille Miglia Red - 1971 thru 1974

Mille Miglia (thousand miles in Italian) was an endurance road race first held in 1927. It was a one lap race held on public roads throughout Italy. It is known for its danger; over its 30-year history, a total of 56 people died - 24 drivers/co-drivers and 32 spectators. It was last held in 1947. It continues to be run as a rally-like 1000 Miglia event limited to legal speeds. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Brands Hatch Green - 1971

Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit in Kent, England. Originally used as a grasstrack motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986. It currently hosts many British and International racing events. It has both a 1.18 mile Indy Circuit and a 2.433 mile Grand Prix layout. 14 Formula One races were hosted at Brands Hatch; the last being in 1986. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

War Bonnet Yellow - 1971, 1972

War Bonnet Raceway Park was a purpose-built 2.3-mile road course located in Mannford, OK and opened in 1967. Races include a Trans-Am Series event in 1968, two open-wheel SCCA F5000 events in 1967 and 1968, as well as various sports car races organized by the SCCA between 1967 and 1970. it closed in 1970. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Bryar Blue - 1972

Bryar Motorsports Park, located in North Loudon, NH originally opened as a 1.600 mile road coarse in 1964. It was completely transformed in 1990 into the New Hampshire International Speedway 1.058 mile oval with a seating capacity of 76,000. It currently hosts NASCAR races. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Long Beach Red - 2016 thru 2020

Long Beach Red is a tribute to the Grand Prix of Long Beach held in Long Beach, CA. It started as a Formula 5000 race in 1975 and then became a Formula One race from 1976 thru 1983. It became a CART/Champ Car and Indy Car street race starting in 1984, taking a year off due to Covid-19 in 2020. The event was the brainchild of promoter Chris Pook, a former travel agent from England and was inspired by the Monaco Grand Prix. It is currently a popular and well established event. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Lime Rock Green - 2014

Lime Rock Park is a road racing venue located in Lakeville, CT in the state's northwest corner. Built in 1956, it is the nation's third oldest continuously operating road racing venue. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2009. It is 1.530 miles long and previously hosted IMSA, Pirelli World Challenge, and the Rolex Sports Car Series; it currently offers Trans-Am races. Wikipedia link (link: en.wikipedia.org).

Click on any image to view a larger image

Prototype Corvettes offer a fascinating glimpse into the minds of the stylists who created them. What other ideas did they consider?

As the 1954 Corvette model year was coming to a close, the design department experimented with ideas for the 1955 and subsequent Corvettes.

Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photo: Josh Hway

Putting the ideas into flesh and blood reality was the job of SO 2151, shown here. "SO" was short for "Shop Order"

You may have heard the expression "a camel is a horse designed by a committee" and it applies here to the 1954 SO 2152 Corvette. The car looks like everybody got their say in how it would look and the results are not pleasing.

Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photo: Josh Hway

In most cases with SO 2151, the ideas used did not make it into production. Above is the SO 2151 grill and below is the much loved 13 tooth chrome grill on a stock 1955 Corvette. The clear winner is the stock grill. It had been used on the 1953 thru 1957 Corvettes; 1958 thru 1960 featured a nine tooth version.

Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photo: Josh Hway

One item that did find its way to the production Corvette is the side script with the gold "V" emphasized. The SO 2151 was thicker with a different script and spelled out "Corvette" instead of "Chevrolet" as on the 1955 production Corvette. Also the emblem is located on the doors of SO 2151; the production Corvette had it on the front fenders. The gold "V" mission was to call attention to the V8 engine which made it's first appearance in a Corvette in 1955.

This is odd. The SO 2151 trunk had a hump of sorts, emphasized by chrome trim. It did not appear on the 1955 or subsequent Corvettes, which your author would characterize as being a "good thing". Right: Notice the classic Chevy bow tie in the license plate surround. A 1954 version of the modern "easter egg"?

Above: SO 2151 featured four slightly tilted vertical vents on the front fender. This had been a common styling feature, especially on Italian cars, in the 1960s. The SO 2151 version were oversized and glitzed to the max with chrome and trailing edge speed accents.

Below, left: 1966 Ferrari 275 GTB featured a more subtle form. Middle: The 1967 Corvette interpretation was similarly understated and was only seen on that model year. Right: The 1968 and '69 Corvette had comparable, although non-functional vents.

Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photo: Josh Hway

Here is some interesting insight on how designers work. Notice on the left side (above) the Corvette script is lower on the door, close to the chrome trim line. On the right side (below) it is nearer to the middle of the door. It is also a lighter script and closer to what was eventually used on the production 1955 car except that the script was "Chevrolet", not "Corvette".

Also the chrome level on the right side vertical vents on the front fender (bottom) was more low-key than the left side.

Photo copyright and courtesy of Gooding & Company. Photo: Josh Hway

The method behind the madness was to give the designers samples to help them come to the right styling decisions.

The identification plate for the Corvette prototype. It was initially "SO 2000" but was updated to 2151 by the design department in 1954. It also received an updated chassis.

SO 2151 featured the Blue Flame Six engine; it was painted red however, indicating that it was a test engine. An updated cam was added which was good for 5 or 10 extra horsepower. A standard 1954 Blue Flame engine is at the right.

2023 Gooding & Company Pebble Beach Auction

SO 2151 Being auctioned at the 2023 Pebble Beach Gooding & Company auction (link: www.goodingco.com). The pre-auction estimate was $1,500,000 to $2,000,000 but with a top bid of $1,050,000, it was a no-sale.

The car had a lot going for it. Its provenance could not be denied: GM styling chief Bill Mitchell was involved in the project. It has consequential role in the history of the early Corvette and is one of the few cars in private hands that can make that claim.

But it also carries a lot of negative baggage. For starters, many of the ideas expressed are just bad with the hump in the trunk leading the list. Also the build quality was horrible which is a common situation regarding concept cars. If you ask me (but nobody does, of course) the consigner could have accepted the $1,050,000 bid without regret.

Corvette C1, C2 Concept Cars

The creative process can be a fascinating and difficult course. Often there are no right or wrong answers and opinions can vary widely.

It can be interesting to look back at how it all involved and see what alternative ideas were considered. This applies to many areas, including music, art and car design.

The 1954 Corvette shown above was a design study project owned by Roger Crispell, a studio Chief at GM styling. It was assigned Shop Order #2536 in April 1955. The gold / silver hue was named Sahara Silver. The car is now part of the Lingenfelter collection.

Left: The headlight cover for the 1953 thru '55 Corvette, a "stoneguard" treatment popular with racers at the time as it protected against rocks thrown up and breaking headlights. Right: The alternative "shark fin" treatment applied to shop order #2536. It's hard to say if it was seriously considered for production. There may have been problems with its real world use; reflections could be an issue; also the myriad of lighting regulations of the day.

Interior updates featured a new instrument bezel. It never appeared on a production Corvette; perhaps it was a cost consideration?

Corvette C2 Ideas

Left: As found on the 1964 World's Fair Styling Corvette, a hood cutout to make the raised fuel injection (affectionately known as the doghouse) visible. While the idea never was implemented in production in 1964, the same concept found it's way to the C6 ZR1 starting in 2009 where the supercharger could be admired by all.

Also on the 1964 Concept car was this thinner "Corvette" script which noticeably is lacking the "Sting Ray" verbiage on the production car (below). Below right: The 1964 World's Fair Styling Corvette featured what looks to be a rear brake cooling duct. It probably was not functional which was common practice at the time.

Some of the concept cars were built for top GM executives; on the left is an interior upgrade in a 1963 convertible built for Bunkie Knudsen, on the right is the interior for styling Chief Harley Earl. Either would've looked good in a dealership showroom.

Going from two to three tail lights in a mid year Corvette was a popular update for the GM stylists of the day.

Corvette C2 Side Exhausts

C2 side exhausts saw a lot of experimentation.

Some might question the "bling" content, but this is often the case with concept cars. Practical and cost considerations prevented them from inclusion on production cars.

This 1964 featured a rather subdued version, at least compared to the others.

1965 side exhaust system (RPO N14) quantity: 759 (3.22%), $134.50. First available in 1964 and designated as a "Off Road Exhaust System", probably due to the fact that they were very loud. The price was reasonable, only $37.70.

When the C8 Z06 (link) was unveiled at the Petersen Museum in Los Angeles on October 26, 2021, the news was shouted from the rooftops. A big step in Corvette performance was achieved via a four cam, 16 valve aluminum engine in a mid engine package.

While nobody can debate the significance of the event, the exotic engine and the mid engine configuration was not the first to appear in a Corvette, although it was the first to see production.

In the early 1980's GM created the Corvette Indy. It is a mid-engine concept vehicle intended as a running vision into the future of world class sports cars. Unlike many concept cars, the Corvette Indy is a fully functional car.

Two views of the Corvette Indy: Above is the composite structure and below you'll see it's layout.

The Corvette Indy is built on a rectangular carbon fiber backbone as seen above in red. This is the same method utilized by automotive designer Colin Chapman of Lotus cars fame. The filament-wound beam connects the front suspension to the rear drivetrain and suspension package, making it a stressed member of the chassis which was formula one technology at the time. The beam weighs under 45 pounds; the same steel equivalent would weigh almost 111 pounds. Additionally it is stronger than steel as it can sustain nearly 166,000 pounds per square inch of stress; the steel equivalent would break at the 35,800 pounds per square inch point.

The Indy Corvette transverse mounted engine and transmission. Going with transverse mounting has packaging advantages but the C8 Corvette went with a longitudinal configuration. Note that the drivetrain also functioned as a stressed member of the chassis; this was also standard practice in formula one cars at the time.

The marketing brochure for the Corvette Indy promised active suspension but the technical drawing above clearly shows conventional inboard springs and shock absorbers.

The engine was an experimental 350 cubic inch aluminum mill and was code named 350/32 with the "32" describing the total number of valves. The alloy cylinder heads sported a dual overhead camshaft design (a total of four cams) and a displacement of 5,727 cc. This, including the bore / stroke of 3.90 inches x 3.66 inches is exactly the same as the LT5 in the ZR-1 (link) introduced in 1990. Wether this is a coincidence or if the two engines are direct cousins of each other is not known. 16 Rochester Multec fuel injectors are positioned in the manifold near the intake valves and are triggered sequentially. It is rated at 380 horsepower @ 6,000 RPM with torque of 370 lb-ft @ 3,800 RPM.

The Corvette Indy also featured All Wheel Drive. Power is delivered to the front through an intermediate differential and then to a third differential located between the front wheels. Speed differences between the front and rear wheels are minimized through a viscous coupling in the transmission splitter. It is set up so that 35% of the engine torque goes to the front wheels and 65% to the rear wheels.

How to describe the Corvette Indy's door? For starters, it has to be singular as in "door", not "doors". Maybe "Singular Scissor Door with Integral Roof?". Whatever it's known as, the concept would not work on rainy days. That's one of the many reasons concept cars look amazing but are never found in your local Chevrolet showroom.

Note the visible engine under the rear window, a good idea that found it's way into the C8 Corvette coupe.

Corvette Indy interior was a typical '80s affair with plentiful leather and a clean simple layout.

Note that it uses a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) positioned in front of a mirror, the display technology of the 80s. While I have not seen the Corvette Indy system in action, I cannot imagine it is of much use. Although it was also a packaging nightmare and prohibitively expensive, the concept was solid and is commonly found in current cars. The difference is the available display technology.

Corvette Royalty poses with the Corvette Indy: Dave Hill, Zora Arkus-Duntov and Dave McClellan

As the publisher of the Corvette Story, I'll sometimes get questions which go along the lines of "I have a 19XX Corvette, XX color, XX engine and XX options. How many of this sort of Corvette were made?"

Along those lines, I recently got the following inquiry:

Message: I have a 1966 Convertible, it's a 427/425 hp, 4 spd. Triple black, how many was produced like this? It was born on Feb 2nd, 1966. I'm doing a frame off restoration. The car was bought brand new in Atlanta, and lived it's whole life there unit I bought it a few yrs ago and brought it to AL. Thanks in advance for your input!!!

Randy:

The answer is: We don't know, at least not with any certainty.

Allow me to explain. We know that 17,762 Corvette convertibles were produced in 1966. We also know that 24,755 four speed transmissions were sold in 1966, including close ratio and heavy duty units. 5,258 Corvettes came with the 427 cu in / 425 hp L72 engine. Topping off the quantity list is 1,190 1966 Corvettes were Tuxedo Black.

So let's so some extrapolation here, a common technique when it comes to these situations.

Looking at the total number of 1966 Corvettes sold (27,720) and number of four speed transmissions in 1966 (24,755) we can calculate that 89.30% of 1966 Corvettes were three pedal equipped. So far, we are good.

People will then proceed to figure that therefore 4,681 L72 engined 1966 Corvettes with four speed transmissions were produced - 5,258 x 89.03% = 4,681.

The problem here is that we are assuming that L72 engined Corvettes came with four speeds at the same rate as all other Corvettes (89.03%), both big and small block. And we simply do not know that.

There are some out there who will say that no big block C2 Corvette came with the two speed powerglide automatic transmission, but I can tell you that isn't true because I've seen them. However my own observations are that the vast majority - I believe well over the 89.03% figure, of the L72s were four speeds. Exactly how many, it is impossible to know.

To carry the extrapolation process further, we can take the production quantity percentage of Tuxedo Black Corvettes (4.29%, quantity 1,190) and multiply that times 4,681 - the number of L72 four speed convertible Corvettes we figured earlier and come up with the figure of 201 as the number of 1966 four speed L72 Tuxedo Black convertible Corvettes produced.

Here is where we run into the problem. It could be that all L72 four speed 1966 Corvette convertibles are Tuxedo Black, but that is obviously not true. We also could say that just one black L72 four speed 1966 Corvette exists (yours?) but I seriously doubt that. The exact figure is impossible to determine with the available data.

This doesn't stop people from claiming that, in the case of your example, their Corvette is one of 201.

If this were my Corvette, I would be comfortable saying that an extrapolation estimate puts it as one of 201. And if space allowed, I would include the numbers.

A big problem is that we do not have reliable production figures for 1954 through mid 1981 Corvettes, which were produced at the St. Louis MO facility. According to the Corvette Museum web site (link: www.corvettemuseum.org), all those records were destroyed in a fire. It is worth noting that some out there have questioned this position.

The numbers we do have, found in my Corvette Story web site and the Corvette Black Book, are there because editors at the Corvette fan magazines back in the day would call the plant manager at the end of a production run and he would pass along what he knew based on his notes. This is why, for example, we do not have any color production quantities for the 1969 Corvette. There are other gaps.

Considering the dizzying array of options available throughout the years, almost every Corvette can be said to be rare - depending also on your definition of "rare". Along that same point, just because a Corvette is rare does not make it valuable. If the options or exterior / interior color combination is rare because it is unpopular for example, its value in the marketplace would be diminished.

Regards,

Paul Pollock

WebCars! / Corvette Story Webmaster

http://web-cars.com

http://corvettestory.com

I also had the following exchange with a C7 owner:

First Name: Tony

Message: How many white 2016 z51 convertibles with blue twilight package were built?

Thanks!

Tony:

The absolute correct answer, unfortunately, is we don't know.

Let me explain.

See the attached pdf. We know that 5,027 Corvette convertibles were built for 2016. We also know that 152 of those convertibles came with the Twilight Blue Design Package. And we know that 1,134 Stingray convertibles were Arctic White. We also know that 2,322 of the 2016 convertibles were Z51 equipped.

Lets focus on the 152 convertibles with the Twilight Blue Design Package. Since the package was available in Shark Gray, Blade Silver, Arctic White or Night Race Blue it is doubtful that all 152 were Arctic White. It is also doubtful that no Twilight Blue Design Package 2016 convertible Corvettes came in Arctic White as I've seen at least one. The problem is we do not know how many are Arctic White. The same is true regarding the Z51 performance option.

Simply put, GM does not break down those kind of statistics. While it might be possible if GM were to release the database files for the 2016 Corvette production, they have not done this. Possible reasons include legal issues as privacy laws come into play and that there is no business oriented reason for them to do so.

What you'll see done sometimes is a process called "extrapolation". In this case, the statistics of 5,027 2016 convertibles and 2,322 Z51 convertibles tells us that 46% of convertibles are Z51 equipped. If we extrapolate, we can multiply 46% x 152 = 70 (approximately) and get a figure for the number of convertible Z51 Twilight Blue Design Packages for 2016. That doesn't include the Arctic White number, and, as pointed out above, it cannot be relied on as absolutely accurate.

Regards,

Paul Pollock

WebCars! / Corvette Story Webmaster

http://web-cars.com

http://corvettestory.com

Corvette Goes Electric. Sort of.

GM decided to break new ground with the 2024 Corvette E-Ray, the first Corvette with electric propulsion.

Electric and hybrid cars had become popular in recent years, but the new Corvette E-Ray is not electrified with the goal of better fuel efficiency or to seek the advantages of an alternate propulsion system.

Although the new Corvette can technically be called a hybrid, the goal was electrification as a way to gain a performance advantage.

The electric propulsion is provided by an electric motor driving the front wheels only. There is no provision for externally charging the 1.9 kWh battery pack which is located between the seats. Charging is via regenerative energy harvested during coasting and braking, as well as during normal driving.

The main powerplant is the same as found in the Stingray model: The 6.2L LT2 Small Block V-8, putting 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque to the rear axle. With the additional 160 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque found in the front wheel electric motor, the E-Ray Corvette is rated at 655 hp / 481 kW.

Above: The E-Ray emblem located just below and behind the wishbone. Blue, which is seen as implying electrical functionality, is seen throughout the 2024 Corvette E-Ray.

Below: The E-Ray / Stingray emblem on the rear of the engine compartment access. Note that it is similar but still differentiated from the standard Stingray emblem on the right.

Corvette E-Ray center speaker features an E-Ray logo.

| | Corvette Z06 | Corvette E-Ray |

| 0 - 60 MPH: | 2.6 Seconds | 2.5 Seconds |

| 1/4 Mile Acceleration: | 10.6 Seconds | 10.5 Seconds |

| Horsepower: | 670 hp @ 8,600 RPM | 655 hp @ 6,450 rpm |

| Cost: | $106,695 (1LZ Coupe) | $104,295 (1LZ Coupe) |

| Weight: | 3,434 lbs. (Coupe) | 3,774 lbs. (Coupe) |

A close look at the above table reveals an interesting Z06 and E-Ray comparison. The E-Ray is actually faster than the Z06! This is despite the fact that the Z06 has a higher horsepower rating and it weighs less.

The performance advantage for the E-Ray can be attributed to the AWD feature since it is distributing the power over four wheels instead of two.

Note the pricing which is similar between the two models. One might think that GM is shooting themselves in the foot by forcing the two models to compete with each other. That's probably not the case since the Z06 has been a complete sales success with final prices often in excess of MSRP. We anticipate the same thing happening to the E-Ray.

The two models also give Corvette buyers an interesting alternative. While the E-Ray might be marginally faster - keep in mind that the quoted figures are listed as approximate by GM - the Z06 features an 8,600 RPM redline and an amazing exhaust note from the flat plane crankshaft engine.

Decisions, Decisions!

GM, having fun with the All Wheel Drive capabilities on the 2024 Corvette E-Ray at The Rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City.

The Acura NSX, available from 2017 to 2022, also used AWD with electric motors up front and a standard internal combustion engine driving the rear wheels. Both vehicles featured a Stealth Mode, where the ICE engine was off and the car proceeded on battery power driving the front wheel motors. With no exhaust noise, you wouldn't be bothering your neighbors. In the case of the Corvette E-Ray, speed is limited to 45 MPH. The engine automatically engages if the vehicle's speed exceeds the limit, additional torque is requested by the driver, or the E-Ray's battery pack is depleted.

The Corvette E-Ray and the Z06 share the same body, including (right) the famous wishbone behind the passenger doors. An exception can be found at the rear, where the E-Ray has exhaust tips exiting at the far corners (above) but the Z06 has a center exhaust.

New colors for 2024 include Riptide Blue, Seawolf Gray and Cacti.

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/0WPq9eZhEBc]

Speed Phenom gives a nice You Tube overview of the Corvette E-Ray.

All Corvettes Are Red by James Schefter is an in depth look at how the C5 Corvette was developed.

The very start of the book begins: The one-millionth Corvette would be built in the next year or so and be painted in the old shop. At an earlier meeting, a discussion of paint quality and paint colors for future years of Corvettes had dragged on so long that John Heinricy, then leading Corvette's development group of test drivers, couldn't take it any longer. "Why are we even having this discussion?" He asked. "All Corvettes are red. The rest are mistakes"

The idea that Corvettes not painted red are mistakes is not going to get a lot of sympathy from me and many other Corvette owners. However, it got me thinking. Just how many Corvettes, in terms of percentages, are red?

Problem Number One

Early in the research, a problem came up. We do not have color quantities for all Corvette years, such as 1969, 1970, 1973 and 1974. And we only have partial color quantity statistics for the 1962 and 1963 Corvette model years. For this reason I had no choice but to exclude these model years.

According to GM, all records for Corvettes built at the St. Louis MO plant, which includes the 1954 to the 1981 Corvette years, were lost in a fire. The only reason we have the figures that we do have (contained in the Corvette Black Book and my own Corvette Story (link: corvettestory.com) web site) is because "back in the day" the editors of the Corvette fan magazines called the St. Louis plant manager and he passed along what he knew based on notes he kept.

Problem Number Two

For Corvettes, there are many different "flavors" of red, beyond the hardcore red. They are mostly darker shades of red - kind of a maroon. Should they be counted as reds? You decide, meanwhile I'll offer statistics for both categories.

Between the 1953 and 2022 model years, 1,789,002 Corvettes were built. If the years for which we don't have color quantities are excluded, 1,628,913 Corvettes were built.

Including only the years for which we have color quantities, 278,080 of the "Pure Red" (such as the recent Torch Red) or 17.07% Corvettes were sold. For all reds, 409,689 or 25.15% of the total Corvette production were built.

Above: Torch Red 2015 Corvette Stingray convertible. The Torch Red color has been part of 24 Corvette model years - 1993 thru 2004 and 2010 to current year 2023 - more than any other Corvette color.

Above: 1954 Sportsman Red and (Below) a 1955 Gypsy Red Corvette. The first year for Corvettes, 1953, was exclusively Polo White so no reds for that year. Both Sportsman and Gypsy Reds were single year Corvette colors.

1956 and 1957 Corvette years offered Venetian Red. Most people, upon seeing it in person, would call it more of an orange, but we've included it as a red here.

One of the more handsome "other reds" was Marlboro Maroon, featured only in 1966 and 1967.

1986 and 1987 along with 1990 thru 1995 featured a Dark Red Metallic.

A 50th Anniversary Edition Corvette (RPO 1SC; $5,000) was available for 2003. It included an Anniversary Red exterior paint along with a Shale interior and convertible top.

Long Beach Red, which has a sumptuous suggestion to it, found its way to the exteriors of the 2016 thru 2020 Corvettes. The color was a nod to the Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Are Corvette Owners?

I came across an interesting article recently, having to do with both Psychology and our favorite hobby, Corvettes. It was in a recent issue of Psychology Today, a well regarded (although not peer reviewed) publication.

It was written by Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, one of Germany's top psychologists and an often cited researcher. Hans and his father are also dedicated car enthusiasts and co-own a very rare 1963 Porsche 901. Those who are familiar with the model know that the first 82 911s were actually badged as "901", but it turned out that Peugeot actually owned the legal rights to the 901 moniker and so Porsche was forced to retreat to the 911 designation.

Mr. Wittchen recently authored a study about car enthusiasts in the Psychology Today publication which outlined some interesting characteristics of the demographic. It seems as though, when compared to the normal population, (whatever that may be) car enthusiasts exhibit greater levels of patience. The report cited restoration efforts as examples and pointed out situations where far more money was spent to restore a given vehicle than what it could reasonably expect to recover should it be sold on the open marketplace. Other cases included minutia regarding detail facts about a given model such as the "correctness" regarding engines, wheels, paint colors and so on.

Corvette owners, Mr. Wittchen wrote, go even further when it comes to dedication regarding the details of their favorite mode of transportation. One case in point cited a restoration where the original workers at the St. Louis MO assembly plant, who had retired, were enlisted to replicate the various installation or inspection results using original style multi-colored grease pencils on the chassis of mid year Corvettes. Apparently anything less just would not do.

Mr. Wittchen observed that Corvette owners "have amazing endurance" and far exceed the normal population or even the typical automotive enthusiast regarding "tenacity, perseverance, and old fashioned stick-to-it-iveness, when it comes to their favorite marque". He also wrote "it really is phenomenal. It seems as though no matter how mundane, inconsequential or unimportant for example" a given Corvette article is, "they will read it to the bitter end" - which is exactly what you are doing now - April fool.

Miscellaneous Corvette Factoids

One of the more interesting surprises at the C8 introduction on July 18, 2019 was that there would be a right hand drive Corvette available direct from the factory.

While a few Corvettes have been modified for right hand drive by individuals (at considerable expense), no Corvettes have left their factory so equipped. That changed with the C8 and now customers in Japan, Australia, New Zealand will be able to purchase a Corvette in a (for them) much more desirable right hook version.

There will be a premium however; prices will be higher - in the case of Japan, the tab is ¥14.000.000 or around $122,533 for a 3LT model, depending on the exchange rate.

Part of the reason behind a RHD Corvette was the Ford Mustang, which made a right hand drive version starting in 2015 which was wildly successful. As with the 1955 Ford Thunderbird, corporate egos (and profits) are powerful things and GM did not want to be shut out of the party.

United Kingdom View of the C8 Corvette

It's always interesting to see how other car cultures view the C8 and the Pistonheads.com reviewer Jay Emm asks the question: "Is The Right Hand Drive C8 Chevrolet Corvette's UK Release Already Doomed?"

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/jlPXF3ldITE]

Speaking of Right Hand Drive, I've always liked seeing Corvettes in other countries, it sorta adds a new dimension to the Corvette story.

While not right hand drive, the photos below are from the French introduction of the 1990 ZR-1. More photos can be seen here (link: corvettestory.com).

Sprichst du Deutsch?

(Do you speak in German?)

Photos are from a GM Germany photo shoot. Notice the Driver Information Center content in German! You can see the photos (all 216 of them!) here (link: corvettestory.com).

This was a Japan photo shoot, snagged from media.gm.com. The complete set of photos can be seen here (link: corvettestory.com).

Above is a classic fish (Corvette?) out of water story: A 1957 283/283 fuel injected Corvette currently located in Tokyo, Japan!

The photo and story was passed on to us by it's owner Matt Sweeny.

Some notes from Matt on owning '57 Corvette in Japan:

First of all, US imports pretty rare in general since there is a very strong Japanese auto market and most everyone drives domestic cars—big exception is German luxury cars

Secondly, it is a pretty rare car in general and I am almost certain that it is the only 57 fuelie in Japan—and might be one of 2-3 total '57s

Regularly take car to my local coffee shop and every once in a while drive it to the office (in the middle of downtown Tokyo); have also taken it to unofficial car show (you may have heard of these "parking lot" car shows (link: jalopnik.com))

Most common question I get is "what kind of car is that"; car people also very interested in the process for importing car from US to Japan; finally people really fascinated with the old license plates (technically a bit gray area but I leave the original '57 Michigan plate on the front and the Japan plate on the back)

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/5r5SoRSy2g4]

While at the Z06 introduction at the Petersen Museum on October 26, 2021, Dustin Gardner (Assistant Chief Engineer, LT6 Engine) was on hand to discuss the finer points of the LT6 engine and it's development. At about the 3:40 point, your author asks Dustin about the top speed of the Z06. He replies "There has not been a top speed yet" I push the subject a bit with "If you were a betting man?" He replies "I'm not a betting man. This is what I do for a living. I want to keep doing this." For Dustin to address the subject could get him in trouble with his bosses, but I had to ask!

Is a modern Corvette without an Easter egg still a Corvette?

Maybe not as it seems to be the trend in recent years. For the Z06 LT6 engine, a rocket was embossed on the front of the LT6, meaning that it cannot be seen unless the engine is removed which is unfortunate. The backstory here is that the working moniker for the LT6 during its development was Gemini, owing to its two camshafts, two throttle bodies and two fuel pumps. Gemini was also the name of the two astronaut space capsule that preceded the Apollo three astronaut capsule.

According to one source, the LT6 engines installed in the Corvette Z06 will be individually dyno tested (including a 20 minute run-in) before installation. It is doubtful however that the data will be available to owners.

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on the Corvette Emblem?

Above: Look at the photo of the emblem on the fuel door of a 1964 Corvette. Now ask yourself: "Why is there a Fleur-de-lis on the emblem?"

First, a description of the Fleur-de-lis. Per the Wikipedia page: The fleur-de-lis is a lily (in French, fleur and lis mean 'flower' and 'lily' respectively) that is used as a decorative design or symbol.

The fleur-de-lis has been used in the heraldry of numerous European nations, but is particularly associated with France, notably during its monarchical period. The fleur-de-lis became "at one and the same time, religious, political, dynastic, artistic, emblematic, and symbolic," especially in French heraldry.

The fleur-de-lis is common along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers due to the history of French settlements in the area. It can be found on the flag or seal for the cities of Baton Rouge, Detroit, Lafayette, Louisville, Mobile, New Orleans, Ocean Springs and St. Louis.

Following Hurricane Katrina on 29 August 2005, the fleur-de-lis has been widely used in New Orleans and throughout Louisiana as a symbol of grassroots support for New Orleans recovery. NFL fans will recognize it as a feature on the helmets of the New Orleans Saints professional football team.

That's all very nice, but what does this have to do with Corvettes?

To answer the question, one needs to go back to the first Corvette seen by the public: The EX-122 (EX stood for experimental) revealed at the Motorama show at New York's Waldorf-Astoria on Saturday, January 17th, 1953.

Interior designer Robert Bartholomew was tasked with creating an emblem for the new sports car. His first iteration (below left) had an American flag to emphasize the entry into the sports car world which at the time was dominated by foreign makes. But the Legal Department got involved, saying that it is against the law (US Flag Code, 1942) to use an American flag on any commercially made product.

Left: Original front emblem design with the American flag. It is currently on display at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY and is still owned by GM. Right: The front nose emblem that was eventually used on the EX-122 Motorama car. The same emblem was used on the 1953 thru 1955 Corvettes but the "Corvette" script was dropped..

So it was back to the drawing board for Mr. Bartholomew. He thought of Louis-Joseph Chevrolet, the founder of the Chevrolet Motor Car Company in 1911 and looked for a coat of arms or some sort of family crest that could be used. He didn't find any and time was running short. Mr. Chevrolet was of french descent so the research went in that direction and the fleur-de-lis was chosen. The three lines below it represent the three Chevrolet brothers.

The tradition continued with the 1956 trunk emblem (left) and the 1963 nose emblem - a scan from the owners manual. Note that the three lines under the fleur-de-lis remained.

The fleur-de-lis continued on the C3 Corvette for the 1968 (above left) and 1973 model years (right). Both continued the three lines under the fleur-de-lis. Below left is the 1978 Special Edition front nose emblem and (right) the 1981 emblem. Notice that the three lines under the fleur-de-lis were replaced by a single line.

Below: The fleur-de-lis took a break starting in 1982 and (right) was not seen at all for the C4 generation.

In 2012 Chevrolet released the Chevrolet Centennial Edition Corvette. For this one special edition, the fleur-de-lis was replaced by "100" (below left). GM really doesn't say what the significance of the "100" is, but it's most likely related to the 100th anniversary of the founding of Chevrolet as a car brand which occurred on November 3, 1911.

The tradition continues with the C5 and C6 Corvettes (above) and the C7 and C8 Corvettes (below).

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Barrett-Jackson 2021 Las Vegas

Corvette prices are on a tear. Nowhere was that more evident than at the 2021 Barrett-Jackson auction, June 17 - 19, 2021

For example: This 2019 Z06 convertible (link: www.barrett-jackson.com) had a hammer price of $95,000. With the 10% Barrett-Jackson buyers fee, it comes to $104,500, which is approximately the MSRP price when it was new.

Granted this car had a lot going for it. As a 2019, it has some of the manufacturers warranty. It also, at only 912 miles, wasn't even broken in.

Another example is this 1963 Coupe in Riverside Red. It was recently treated to a frame-off restoration and was equipped with the very desirable L84 fuel-injected 327/360hp engine mated to a Borg Warner T10 4-speed manual transmission.

Hammer price - including the 10% buyers commission - was $324,500.00. Only six short months ago a Corvette of this quality would've fetched around $200,000.

So what's behind these prices? Everybody agrees they can be attributed to the new C8 generation. The amount of publicity it received - what with it being a revolutionary (for Corvette) mid-engine design - was extraordinary. Add to that the problems GM has had producing the car, what with the Covid-19 and parts shortages being well known, causing C8 prices to increase 20% or more.

As they say in the investment business: "A Rising Tide Lifts All Boats". Corvettes of all generations have been going up in price.

Is this a good thing? It depends. If your a seller, than yes. Buyers might not be happy about the situation however. Fans of the Corvette are glad to see the increased appreciation of the marque.

This 2021 Rapid Blue convertible with single-color Morello Red Dipped interior brought $130,900.00 and continues the C8 tradition of premium pricing for gotta have it now situations. Helping the price point was the Z51 package, magnetic ride suspension, front lift, red-painted brake calipers, only 15 miles on the odometer and a car cover.

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| Publisher : Motorbooks (March 2, 2021) / Hardcover : 208 pages / ISBN-10 : 0760367434 / ISBN-13 : 978-0760367438 / Item Weight : 2.97 pounds / Dimensions : 10.2 x 1 x 11.15 inches / Available from Amazon (link: www.amazon.com)

Corvette Stingray: The Mid-Engine Revolution is the first book available on the Corvette C8. There are sure to be others and while I hate to discourage anybody who has aspirations to write about Corvettes, they will have a rough time topping this one.

The distinct advantage the "Corvette Stingray: The Mid-Engine Revolution" has is that it is the work of GM. They have certain advantages when it comes to creating a tome on the subject, and it shows with photographs and drawings that could only have come from GM. Mark Reuss wrote the Forward but, and I am disappointed to see this, there is no author credited.

The history of the mid-engine Corvette is quite involved and it's good to see that it gets thorough coverage. Also welcome is the credit given to Zora Arkus-Duntov. Zoras' contribution to the Corvette art cannot be overstated; the fact is that without him and his dedication to the Corvette there would not be a Corvette today or, by extension, the Vintage Corvettes of Southern California club. It was good to see that the C8 design staff took inspiration and design cues from the previous Corvette mid-engine concept cars.

The GM author connection advantage can be seen in the quotes from the design staff and the various insightful concept drawings and sketches offered. There are plenty of C8 photographs, most of which are familiar to anyone who has been mining them on media.gm.com.

The book covers are many fascinating details on the C8, such as how the shape of the steering wheel came about - they had about 30 different wheels scattered about the studio. The sometimes controversial HVAC controls and their positioning is explained. Also interesting is the seats and why there are three different styles available, unlike the C7 which only offered two. It turns out many C7 customer liked the look of the competition seat with the carbon fiber bezels and expressive screw pattern. So they ordered it but after living with it for a while found the competition oriented design was uncomfortable and wished they had bought the touring seat. For that reason, the C8 has three seats available including a GT2 seat which offers the pizzaz of the competition seat but is comfortable for daily use.

Most of the content deals with the exterior design and rightfully so. The C8 was a huge departure for the Corvette and keeping the Corvette fans faithful was taken seriously. All one has to do is to recall how upset some Corvette aficionados got when they learned the four round tail lights would not be part of the C7 design and you can see the problem. There were also practical aspects to deal with such as aerodynamics and providing enough air for the engine intake for example.

There are many photographs of the work in the design studio - again, it helps that GM was behind the creation of "Corvette Stingray: The Mid-Engine Revolution". The convertible C8 is also generously dealt with and we learn that the design team worked on both the coupe and convertible from the beginning.

Another plus is the price: MSRP is only $45.00, a clear bargain for a book of this quality. Unlike the C8 itself, there is no dealer "marketing" upcharges; Amazon has it for just a tad north of $40.00. Please enjoy.

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Vintage Corvettes Feature: 1970 Corvette ad, JPL Cassini Poster

JPL - Jet Propulsion Laboratory - (they do the NASA unmanned space exploration missions) is close to many VCSC members. Francie Pollock worked there for 24 years, including four years on Cassini and Paul had three assignments in the late 1970s and early '80s.

Ad Text:

'70 Corvette. What else.

Here it is. It's not really a whole lot different looking. But in 17 years, we've never changed it just to change it.

And there's one thing that hasn't changed at all.

The Corvette idea.

It's still a car that's built for the person who drives for the sheer excitement of it. For the driver who enjoys true feel of the road.

Yet, it's still a car you can drive at 10 mph in a traffic jam.

It's still a car you can swing out to the beach in. Or pull up in front of a theater with your girl dressed to the teeth.

No, it isn't a hard-core sports car. There are too many things nice about it.

No, it isn't a luxury car. It was made to perform. And it does just that.

No, it's not the smoothest riding car you'll find. But then again, it won't rattle your bones.

What it is ais a new Corvette. It's refined for '70. The 4-speed is standard. So is tinted glass. There are even a couple of new engines. All the way up to the 460-hp Turbo-Jet 454.

But if we know you, you'll find out all that for yourself.

We just want you to know it's here.

And it's one of those few cars that aren't something else.

Putting you first, keeps us first.

See it, Feb. 26th. At your Chevrolet Sports Dept.

On August 29, 2017, NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory-Caltech published the below poster. it was inspired by the "'70 Corvette. What else." two page ad in Road and Track. If your a space exploration geek and a Corvette fan, the whimsical retro poster celebrating the Cassini spacecraft's final moments in space has special meaning.

The Cassini–Huygens space-research mission was active for nearly 20 years. It orbited Saturn for 13 years and deployed the Huygens probe, which landed on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. The mission was managed by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the Pasadena, where the orbiter was assembled.

Poster Text:

Here she is. Low on fuel, whipping around Saturn on a ballistic trajectory in a dramatic, grand finale. A bittersweet ending for an epic mission. But don't shed a tear for Cassini.

Because after almost 20 years in space, one thing hasn't changed. It's all about the science.

Always has been. Always will. Right down to the last second.

She's a scientist's dream. An engineer's perfect exploring machine.

Cassini is the kind of spacecraft that can live in the hard vacuum of space for decades and still deliver groundbreaking - earthshaking - science. She's full of surprises.

She's built to seize every opportunity. To chart new courses, go farther and deeper at each new opportunity, building on the science of her previous discoveries.

Cassini can dive between Saturn and its rings at a blazing fast 75,000 mph, and yet her delicate thrusters can change her velocity by mere millimeters per second.

She can taste the atmosphere of Saturn. Peer through the smog-like atmosphere of Titan to reveal methane seas and lakes. And plunge through the icy plume of Enceladus.

No,her camera's not the latest model. But those 1-megapixel images will still drop your jaw. No, she's not a rover. She's a Saturn-circling, ring-grazing, moon-buzzing discovery machine.

You won't find many sleek lines here. Cassini's stocky, solid, built to perform in the cold and dark almost a billion miles from the sun - from her fully redundant dual R-4D bipropellant rocket engines to her trio of radioisotope thermoelectric generators. This is Cassini. The classic, first-of-her-kind, robotic Saturn orbiter. She's one for the ages.

End of Mission: Sept 15, 2017

Find out more at saturn.jpl.nasa.gov (link: solarsystem.nasa.gov)

Bottom Poster Text:

After almost 20 years in space, NASA's Cassini spacecraft began the final chapter of its remarkable story of exploration: The Grand Finale. Twenty-two dives through the space between Saturn and its rings — a whole new science mission into unexplored space. The finale not only revealed new details about Saturn and its complicated system of rings and moons, it also ensured two of Cassini's great discoveries — moons that might harbor conditions for life — will remain pristine for future exploration. On Sept. 15, 2017, Cassini plunged into Saturn becoming part of the planet itself.

Inspiration for this retro poster came from a classic Road & Track Corvette ad titled '70 Corvette. What else.

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Vintage Corvettes Feature: C1 Marketing

Late C1 Corvette Marketing

Competing with the imports has been a constant theme for Corvette marketing starting with the early C1 models. Efforts in that direction have been a constant throughout the life of the Corvette and can be seen recently.

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Here is a series of three ads featuring high end gatherings at which the Corvette fits in nicely. This ad is in front of the British Colonial House, Nassau a five star luxury hotel in the Bahamas. It first opened in 1901, and, after a fire, reopened in 1924.

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This iteration of the "Corvette Does America Proud" campaign is in front of the Palm Springs Racquet CLub which opened in 1934 and was a celebrity hangout for many years. It declined in the 1970s and was destroyed in a fire in 2014.

The third in the series, which promoted the 1958 Corvette that featured a new body style, was set in the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance (link: www.web-cars.com).

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This brochure mailer for the 1958 features a (former) local landmark, the Northridge train station. It was located at the Northeast corner of Reseda and Parthenia. The site is now occupied by a lumber yard.

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"What Makes You Think It Burns Champagne?"

A constant theme for Corvette ads. The message was that Corvette ownership was a ticket to the good life. And it goes fast!

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The above and below ad campaigns draw on college rowing and bicycling sports.

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excitement is standard equipment!

Chevrolet has often promoted the Corvette to import buyers and this ad pushes that even further by comparing it to a Bugatti. A Bugatti expert / friend told me the featured Bugatti was likely a T35B or T35C model, he couldn't tell much more than that.

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follow that car!

The Corvette as a boulevard cruiser. These days it would be referred to as a lifestyle statement. I like the photograph but the text seems to just wander around aimlessly.

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twice a day he takes a vacation.

This might be my favorite. It points to a regular job, which may not be all that. But when it is framed with a drive in a Corvette, well that makes a big difference.

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'61 corvette

new form and fineness for America's only sports car

For 1961 the rear body was changed, introducing the four round taillights that would be the Corvette norm until 2013. The same rear styling would be featured on the 1963 through 1967 "mid year" Corvettes.

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Vintage Corvettes Feature: 2020 C8 Corvette Chassis Impressions

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2019 Corvette Statistics

For 2019 GM introduced the Corvette Drivers Series special edition Grand Sport models designed in collaboration with the Corvette Racing team.

The option added $4,995 to the MSRP for 1LT and 2LT trims and $5,995 for the 3LT trim. The 2019 production quantity was 95 (.27%).

Above Left: Antonio Garcia Edition: Racing Yellow exterior with "Jake" stinger stripe, red hash marks, Carbon Flash mirrors, black wheels with red stripe and red brake calipers. Jet Black interior; yellow stitching on 3LT trim. Production quantity: 14 (.04%).

Above Right: Jan Magnussen Edition: Arctic White exterior with Crystal Red stripes and gray hash marks, body-color mirrors, black wheels with red stripe and red brake calipers. Jet Black interior with red seat belts; red stitching on 3LT trim. Production quantity: 25 (.07%).

Above Left: Oliver Gavin Edition: Shadow Gray exterior with Torch Red center stripe and Torch Red hash marks, Carbon Flash mirrors, black wheels with red stripe, red brake calipers. Adrenaline Red interior with red seat belts. Production quantity: 35 (.10%).

Above Right: Tommy Milner Edition: Elkhart Lake Blue exterior with silver stripes and red hash marks, body-color mirrors, black wheels with red stripe and red brake calipers. Jet Black Suede interior (leather seats on 1LT) with red seat belts. Production quantity: 21 (.06%).

Convertible / Coupe Stats for 2019:

Totals for 2019 Corvette is 34,822.

29,401 Coupes (84.4%), 5,421 (15.6%) Convertibles. This compares to 20.31% coupes and 19.69% convertibles for the C7 generation.

Convertible / Coupe Stats for 2019, by model:

Stingray (Total: 13,691) coupe: 11,499 (84.0%); convertible: 2,192 (16%)

Grand Sport (Total: 11,241) coupe: 9,496 (84.5%); convertible: 1,745 (15.5%)

Z06 (Total: 6,937) coupe: 5,965 (86%); convertible: 972 (14%)

ZR1 (Total: 2,953) coupe: 2,441 (82.7%); convertible: 512 (17.3%)

The convertible / coupe stats are around 16% for the four 2019 Corvette models. One surprise is the (marginally) higher rate for the ZR1 at 17.3%. By all accounts the ZR1 is a track focused car for which the coupe holds a distinct advantage. Go figure.

Rare Items

There are some interesting very low volume Corvettes for 2019. One is the RPO (Regular Production Order) PIN, the Personal Identification Number. First available in 2011, it is (as described on the official standard equipment list) a "Customer selectable VIN ending". The idea is, for example, that an owner of a C3 ZR-1 (53 were made in 1970 thru 1972) could get a 2019 ZR1 with the same VIN sequence digits as their earlier ZR-1. The catch? The fee was $5,000.00 and so only 19 (0.05%) were issued for 2019, including 11 ZR1 coupes, seven ZR1 convertibles and one Z06 coupe.

According to the 2019 Corvette Final Year End Data PDF file (link target not extracted), if you own a 2019 Stingray convertible with Torque Directional Painted Aluminum Wheels (RPO RNM) you are one of only two. That's only 0.0057% of the total 2019 production. 33 Stingray Coupe owners have the same option.

Right: 2019 Corvette Grand Sport with the Full Carbon Flash stripe, RPO DTH, $950.00 and is one of 67 (0.19% of the 2019 Corvette production, 0.70% of 2019 Grand Sport production) Grand Sport Coupes so equipped.

Some of the various stripe options in 2019 are also quite rare. Most uncommon would be the Full Inferno Orange (RPO DTQ); it was part of only nine Corvettes over the eight models for 2019.

Vintage Corvettes Feature: 2020 C8 Corvette Chassis Impressions

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2020 C8 Corvette Talk with Tom Peters

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[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/tnoT8UMFqXQ]

Tom Peters is interviewed by automotive journalist Laura Burstein.

Manual Transmission Blues?

I asked Tom "Are you going to miss the manual transmission?" He replied "I am a hard core manual transmission guy. Almost all of my cars have been stick shifts. But when we were testing the Ferrari 458 Italia, I changed my mind. With a car like this, a dual clutch with paddle shifters is really the best transmission."

I then asked "Might the aftermarket be able to supply a manual trans C8?" He said "Maybe. But it would be very difficult. There are so many sensors and electronic communications going on, I don't know how it could be done." I added "And so even if it could be done it would end up being so expensive that few would be interested." He agreed.

Corvette Identity Cues

I showed Tom my "Corvette Spotter" iPhone app that lists the visual features that allows the user to distinguish the year of a Corvette. I pointed out, for example, that the C2 Corvettes all had a distinctive fuel filler cap. The designers no longer make those sort of changes from year to year and I asked him if there was a particular reason.

He told me that may have been easy to do "back in the day" but in modern times, with all the compliance regulations, it is difficult. Even things that you think would be of little consequence can have all sorts of ramifications when it comes to crash testing and other regulatory issues. I mentioned that detail changes that differentiate Corvette years was thought of as a marketing tool. Tom's thought was that even if it was possible, he questioned if it would make any real difference.

Corvette Point of View

I met Tom at the October 2013 Art Center Car Classic when the the C7 was introduced. When talking to the students, which was a fascinating conversation to listen to, he mentioned what he felt was the best way to look at the C7. He positioned himself at the rear of the drivers door and then said "Now look over to the front right headlight". That, to him with all the interesting hood bulges, was the optimum view.

I mentioned that conversation and then asked him his favorite view of the C8. He said "It's almost the same. For the C8, position yourself at the center of the rear wheel for the optimum angle".

Keep in mind that Tom is a tall man. I'm just under six feet and I think he is a couple of inches above that. YMMV!

HVAC Control Strip

I also got a chance to ask Tom about the HVAC control strip and how it came about.

He told me there was a problem with locating all the dedicated buttons on the interior. Putting them in the usual place - under and around the navigation screen - would have forced the screen to be repositioned higher or made smaller.

The solution was found in jet fighter cockpits, which similarly have many committed buttons and limited space. Their problem is solved by placing them to the side of the pilot and a similar solution was decided on for the C8.

Tom Peters discusses the fine points of the Corvette C7 design with Art Center students in October 2013.

Below: Tom points to the edges and tells the students that the edge radius was dictated by the aerodynamicists. Now that is attention to detail!

Click here (link: www.corvettemuseum.org) for more about Tom Peters and his work at GM.

The Zeuss Bronze color represented the C8 coupe at the 2019 Art Center Car Classic.

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Vintage Corvettes Feature: 2020 C8 Corvette Chassis Impressions

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I hate to be negative, but I can't help it. I did not like the Zeus Bronze color on the 2020 C8 Corvette. Perhaps I'll feel differently if I see it in a different setting.

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The interior, in Natural Sueded Leather, did look very good. I can see this as an excellent choice when paired with Adrenaline Red or Morello Red.

2020 Corvette C8 in Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic as seen at the Petersen Museum on July 27, 2019. I'm typically not a fan of blue when it comes to car colors, but I do think that Corvette has had some nice blue hues over the years; Nassau Blue in a C2 comes to mind. The C8 continues the tradition.

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Although the Zeus Bronze color didn't do much for me, I was absolutely enthralled with the cutaway C8 on display. For somebody who totally geeks out on the inner workings of Corvettes, this was classic nerdvana.

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There it is folks, a Mid Engine Corvette and it's about as real as it gets. The concept had long been a dream of Zora Arkus-Duntov, considered the father of the Corvette. The idea originated in the 1960s and some prototypes were built in the '70s. As performance standards increased, the revolutionary layout would become a requirement.

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The 2020 C8 Corvette powerplant is a cousin of the much loved and admired Chevrolet Small Block. It is a 6.2L V8 and includes Variable Valve Timing, Direct Injection and Active Fuel Management. Most of the specs are familiar to C7 LT1 owners, although the LT2 offers 495 horsepower at 6,450 RPM (SAE certified).

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Check out the shock absorber / spring top mount (above) and the corners of the passenger compartment (below). The mechanical engineers at the day job said it appears to be parts made of a metal alloy using injection molding. The cylindrical columns are where the alloy is injected into the mold. There is some interesting structural science in play, no doubt computer generated.

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Above: C3 Corvette rear suspension with transverse leaf spring. The same system first saw use in 1963 with the introduction of the independent rear suspension on the C2 Corvette and was used throughout the C3 generation, which was last produced in 1982. The concept worked well and was extended to the front suspension in the C4 through C7 Corvettes. Advantages included low unsprung weight (which improves handling) and lower cost, contributing to the Corvette's excellent performance for the buck reputation.

Below is the conventional coil springs / shock absorbers on the C8, with the front to the left and the rear on the right. Packaging constraints prevented using the transverse leaf springs on the C8.

One of the interesting features for the C8, announced at the Tustin CA reveal on July 18, 2019, was that it would be available as both left and right hand drive. While aftermarket firms did some Corvette right hand drive conversions at considerable expense, as a factory based option it is a first for the Corvette.

Check out the hole (highlighted with the red circle) which is where the steering column will pass through.

Above: the right and left C8 engine radiators. The mid-engine layout on the C8 posed numerous engineering challenges, one of which is engine cooling. Some mid engine designs - notably those from Ferrari - positioned the radiators and their air intake behind the passengers and near the engine itself. The C8 designers positioned them up front.

Below: The front portion of the routing for the coolant to the engine. The designers chose to run the hoses down the center of the chassis.

Left: C8 engine oil cap. One pleasant surprise, announced at the Tustin CA reveal was that all C8 Corvettes would feature dry sump lubrication. The high performance system was first seen on the C6 Z06 introduced in 2006 and in 2009 on the ZR1. It continued to be available in the C7 with the Z51, Z06 and ZR1 options.

For the C8 generation, however, it is standard equipment on all Corvettes. It was necessary to include the system to lower the engine in order to mate it properly with the transmission and to lower the center of gravity. The system includes three scavenge pumps. Recommended oil is Dexos 2 0W40 synthetic; capacity is 7.5 quarts.

The M1L 8-speed dual clutch (DCT) transmission we've all heard so much about. It offers shifting times under .10 second, a key metric behind the superior performance of the C8. A manual will not be available with the new generation Corvette. This factoid was of great concern to some of the Corvette faithful, including yours truly who would much rather deal with a three pedal transmission. As spousal unit Francie might say: "Suck it up, buttercup!"

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Vintage Corvettes Feature: Corvette Convertible Statistics

In addition to being a hard core Corvette enthusiast, I have a secret life: I am a numbers geek!!

In order to convince me that a Corvette has a place in my garage, it has to be two things: A convertible and manual transmission equipped. No offense to my coupe / automatic Corvette owning friends; there is a lot to be said for that configuration.

But wind in my hair is an essential part of the Corvette owning experience.

All this got me wondering as to what place, numbers and percentage wise, does the convertible play in the Corvette story?

If you start with the C1 generation, there isn't much to talk about since every one of those is a convertible.

But starting with the C2 in 1963, things got interesting.

Since all C1 Corvettes were convertibles, the 1963 Corvette coupe was the first chance buyers had to own an exclusively fixed roof Corvette. At first coupe sales outnumbered convertible sales, but at the end of the year, the convertible quantity (10,918 or 51.22%) slightly outnumbered the coupe quantity (10,396 or 48.78%).

The other four C2 model years saw convertibles achieve significant favorite son status from 62% to a high of 65.26% in 1965. All other Corvette generations had convertible production below 40%.

Things got a little strange in 1968, the start of the C3 generation as can be seen at the Corvette Convertible Statistics PDF page (link target not extracted). 1968 had a 65.22% convertible quantity, yet the rest of the C3 model year was nowhere near that, going from 42.91% in 1969 to a low of 12.10% in 1975.

What happened is that when the new generation 1968 C3 was introduced in 1967, only convertibles were available. Originally the coupe was to feature a full targa style roof, similar to what was eventually used in the C4. The chassis however suffered from torsional stability problems - the roof could not be removed or installed unless the Corvette was on a flat surface. This meant that the first ~10,000 1968 Corvettes were all convertibles. A panicked effort resulted in the T-Top design and its' production started in January 1968. The situation was a problem for the convertible top supplier who was initially told that 60 units a day would work but then had to produce twice that. Compounding the situation was that if a customer liked and wanted the new body style of the C3, their only choice was the ragtop.

As the 1970s progressed, convertibles in general started to fall out of favor. Safety concerns were part of the reason as was the fear that regulations, which never came about, would outlaw convertible production. 1975 was the last year a C3 ragtop Corvette was available; only 4,659 (12.10%) were built.

After 10 years a convertible Corvette was available for 1986. Considering that the world had been without a topless 'vette for some time, sales were minimal at only 7,315 or 20.84% of the 1986 production. The next four years saw the convertible production in the low to mid 30% range. The C4 convertible saw 27.91% penetration for the 11 model years it was available.

One factor was pricing; at $32,032 the convertible was $5,005.00 or 18.52% more than the coupe with the convertible cracking the $30,000 Corvette price point for the first time. Both the C2 and C3 convertibles were cheaper by $215.00 (1963) and $343.00 (1968) than their coupe counterparts.

1997, which saw the introduction of the C5 generation, did not feature a convertible. This is not hard to understand as when it was introduced, the C5 consisted of an entirely new chassis, body style and drivetrain; a case can be made for the C5 being the only Corvette generation to do so. The effort expended by the engineering and product planning people to accomplish this was huge so it's easy to see why a convertible was not part of the mix.

All was back to normal in 1998 when the ragtop C5 became available. 11,849 were sold or 38.12%. At $44,425.00, the convertible cost $6,930 (18.48%) more than the coupe.

C5 Corvette convertible production averaged 37.49% for the seven model years it was available or 10% more than the C4. The year 2000 saw convertibles at 40.02% of the total sales and is the only Corvette model year since 1970 to top 40%.

The C6 generation soldiered on with a convertible available for all nine model years. Convertibles made up 26.90% of C6 production. At $52,245.00 the convertible commanded an $8,000 or 18.08% premium over the coupe. Here's an interesting factoid: The C4, C5 and C6 convertibles all had an 18% markup over the coupe. Coincidence?

For most of the C6 generation the convertible had a market share in the low - mid 20 percent range. That changed in 2013 which saw a 37.19% share. The reason is not hard to figure out as it was the only year that the wonderful 427 LS7 engine was available in a convertible. Production quantity was 2,552 (18.95%).

C7 convertible production started strong in 2014 with a 29.40% market share. That would be the peak for the C7; the final total would be 19.69%. That could change since as of this writing (June 2019) the final tally for the C7 is TBD.

| Corvette Convertible Popularity By Generation | | |

| C2 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 63.81% |

| C5 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 37.49% |

| C3 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 29.54% |

| C4 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 27.91% |

| C6 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 26.90% |

| C7 | . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 19.69% |

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(Plus a Few Extra)

Here are, after a minimal amount of research, my choices for the top Corvette Videos on You Tube.

Honorable Mention: Corvette Burnout Fail Destroys Clutch

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/oebzAIZEfxQ]

I'm including this video mostly because I am not a fan of burn outs and burn out videos. If you wanna impress me, take it to a racetrack and show me your times for the day. But hey, that's just me.

What happens here is the owner wants to send the rear tires of his 2007 Z06 to their demise by doing a burn out. But something goes very wrong and the tires don't move a bit but prodigious amounts of smoke exit from the rear of the car. Turns out he has saved his tires by destroying his clutch!

What's the clutch job for a C6 Z06, it's gotta be north of $3,000. As one commenter said: "More money than brains!". Also note the person with the video camera walks in front of the car a couple of times, not something I would do as the car could have easily lurched forward. Not a lot of brain power in that crowd.

Honorable Mention: Motorcycle Garage Door Opener

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/CQpBUQ-ZSKw]

This has nothing to do with Corvettes but it cracks me up. Love that dry British humor! [Image 1: Flags divider]

Honorable Mention: Tadge Juechter discusses the engineering behind the 2019 Corvette ZR1

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/PnvgZHuRAIE]

There is some bias in this choice as the video was recorded by yours truly. It was taken during the ZR1 Los Angeles reveal.

I got the chance to talk with Tadge and he told me that he was not aware that he would be asked to do a talk and so was a bit unprepared. He still did a good job, I think. At the end I told him I was a '68 owner and asked what he thought of the vintage Corvettes. I could see him going into corporate public relations mode, he thought about it for a bit and replied "The best Corvette is the next Corvette." A class act all the way.

Number Five: Chevrolet Corvette 1984 commercial

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/CP7ijUkgc-4]

There are some cringe-worthy aspects of this video, starting with the speedometer displaying 55 mph. But it is the authentic real-deal and it does, for better or worse, take you back to the early 1980s. It's will only take only one minute and 29 seconds of your life, so it's not that much of a sacrifice.

Number Four: 1984 C4 Corvette Chevrolet Engineering Video

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/9WteE84UNqQ]

OK, the C4 Corvette is not viewed positively by some in the Corvette community, which I've always thought to be unfair. The problem seems to be that it is often compared to the C5 (introduced in 1997) which was a huge leap in terms of performance and engineering; many of its innovations are still part of the current C7 generation.

Another thing not understood by many is that it replaced the C3 (last produced in 1982), whose chassis dates back to 1963. When compared to the C3, the C4 did offer significant improvements.

This is the official Chevrolet C4 Engineering video. If you look closely in some of the shots, you'll see different wheels than what was shipped in production C4s. The same wheels apparently were considered for production and you'll sometimes see them mounted on the sole 1983 at the Corvette museum.

Number Three: TV's Greatest Giveaway: The Story of the Peter Max Corvettes

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/cEfTxlzkTRY]

In 1989 the struggling VH1 music channel needed viewers. They came up with an amazing solution: Give away 36 Corvettes - one of every year in production.

Artist Peter Max purchased the Corvettes for an art project and they became known as the "Peter Max Corvettes". But they languished in various New York City garages, becoming the subject of Corvette lore in recent years.

This video tells that story of one of the most bizarre and successful advertising campaigns ever. It's well researched and accurate with the only drawback being you'll have to listen to a pitch for a computer VPN product. But that's OK, everybody has to make a buck somehow.

For further information on this amazing Corvette story, see the Hemmings (link: www.hemmings.com) and New York Times (link: www.nytimes.com) articles.

Number Two: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Assembly Plant

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/9ccOrwFs3No]

There's a program on the Science Channel called How It's Made: Dream Cars. It features awesome cars and how they are built; typically Aston-Martins, Ferrari, even the C7 was featured. I watch it as I do get some insight into modern car production. But the production is just awful. It features a cheesy rock-n-roll guitar soundtrack and a super condescending narration that sounds like a commercial.

This video is different. There are no technical explanations. It consists of scenes from the production line, showing robots and humans going about their duties.

Hollywood production types might claim that "Most people would consider this boring" and not tune in. But I liked it!

Number One: America Still Builds Rockets

[Embedded YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/embed/y5OwJQsAhDU]

This is the number one Corvette You Tube video. It may be because it features two passions of mine: Space Race history and Corvettes. You'll note that it features a 2011 ZR1, another good reason to like it.

The race track footage at the end ties it up nicely. The funny thing is that the tail-happiness of the ZR1 exiting the turn at the end shows how not to do a fast lap on a race track. But it sure looks good!

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Vintage Corvettes Feature: C1 Marketing

Early C1 Corvette Marketing

Part One

As most Corvette aficionados know, the first year for the Corvette was 1953 with a production quantity of only 300.

With such a small production run, there wasn't much need for marketing. There was a brochure (above) but apparently only a limited number were printed. Fortunately good quality reproductions are available.

With so few built, only celebrities and the well connected were able to purchase the new fiberglass wonder.

This presented a public relations problem for GM as the enthusiast community were put off by not getting access to the new sports car. You can see that in the text of a magazine ad for the 1954 Corvette: "In fact so many wanted to drive one that it floored us . . . We simply didn't have the cars. But things are better now, so come on it and we'll put you behind the first Corvette wheel we can."

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For the 1956 model year, Chevrolet apparently felt that they had to deal with some negative baggage that the 1953 thru '55 Corvettes carried. That's why they emphasized roll-up windows, manual transmission, hard top and power top availability. The earlier models had inconvenient side curtains for windows and only a few 1955s had manual transmissions.

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1956 Corvette hardtop ad. GM did not offer a hardtop for the 1953 thru '55 Corvettes although they were available on the aftermarket. C1 buyers had the choice of a hardtop or cloth top or, for an extra charge, you could get both. Today, a C1 equipped with both is good for extra $$ in the marketplace.

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The new Corvette had become a significant force on the road racing circuit and GM was eager to get the word out. The victories had started to pile up in 1956 and the parts availability and racing support was something to be proud of.

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The 1956 and '57 Corvettes were relatively small cars, especially compared to the other domestic offerings. The marketing folks must have thought that was a problem as can be seen in this press photograph. It shows a somewhat exaggerated front view that seems to give it a larger appearance.

If you want a laugh, look up some of the promotional material for British sports cars (Triumph, for example) of the time. They went so far as to put images of tiny people as passengers to make their rather diminutive cars look bigger - sort of a Photoshop illusion but before Photoshop!

This ad I do not understand. It features a cat and seems to be selling the Corvette as a comfortable way to travel. Even the cat seems to be saying "Why and I here?".

Ad Touting the technological advances in the new fuel injected motor. 1957 saw the introduction of mechanical fuel injection for the Corvette and Chevrolet was justified in their pride.

Of all the Corvette ads, this may be my favorite. It certainly is in the top 10. The ad department had some fun pointing out the fact that the supposedly performance ready Italian cars did not offer fuel injection. Below: notice the Ferrari-like competition peeking out jealously from underneath a car cover.

the Tiger-in-a-Tuxedo ad illustrates the dual role that the Corvette provides, even to this day. Words like "elegance", "docile" accompany "full-bore competition".

"Really Old Boy, You Aren't Supposed To Build That Sort Of Thing In America; Y'Know"

The marketing people had started to become aggressive with the competition. This was the start of a series of ads that continued for many years, pointing out that the imports did not entirely own the sports car world.

Chevrolet worked hard at presenting the point that the Corvette was competent at handling the curves as well as straights at speed. In 1957 this could be a hard sell as the general thinking was that Corvettes were mostly drag racers.

What would the most awesome Corvette be? As cool as it might be, answering "Mine!" is not the correct answer. That said, opinions will vary and it all makes for fascinating conversation at any Corvette gathering.

For me, the "Most Awesome Corvette" award would go to the 1959 Sting Ray Racer.

The 1959 Sting Ray Racer was Bill Mitchell's (GM Vice President and head of Design Staff from 1958 to 1976) brainchild. In 1957 the AMA (Automobile Manufacturer's Association) instituted a ban on everything related to "performance" which included all competition activities and extended to advertising in which all references to power or speed were forbidden. To get around the ban, Bill purchased a mule (industry term for a prototype used for testing and development) chassis for $500.00 and proceeded with a private racing endeavor.

During a 1957 visit to the Turin Auto Show, his keen eye was drawn to a low, aggressively streamlined form draped over a miniature racing car. It had a very low wind cheating shape with four distinctive blips above each wheel which allowed the rest of the body surface to be very low.

The wheelbase for the Sting Ray Racer was 92 inches, 10 inches shorter than the standard 1959 Corvette. Overall body length was 175 inches, only a bit shorter than the 177.5 inch '59 Corvette. Weight was around 2,100 lbs., about 1,000 lbs. less than the Corvette. The frame was not related to the stock Corvette and consisted of steel tubing. The front suspension was a short / long arm and the rear was a deDion design. The differential was a quick change Halibrand unit. Originally the braking was via finned drums which proved themselves a serious competition disadvantage. Four wheel disk brakes were eventually fitted. The suspension featured coil springs on all four corners.

Archival photographs from "back in the day" are courtesy of the Chuck Jordan Archives. The Sting Ray Racer evolved constantly during its early career, first painted red and then silver. Engines and chassis items (such as brakes) also changed.

Above and next page: there is no shortage of detail beauty on the 1959 Sting Ray Racer.

Adding to the long list of visual delights on the Sting Ray Racer: The side pipes.

Fans of the Corvette C7 Stingray (aren't we all?) have admired the Stingray emblem and "Stingray" nomenclature.

When owned by Bill Mitchell, the 1959 Sting Ray Racer did not carry any Corvette identification. GM eventually purchased it from Mr. Mitchell; it then achieved Corvette identity and badging.

The 1959 Sting Ray Racer also provided a glimpse into the future as it was the styling basis for the C2 (1963 thru 1967) Corvette.

The National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) held their annual convention in Las Vegas NV July 15 thru 19, 2018.

It's a custom that for each convention, Corvettes that are 50 years old are celebrated; so for 2018, it was the "Year of the '68". This would make attendance at the 2018 NCRS National Convention a must do for Francie and myself for two reasons: Our Corvette is of 1968 vintage and we love to visit Las Vegas.

The NCRS is quite an organization and I recommend its membership to anyone who owns a vintage Corvette. They are serious about Corvettes that you'll see if you attend a convention or one of the regional meets.

A lot of the NCRS activities involve judging for the various Flight, Duntov, McLellan and other award categories. Judging at NCRS is taken very seriously. The thoroughness and attention to detail is quite remarkable. The NCRS offers comprehensive training seminars, some of which were available at the convention.

Judges work in teams and spend a lot of time with the car and its owner. From what I saw, professionalism was in evidence as judges point out details in the Corvette, its presentation, and owners taking the comments respectfully.

Two lifts were available to enable the judges to get a good sustained look at the underside of the cars.

There is occasional fraud in the Corvette collector car world, a situation exacerbated by rising prices and the fact that official records for Corvettes built in St Louis (model years from 1954 to mid 1981) do not exist. This has resulted in a situation, where, as the joke goes, "mid year big block production continues to rise". A lot of the content of the seminars involved detecting the fraud and, conversely, pointing out what might seem suspicious is actually normal production practice of the day.

The seminars also provided a glimpse into social/economic norms of the day. We might think of the Corvette production workers in St. Louis as dedicated craftsman building future icons but that is a skewed viewpoint. Working conditions were hard and production and quality procedures were different from what we find acceptable today.

There was even one case where the documentation of a Corvette indicated that it was a convertible when it was actually a coupe! The line workers were mostly interested in their shift finishing or the upcoming weekend and management did not enforce high quality and production standards.

At most car shows you get to see the engine but not the carburetor. At an NCRS event you'll be exposed to all sorts of carburetor details as the air cleaners are removed to facilitate judging of the details. Above is a 1968 Corvette equipped with an L71 engine.

"Man and woman does not live for Corvette alone." Somebody once told me that but I'm still not convinced. Maybe that was the reasoning behind the other activities offered, including a deluxe Hoover Dam tour. I had wanted to visit the historical landmark for a long time and finally got the chance at an excursion during the NCRS convention.

During the 1960s, Carroll Shelby and his legendary Cobras were fierce Corvette rivals, both on the racetrack and the street. Time seems to mellow us all and a tour of the Carroll Shelby Heritage Center was on the NCRS convention schedule. It was a fascinating look at an American icon and his amazing cars.

This was a real treat for your author. During their bankruptcy blues, GM released six fully federalized 1989 prototype Corvette ZR-1s to the public. They are recognizable as 1989 model year with the covered wheel bolts – 1990 ZR-1s featured exposed wheel bolts. To me, the C4 ZR-1 is one of the most interesting aspects of the Corvette Story. On display at the NCRS convention was two of the '89s and it was a real treat to discuss their provenance with the owner.

More evidence of the 1989 ZR-1 unusual pedigree: The flat dash and a steering wheel without an airbag. The '90 ZR-1 had a more curvaceous dash and the steering wheel featured an air bag. Also note the "valet key" on the horizontal surface.

This 1953 – sn 298 – was another highlight. The owners were there and it turned out they had owned it since 1971. I thought that they might be the longest term single owner for a 1953 but they said no, that there were at least six and maybe as many as a dozen people who had owned a '53 for more than 47 years. Remarkable.

GM did not sell hardtops for 1953s but aftermarket suppliers did. This is a nice funky example.

Monday morning (4:30 AM!) there was a meeting of all the owners of Corvettes that were to be part of the display. We then waited our turn to be escorted into the hall. For some it was a four+ hour wait, not a comfortable task during a Las Vegas heat wave. We had to have less than two gallons of fuel onboard, a fire extinguisher, the fuel cap taped up and the battery disconnected.

Finally made it to the display hall. Time: 8:30 AM. Francie earned many wife points.

Always a great sight: A set of '67 big blocks with opened stinger hoods lined up.

A nod and a tip o' the hat to the classic Vette parts vendors that make keeping and restoring the Corvette possible. There is no doubt that many would be rich in another endeavor but are dedicated to the Corvette hobby.

Some parts were on display along with a 1967 chassis.

One of my upcoming projects for our '68 convertible is the installation of shoulder seat belts. Convertibles of the day did not come with them and I got some valuable information on the upgrade from the parts vendors.

Coupe with a heater – defroster delete. This is a rare option, RPO C48 and 124 (0.58%) 1963s were so equipped. This would be a typical selection for a car intended as a race car.

For being in the show we got a "Year of the '68" plaque. You can think of it as a participation award! It is nicely done and appreciated by us. What I got a kick out of was the inclusion of the VIN, such an NCRS thing to do.

By Paul Pollock Publisher, The Corvette Story

Most car enthusiasts will tell you that Italy and the Corvette have nothing in common. That is not true as their paths have crossed often through the years.

The earliest example of the Italian / Corvette fusion originated with Bill Mitchell's (GM Vice President and head of Design Staff from 1958-76) 1957 visit to the Turin Salon automobile show. Bill was fascinated by a series of Fiat / Abarth / Pininfarina racing cars. They were designed for top speed runs, so aerodynamics was crucial. The approach was to make the cars as low as possible; so low that vertical blips over the tires was necessary.

The Pininfarina race car inspired Bill to build the 1959 Sting Ray Racer below. The iconic '59 Sting Ray would form the basis of the C3 Corvette.

Notice the belt line around the entire car separating the lower and upper halves which would become an important styling element of the 1959 Sting Ray Racer and the C2 Corvette.

1959 Chevrolet Scaglietti Corvette

Another example of the Italian – Corvette merging is the 1959 Chevrolet Scaglietti Corvette. It was the result of the efforts of Gary Laughlin (a Texas car dealer) and racers Jim Hall and Carroll Shelby. The plan was to build a series of high performance cars with Corvette chassis and drivetrains to compete with Ferrari.

The plan was doomed from the start as Sergio Scaglietti, the coachbuilder for the project, had Ferrari as an influential customer. Mr. Ferrari, it is said, was "not pleased" and the effort was limited to three cars. It also did not help that GM management did not approve, as racing and high performance cars had become a corporate no-no.

Two of them were equipped with Powerglide transmissions and dual carbureted engines. A third was a fuel injected four-speed.

More about the 1959 Chevrolet Scaglietti Corvette here. (link target not extracted)

1961 Chevrolet Corvette Vignale Coupe

The Italians are known for creating some great looking cars and a good example is this Vignale Coupe. It was designed by Gordon Kelly, who worked for the Brooks Stevens design firm. It was built by Vignale for the 1961 Paris Salon de l'Automobile.

Note the eggcrate grill on the Vignale Coupe. This was a common item on Italian cars of the '60s and '70s, although the Vignale went further than most with an aggressive convex approach. The Corvette shared the same style (below) starting in 1970 with the C3.

The interior door panel is an odd place to place an identification emblem, but Italians are famous for doing things differently.

Power came from a fuel-injected powerplant.

Etceterini

There is a special form of Italian cars known as "Etceterini". The term refers to a collection of lesser known manufacturers that built limited numbers of cars, mostly in the 1960s, such as Bizzarrini, Iso Grifo and Iso Rivolta. Corvette motors were often the engine of choice, as they were compact, comparatively affordable, and well supported.

The Bizzarrini 5300 GT Strada came with a 327 fuel-injected Corvette engine. A total of 133 examples were produced from 1965 through 1968.

Racing Bizzarrinis were successful in the 1960s and featured Corvette powerplants with aggressive Weber carburetion.

Corvette engine as installed in an Iso Grifo. The major Italian automakers (Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, etc.) had their own engine programs. They produced good power but were complicated, expensive and offered limited support. The minor players, such as Bizzarrini, often went for Corvette power. The cost was reasonable and the compact design – in part the result of a single camshaft located in the block as opposed to multiple overhead camshafts – enabled low hoods and cowls, resulting in that racy Italian look.

Corvette Moray

Possibly the most interesting car in the Corvette / Italy discussion would be the Corvette Moray. It is the work of Italian automobile designers Giorgetto and Fabrizio Giugiaro, and was built to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Corvette. It first appeared at the Geneva Motor Show on March 4, 2003.

More Corvette design cues: The silhouette has much in common with the C5 Corvette of which the Moray is based on. There are also the four semivertical slats, a nod to the 1967 Corvette.

The Moray answers the question: "What would an Italian Corvette look like?" Although the point could also be made that it is a question nobody asked.

The most interesting aspect of the Moray is that although it is clearly an original design, it still looks like a Corvette, which was the designer's intention. This is very evident with the rear view (above) with the four round taillights and the "Corvette" script. There is even a "Split Window" effect reminiscent of the 1963 Corvette Coupe.

The interior continues the Corvette heritage. Note the "dual cockpit" motif similar to what can be found in the C2 and C5 Corvettes. Side view mirror function is accomplished by small video cameras connected to displays on either side of the steering column. Bright areas are polished aluminum.

The door is mostly conventional save for the window / roof which rises like a bird's wing. Not practical for rainy days!

Sharp fender creases are similar to the C2 and C3 Corvette.

Unlike many custom show cars of which only one are made, (hence the "one-off" moniker), two Corvette Morays were produced, the second featuring red livery.

Maybe we have something new: the "two-off"?

C7 Corvette: Italian Influences

While still distinctly American, there are strong hints of Italian influences in the new Corvette. This is a good thing, since when it comes to making great looking automobiles, Italy has always been able to show the world how it is done.

An example: The Ferrari F12berlinetta, above and the 2014 Corvette below. The headlights and hood area, while far from being identical, do have similarities. Note the air egress vents with the C7 being more angular. There is also the hood creases that end at the base of the A-pillar, which, in addition to looking good, are dictated by the laws of aerodynamics.

A side view: Above is the Ferrari 599 GTO and below is the C7 Corvette. The creases and accents are similar but somehow the Corvette has the advantage with its simple, cleaner lines. It is a great day when you can place a Corvette next to a Ferrari and decide that the Corvette is what you prefer to look at.

The Italian aspect of the C7 is not denied by those who created it. Tom Peters, the director of design for General Motors performance and top dawg regarding the shape of the C6 and C7 Corvettes* admitted to us that this is more than just conspiracy theorists blowing steam. He pointed out that GM and much of the American car industry has long looked towards Italy for design inspiration although it is not always obvious.

*also the Pontiac Aztec, but don't hold that against him.

My car enthusiast story is typical of many; got hooked as a teenager when I fell for the Ford Mustang. My parents were put off by it, insisting that it was impractical and just not a good car.

Later on I got to like anything that was a two seater. The parents really disapproved of those (again a practicality issue) but my rebellious nature only caused me to be more attracted to them.

Since then the resume lists a 1970 Datsun 240Z, a 1972 Saab Sonnet, numerous Triumph and MGB roadsters, a Porsche Speedster replica, a Porsche 914, some homebuilt kit cars, a Mazda RX-7 Turbo and still in my garage, a 1990 Mazda Miata. I've left out some forgettable automobiles. And some that I remember but would like to forget.

All this time, a Corvette was at the top of my "someday" list. The first one I drove, when I was 19 years old, was my uncles 1971 Ontario Orange convertible. It was a four speed and when I drove it I felt like I owned the world. Since then I never turned down the opportunity to drive a Corvette and I was lucky to have had the experience many times in all the generations and configurations. Sometimes it was when I or a friend was considering a purchase, other times when owner / friends would generously hand over the keys.

In 1988 I learned that Mazda would be unleashing the Miata upon the world, and a decision was made. Since it looked and felt like my beloved MGBs, only with modern technology and non of the, shall we say "quirkiness" of the MGBs, its purchase became a priority. Newly married, my wife and I bought a red 1990 base Miata. We've held onto it and as of 2018, it has 389,000 miles on the clock.

Around the year 2000 I started work on the web project that became "The Corvette Story". I took as many Corvette photos as I could. Digital cameras had become affordable and their ability to take any quantity of photographs at almost zero cost was something even I was smart enough to take advantage of. I also purchased (or scanned in if it could only be borrowed) every Corvette press release or brochure I could find. As this is being written, my images folder contains over 200,000 items.

"The Corvette Story" first appeared in June, 2005. All years of Corvettes were covered along with special focus on the ZR-1, terminology, wallpaper, performance and links pages, etc. Since I've always considered "The Corvette Story" to be a work in progress, other features have been added, a process that will continue.

There is a saying: "If you ever want to become really knowledgeable about a subject, teach it". I learned a lot about Corvettes in the course of producing "The Corvette Story". I soon began to refer to myself as "The smartest man in the world about Corvettes who never owned one". There is no way to back up such a lame claim, but since I never met anyone that could refute it, I stuck with it.

There was a problem with the statement. Although I was happy about the "smart" aspect, I did not like the "never owned" part. Around that time, with viewership at almost 200,000 monthly page views for The Corvette Story, advertising revenue was adding up. It occurred to me that a good use for these $$$ would be a Corvette purchase even if it meant that my "smartest but never owned" claim would have to be forfeited.

The Search Begins

So which one to buy? I had a war chest of around $25,000. The basic requirement is that it had to be a convertible with a stick shift. This meant that I could have any number of C5 (1997 - 2005) choices, and, with some maneuvering, maybe a C6. Advantages for the C5/C6 included the wonderful handling from the modern suspensions, reliability, good fuel economy and the fact that they would transport you long distances without Spanish Inquisition style torture.

But the C5 / C6 solution had a downside: although used, they still had a lot of depreciation left in them. This meant that the earlier classics deserved serious consideration.

A 1959 / 1960 would have been ideal. They can legitimately claim to be the best looking Corvette, as well as one of the best looking cars ever available. But the price made them out of reach.

The C2 (in convertible form, of course!) was also very tempting. They offered a classic look that has proved itself to be timeless. The independent rear suspension was a clear advantage. At the time I was doing my Corvette shopping (early 2011) the starting price for a C2 in running condition was around $35,000. At that price you wouldn't get any of the desirable options and varying amounts of TLC would be required.

It looked like my best bet would be a C3 (1968 thru 1982). The most desirable (both in my opinion and that of the collector car marketplace) would be models with front and rear chrome bumpers, specifically 1968 thru 1972.

So the search began. As I wrote in Classic Corvette Purchasing Tips, "It's not the destination, it's the journey!", the "search for a Corvette as it is almost as much fun as owning one".

My search consisted of the usual and obvious sources: eBay (the saved searches feature works great), Hemmings, Auto Trader Classics and, of course, the Corvette Story Corvettes For Sale site. I also put up wanted postings at corvetteforum.com and corvetteactioncenter.com.

I was looking for a four speed convertible, hoping for a good quality driver. All candidates had to be local; there were too many bad stories of buying cars long distance, so I just could not consider them. Fortunately there are enough Corvettes in the Southern California area to choose from.

There were two inspection items that, to me, were critical. As a way of looking for possible frame damage, I'd pop the fuel filler door and check (above) that the gas cap was centered in the body opening, a tip passed along by an experienced Corvette dealer. Keep in mind however that a savvy repair job could include positioning of the fuel tank so that the defect does not appear.

Above: It was also important that the ignition shielding was intact. The purpose behind the shielding was to prevent static on the radio. It would have to be removed during regular tune-up maintenance (around every 6,000 miles) and was a hassle to do. My reasoning was that if an owner didn't care enough to keep this detail consistent, there were likely to be other problem areas.

My selection was narrowed down to 1968 to '72 four speed convertibles. Other items in the category of nice to have, but not necessary or likely considering my budget:

• Good documentation, as far back as possible, maybe even to the original owner
• LT-1 engine (1970 - 1972 only)
• Numbers matching
• Very correct
• NCRS or Bloomington Gold awards
• Survivor status

Being realistic, I knew that getting all, or even some of these criteria met was unlikely, given my budget. But a guy can dream, can't he?

Colors: Black was out. They look amazing, but are also too difficult to photograph. I thought about white, but it would be a hard sell. Blue interiors were also cause for rejection. No particular reason other than my first car had a blue interior and it brought back bad memories. I also wasn't keen on those that had matching exterior / interior colors. Red is always great and a good investment. Yellow, Ontario Orange, Cortez Silver and Mulsanne Blue Corvettes got bonus points.

Some That Got Away

I saw this candidate at the Plastic Fantastic Corvette show in San Diego. It was a 1970 Mulsanne Blue with the very desirable LT-1 engine, a solid lifter version of the small block that revved higher (to 6,500 RPM) and made more horsepower. It was a driver and in rough condition here and there with numerous scratches, etc. The speedometer had been stuck at 60,000 miles since before the current owner purchased it six years ago and there was no previous documentation. It was in good enough condition for me to consider it and it did have that wonderful LT-1 engine. There was no for sale sign but I asked the owner if it was available. He said that since he had a daughter going to college, he was thinking of selling it. He had another Corvette so it wouldn't be like he was giving up 'vette ownership. We discussed the car in some detail and when we parted I gave him my contact info and he agreed to get in touch should he decide to sell. I never did hear from him; probably just as well as the price may have been just out of my reach.

This 1968 convertible was advertised by a Los Angeles dealer as needing a paint job and some TLC for only $16,500, including a hardtop. Upon visiting, I discovered it needed a paint job and a lot more than some TLC. This was your basic unloved and neglected Corvette, always a sad thing to see. It was later put on eBay and bid to $11,500, which, if you ask me, the owner could have accepted without regrets.

This candidate, also a 1968, had a very strong motor, much faster than others I had tested. Although the correct engine was not installed, it did come with the car. But the price ($26,000) was high considering the rough condition of the body and interior.

June 8, 2011

While it is true that the shopping for a classic Corvette is great fun, the intention is to someday own a Corvette, meaning that by definition, the fun has to end. For me, the good times ended on June 8, 2011 at approximately 12:30 PM.

I found the winning candidate in a Craigs List ad (previous page). There was not much to go on, a claimed $15,000 recently spent, four speed Safari Yellow 1968 with a small block engine. And a very competitive price of $21,500.

The owner responded to my email inquiry with a phone call. It appeared to be a stripped down Corvette, no A/C, no power brakes and manual steering. The last item caused me to pause and think. The steering would be tough, sort of like a work out in the gym but without a shower nearby. The owner said he had got a lot of calls (believable at that price point) and that he would start showing it Wednesday at 11:30 and would sell to the first person who could pay for it. I knew that appearing to be eager is not a good buying strategy but I did not want to risk a good deal going to somebody else who was smart enough to be there first.

• The Safari Yellow was a color I had always liked. To me, yellow is always a good choice for a performance car as it had a lot of the characteristics of red but is not as common. The Safari Yellow flavor, one year only for 1968 (3,133 produced) was very pale separating it from the more common yellows that were typically more aggressive with their high contrast content.
• The engine had been replaced sometime in the life of the car. Although still a small block, it may be a 350 cubic inch instead of 327 cubic inches which was installed at the factory.

Inspection findings:

• Headers had been installed. This was most likely because there was an exhaust manifold problem of some type and the easiest / cheapest solution was an aftermarket header installation. The problem here is that they do not last long and would need replacement in the future.
• Below: The EMI shield was installed and intact except for the area near the spark plugs - which would not be possible with the performance header installation. The LT-1 style valve covers were a nice, although incorrect, touch. The correct valve covers for 1968 were stamped steel, chromed in the case of the 327 cu in / 350 hp; with stamped steel and painted the engine color or cast aluminum for the other engines.
• The car had a repaint which was a good quality job, with the chrome and other critical parts removed as part of the process. There were about three small gouges here and there along with some scratches in the tonneau. Still the paint presented itself well and was similar to the work from the St. Louis MO factory. The painter did not attempt to remove the waviness or correct other defects that were found on all 1968 Corvettes, which I thought of as a good thing.
• I took some time to take a close look at the body by crouching down so my eyes were level to the body midpoint. 1968 Corvettes had particularly bad build quality with waviness in the surface and fiberglass strands visible. There did not seem to be any sign of accident repair which would be readily apparent given the lack of surface smoothness.
• The chrome on the bumpers was OK, pretty good in the front with signs of pitting only with close inspection. The right rear bumper had more pitting with the left rear in worse shape with obvious pitting. Not a real drawback as rechroming is not a huge effort.
• Lifting the fuel door revealed a gas cap in the center of the opening, another sign that this Corvette had not suffered major accident damage.
• The clock did not work, a common malady of Corvettes of this vintage.
• The interior had been redone; the owner later showed me a $2,000 receipt for the work.
• Below: the center console had the correct amount of "patina". There were the right amount of scratches and nicks such that it didn't have the repo part look but was still in great shape.
• Inside rear view mirror was in bad need of replacement. Not only was it severely tarnished, the mounting was loose and it had to be constantly adjusted.
• Above: The windshield had some delaminating. The various ID markings were present and it could be the same glass as installed in 1968 although I've been told it is possible to buy correctly marked reproduction windshields.

Overall, this particular 1968 Corvette looked like it had spent a fair amount of it's 43 years in storage. The odometer had been stuck at 69,828 miles since the current owner inherited it from his father about seven months earlier. Above: The windshield header was mostly free of the marks that come with opening and closing the top. An even better sign was the surround area for the ignition key (below) which was similarly free of scratches - another indication of a low mileage car.

The Test Drive

I drove it briefly through the streets of Santa Monica. This is a crowded part of town which was unfortunate because there is no opportunity to safely test the potential of a performance automobile. Still, all looked very good. It pulled well and was typical of Corvette base engines of the time. Shifting and clutch action was very good. The steering worked well, with the only drawback being the lack of power assist. A pleasant surprise was the overall solidness that the car exhibited. It was completely silent while traversing rough spots in the pavement. I later learned that it had Dynamat sound deadening installed, a $260 line item as part of the $2,000 interior job.

I was very satisfied with the inspection and test drive, so the owner and I met in a conference room at the owner's workplace. I looked over the title and other paperwork which consisted of receipts for recent work, which I would later total up to about $8,300. I mentioned the asking price of $21,500 and asked if he would accept $21,000. He said that he had intended to fix some of the problem areas such as the non working clock and missing floor mats. I replied that I was fine taking the car as it was. He looked up at the ceiling a bit, kind of let the concept bounce around between his ears and said "OK".

And so it was done. I was a Corvette owner. No longer could I call my self "the smartest man in the world about Corvettes who had never owned one" and it felt very good.

The drive home was a bit nerve wracking as it involved traffic on the 405 freeway between Santa Monica and Northridge. All signs continued to look good with great oil pressure and water temperature around 160° despite the hot day.

Coming up in Safari Story, Part Two: Owning a 1968 Corvette.

The Early Days

For the next two months "Safari" (its new nickname, in reference to the Safari Yellow color) became my daily driver. I have a 40 minute commute to work in Valencia which usually did not involve traffic. This was a getting to know each other phase.

• The new (for me) position of the ignition key took some getting used to. It is located on the dash to the upper right of the tachometer. I was constantly going to the steering column and then having to remind myself that no, this car is different and the difference made it special. The steering column ignition mounting on modern cars was a federal requirement designed to reduce auto theft. That's a noble effort which is hard to argue with but it is nice to know that I was starting my car the way the designers wanted it to be started, not the way some insurance lobbyist thought was best.
• Shifting was a new experience. The five speed manuals that I had been used to for the last 36 years became more of a habit than I had realized. Sometimes while enthusiastically running through the Corvette's four gears, while getting on a freeway for example, I would try to shift it into a non-existent fifth gear.
• The manual steering was not the big deal I thought it might be. I had been driving a manual steered 1990 Mazda Miata for the last 21 years, which probably helped.
• Driving a car as distinctive as a 1968 Corvette is different. People, mostly male, (unfortunately) have two questions: "What year is it?" and "What's the engine?". You also soon realize that if you plan on doing something you're not supposed to do, do not do it in a vintage Corvette. Acquaintances are always mentioning "I saw you at the corner of X and Y on Tuesday afternoon".

It took me about two weeks to become comfortable with the car. Comfortable as in a new pair of shoes, which, when first owned, take some getting used to. During that time I was wondering what surprises there might be. I was lucky in that respect; no breakdowns occurred and there wasn't an "OH NO!" moment. All proceeded as well as could be expected. I had purchased the right car.

The first car show for "Safari" was June 11, 2011 at Rosies Diner, Redondo Beach CA. It was sponsored by The Vette Set club. This was something new: participating in a Corvette show as an owner, not a spectator.

Appearance at Super Car Sunday, a regular Sunday morning gathering in Woodland Hills. Surrounded by the blue oval competition, Safari was confident.

Mechanic's Review

About a week after the purchase, I had a PPI performed. PPI normally is short for "Pre Purchase Inspection" but in this case it stands for "Post Purchase Inspection". The original plan would be to have a knowledgeable Corvette Mechanic look it over before money was exchanged. I elected to bypass this normally important procedure in favor of securing what I could tell was a good deal. I did not want to snooze and lose.

I took it to Mike Bradley of Mike Bradley Automotive, who had been recommended by another satisfied 1968 Corvette customer. I asked him to take it for a test drive and then to look it over carefully and see what could / should be done.

Mike test drove it and confirmed what I had suspected: This was a good Corvette for a fair price. He thought it ran well with the carburetion and ignition in good working order.

A top priority was to get the odometer repaired, so I would be able to track the fuel economy. Some "while your at it" reasoning resulted in having the tachometer, which is like the speedometer in that both are mechanical, rebuilt. The light switch was also replaced because the instrument panel dimmer was not working properly.

Mike Bradley reported that the carburetor was not original, as evidenced by the EGR port which was not found on the 1968 Quadrajet carbs.

Mike said that to him, the surface rust indicated that this Corvette had spent some time outside California. Fortunately the areas that mattered, such as the frame rails, birdcage and radiator support areas, were rust free.

The brakes did not feel right, so the decision was made to replace the rear calipers, which looked to be original, with rebuilt units. The front calipers had been recently replaced. But the brakes still were problematic. The would turn spongy and needed to be pumped up to work normally. We would bleed them, they would be OK for a few hundred miles, then the problem returned. Some Google research suggested that a rotor might be out of round. This didn't seem right, as there was no vibration feedback when the brakes were pumped. But we checked and the right rear rotor was .080" out; the specification called for no more than .008". The rear rotor was turned and the problem went away.

The judging, always a nervous time. Special thanks to spousal unit Francie who was very diligent with the detailing task.

September 18, 2011 - Had a great time at the Redline Corvettes All Corvette Car Show in Thousand Oaks. "Safari" was entered in the Stock C3 Hoods Down category and took second place! Considering that the competition was of a high caliber, this was a pleasant surprise.

Carburetor Rebuild Time

A high priority has been a rebuild of the Rochester Quadrajet carburetor. The biggest reason was a fuel leak, so bad that if the car was sitting for a couple of days, all the gas would leak from the carburetor bowl. This meant that I would have to spend about 40 seconds cranking the motor which, with the mechanical fuel pump, was needed to fill the bowl so it would start. More than an embarrassing inconvenience, it was also a safety hazard. I had even started to carry a fire extinguisher.

Introducing the Rochester Quadrajet Carburetor. It made it's first appearance in the Corvette in 1968; previously Holley products had been used. The Holley and Rochester Quadrajet shared Corvette fuel management duties until 1973 thru 1981 when the Quadrajet (sometimes referred to as the "Q-Jet") had exclusive rights.

The Rochester Quadrajet was always a controversial choice. It's detractors, who sometimes called it "Q-Junk", claimed it was needlessly complex. Fans of the Q-Jet pointed out that it was nicely versatile and fit the needs of both the performance folks and the general public. It should also be pointed out that it worked in an era where emissions requirements started to play a serious role.

Mike Bradley of Mike Bradley Automotive in Chatsworth CA took on the rebuild job. It really is a treat to watch a craftsman such as Mike do his work. He has some special tools that help the process, honed over years when he has done over a thousand Q-Jet rebuilds. Right: Mike reported the idle tubes had vibrated loose, a situation likely to cause mpg problems. The main well plugs were the cause of the fuel bowl leak; this was fixed with some epoxy, a common item in a Q-Jet rebuild.

The idle setting is adjusted with the aid of a "Emissions Inspection Analyzer". There's a bit of irony here - a '68 Corvette hooked up to a smog machine. It's about the only time that will happen as '68s are exempt from any smog inspection requirements here in California - one of the few breaks we get with these cars.

Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?

As the adage goes, "even a broken clock is accurate twice a day". That may be true but not very useful since you don't know when in the day it is correct. Page 19 of the 1968 Corvette manual states "Your clock should be cleaned and oiled periodically" but there are no instructions as to how to perform the maintenance and "periodically" is not defined. Another question: did anyone actually do this?

Safari's clock, like the one on so many other classic cars (Corvette and otherwise) had stopped working. Replacing gauges is miserable work on most cars but in the case of the early C3 Corvettes, it's not so bad. The center instrument cluster comes out with the removal of seven screws. There is also a pair of studs with nuts that mechanically connect the instrument cluster to the center console but in many cases (including this one!) they've been previously removed and not reinstalled and therefore are not a problem.

Replacing the clock went as well as could be reasonably expected. Once access to the gauge console is obtained it's a simple matter of removing two bolts with a nut driver, disconnecting the one electrical terminal for the clock and removing the bulb / socket and installing the new clock as illustrated above. I then proceeded to open a brew and congratulate myself on a job well done.

Not so fast. Five days later I decided to treat myself and take Safari to work. Climbed in, turned the key and nothing. There was no voltage anywhere in the car; somehow the battery had completely discharged.

I put the charger on the battery to introduce some electrical life in the car. After an overnight charge, I put an ammeter in series with the battery and found that with every electrical item in the car completely off, the current draw was around three amps! That's a fair amount, about what a set of tail lights might require, so it was little wonder the battery had died. My first suspicion was that I had been sold a defective clock. Since it was one of the items on the car that still function even with the car sitting still and the key off (the others being the radio memory, alarm, interior lights) and it was new, it was suspect number one.

I pulled apart the instrument cluster and disconnected the new clock only to find the current draw was still @ three amps. The clock was not the problem.

Read the below thread on the ncrs.org forum to see what happened next:

May 6th, 2012, 05:33 PM #1 Paul Pollock (54300) Subject: 1968 Current Drain Problem

All:

What would the expected current drain with the ignition switch off, doors closed, on a '68 convertible be?

Some background: I recently replaced the clock with an aftermarket unit. The new clock worked and the car started. About five days later I went to drive it to work and the (new) battery was completely dead. The clock wasn't even working as there was no voltage in the system.

After charging the battery I pulled the negative terminal and measured the current - approximately three amps!! That's way more than I would think it should be. I immediately suspected the new clock and removed it. But I still have around three amps of current draw, even with the ignition off and the doors closed.

I am now in trying to solve the problem by the ol' process of elimination. I have disconnected the factory alarm relay and the modern digital aftermarket radio (I do NOT trust those things!) along with the battery connection to the alternator. I also disconnected the gauges in the center console.

Does my '68 convertible have interior lights that go on when the doors are opened? Sorry for the dumb question but I don't recall seeing them and I am new to the car. It's too bright of a day now for me to give it a visual test. I know the center "glove box" compartment behind the seats has one but that one I can see but I can also witness a current difference of about .5 amps when I switch if off and on, so I know that isn't the problem. I can see the current increase to around 10 amps when I turn on the parking lights, so it is not like they are somehow accidentally on.

I do have a good DMM and an electronics background in my favor. I am considering pulling fuses one by one to see if the problem cab be further isolated.

As a matter of reference, my 1990 Mazda manual specified .020 amps of what they call "dark current". I had the chance to measure it and it was .005 amps.

Any ideas? I may start pulling fuses one by one to see if I can find the culprit, but am hoping to find a solution before resorting to that. I keep thinking that this problem only occurred after I replaced the clock, so I may have messed up something in the center instrument panel area. Before that I was able to go a week or two of inactivity and be able to start the car without a problem.

That posting was followed by this response:

May 6th, 2012, 05:54 PM #2 Jim T_____ Re: 1968 Current Drain Problem

Paul

I am long time owner of 1968 convertible, unplug the center "glove box" light. Mine has been disconnected for over thirty years. Next up is the windshield wiper switch. Start the car and turn on the windshield wipers, wet the windshield if you like, and let them do at least one swipe and using the windshield wiper switch turn off the windshield wipers. Now test for a current draw? Reason I mention the wiper switch is that if my wiper switch is "accidentally" turned on/off when the car is not running it will pull current until the car is started and the wiper switch is used to cycle the windshield wipers on/off. There is a inline plastic connection that is accessible from the jack storage area that I use to disable the glove box light from working.

My reply:

May 6th, 2012, 07:47 PM #4 Paul Pollock (54300) Infrequent User, Join Date January 9th, 2012, Posts: Re: 1968 Current Drain Problem

Jim:

As my ~30 year old cubical neighbor at the day job might say: "YOU DA MAN!!!"

It was exactly as you described. Cycling the wiper motor brought it all under control. Funny thing is, while I was working on the instrument console I noticed a bulb socket without a bulb. I didn't think much of it, figured it had been lost in the past or I had fumbled it loose. Since I had a spare I installed it. When it was all back together and I turned the key to the on position, a "WIPER O'RIDE" idiot light came on in the spot I had installed the bulb. I knew then that the problem was solved. Too bad the bulb hadn't been there all along, I could have saved myself some frustration.

Parasitic current is now around .030 amps, about what I would expect since it includes a modern digital radio (not my idea, no flames please) with it's memory requirements.

Thanks Jim for your prompt and excellent reply. Should you be in the Los Angeles area consider yourself do be due a beverage of your choice.

Now going for a celebration ride.

~paul

May 7th, 2012, 08:42 AM #5 Jim T_____ Extremely Frequent Poster Re: 1968 Current Drain Problem

Paul

good to hear that the wiper switch was the problem area. My 68's original glove box cover/lid is hard plastic (FEB built) and is not flat/straight enough any more to keep the glove box light off when the door is closed. This is why the switch was disconnected. Your convertible should have three interior lights, rotate your light switch counter-clock-wise and this action should illuminate a light in the cargo area near the drivers side spring/hinge that supports the deck lid. The other two lights are also exposed light bulbs in holders for the drivers and passengers foot well.

The switches in the front of each door opening controls the illumination of interior lights when the light switch is not used for this illumination. Our 68 does not have the "Wiper O'Ride" light. If the wiper electrical switch mounted at the bottom of the steering column that stops the wipers over the windshield so the wipers can be cleaned or changed should always be in the off position unless it is being used for wiper maintenance in stopping the wiper action.

May 7th, 2012, 09:21 AM #6 Paul Pollock (54300) Infrequent User Re: 1968 Current Drain Problem

My '68 is a late July build. It still has the glove box light functional but I'll be aware that the switch can go awry. I now see the interior lights but they do not work, something I'll have to look into. In my case the wiper switch near the steering column is the only way I can get the wipers to function - the switch at the top of the center instrument cluster does not work. It's always something with cars of this nature, is that part of their charm?

Thanks again for your excellent help.

Regards,

Paul Pollock

WebCars! Webmaster

http://web-cars.com

There is a moral to this story. Be proactive and join your local Corvette club. If you have (or even just appreciate) C3 and earlier Corvettes, then the NCRS (National Corvette Restorers Society) is highly recommended. Classic Corvettes may not be that difficult to own, but they do have their challenges. Organizations such as the NCRS can be an excellent resource for whatever issues that involve Corvette ownership.

This is a classic example; only 21 minutes after my posting an excellent response was available. It doesn't get any better than that.

To the left of the fuel gauge there is a "SEAT BELT" warning light. It comes on every time the ignition goes from off to on and there is a reset button below it to extinguish it. This is the early days of government safety regulation which comes off as ludicrous years later. I've thought about removing the bulb which would relieve me of the tiresome task of resetting it every time I start it. I haven't done it and probably won't. As much of a pain it is to hit the button all the time, without it I feel Safari would be less of a '68 vette, and we don't want that to happen!

MPG Blues

Since I had the odometer fixed I had kept track of all the fuel fillups using a program I developed for the iPhone and the news was not good. I was averaging only 11 mpg and I really did not often drive it hard. I understood that I didn't buy a Toyota Prius, but still, by all accounts I should have been doing better. I had the carburetor rebuilt at the end of February 2012 which improved things by about 1 mpg; when I went to San Diego - about 200 miles of freeway driving - I got around 12.8 mpg.

All this time I had noticed that the speedometer seemed to be reading low. While driving with minimal traffic on the freeway at about the same speed as the other cars, the speedometer would read about 60 mph. It occurred to me that if the speedometer (and therefore the odometer) was low, my mpg reading might be similarly off.

iPhone to the Rescue!

I then learned that there are speedometer and odometer applications for the iPhone. They work with the GPS that is part of every recent model iPhone. I downloaded Speedometer and Odometer, both free apps. I had the chance to try Speedometer in my 2009 Honda Civic with stock wheels / tires (changing the wheel / tire size will throw off your speedometer accuracy) and it was amazingly accurate. The only comment was that there was some lag in the reading, a understandable consequence of using the GPS methodology.

I then tried the Speedometer app in the Corvette and was amazed to learn that while driving 70 mph, the speedometer indicated 58 mph!

The Odometer app reported a similar result. A trip of 113.88 miles was only 94 miles according to the odometer on Safari.

Some quick math revealed that adding 21% to either the speedometer or odometer reading would give me an accurate reading. This meant that instead of 12 mpg, I was actually getting around 14.5 mpg, about what I would expect from a small block equipped 1968 Corvette.

I am thinking about having the speedometer recalibrated. The problem there is to keep everything consistent, I would have to update the entries I have so far in the mpg tracking database. We'll see.

Spare Tire Report

While looking into the questionable mpg statistics, I decided to check the tire circumference as a change there from the stock tire might explain the problem. The modern radial tires that had been installed by the previous owner (ALKEN Sincera Touring, P215/70 R15) measured 84.375 inches. I then removed the spare, mostly out of curiosity as I had not checked it out in the year+ that I've owned the car. What I found (above photos) was most likely the original tire from 44 years ago! It had been used and was mostly worn out which really didn't matter since a tire that old is of no real use today. It was labeled "Atlas HP F70-15 - 4 PLIES 2 FIBERGLASS 2 VICRON" - just like the good old days. The circumference measured 83.25 inches, just over an inch less than the modern tire that I was currently using. Most of that difference can be explained by the lack of tread, so I couldn't put the speedometer / odometer error blame there.

November 2012: Front End Work

The summer of 2012 saw Safari get put to good use. I drove it around 2,500 miles and started to think of it as my daily driver. Poets and songwriters would call it "the good life", encouraged by above average Southern California temperatures.

I did notice a change in the handling however. The steering had become vague but worse, there was a wandering tendency as the tires started to follow the groves in the pavement, forcing minute steering corrections. The change had been gradual but as the summer came to a close, it became more noticeable. Front wheel tire wear was very uneven.

Enter Paul Wustrack, Master Mechanic (specializing in American Muscle cars) and all around great guy. Safari went on the lift and it was clear the front end was tired. Paul had the car for about a week.

After some Internet searching we settled on the "Stage III" 1968 Corvette Front End Suspension Rebuild Kit from Corvette Stainless Steel Brakes inc. which included:

• 4 Tie Rod Ends
• 2 Tie Rod Sleeves w/Clamps
• 4 Ball Joints w/Rivets
• 8 A-Arm Bushings
• 2 Stabilizer Bar Link Kits
• 1 Idler Arm
• Upper & Lower A-Arm Bumpers
• A-Arm Dust Covers w/Fasteners

We also went for the $60 Polyurethane Bushings upgrade.

There was no doubt that the front end had not been worked on in the 44 years since Safari left the St. Louis MO factory. Left: The bushings were shot which likely contributed to the wandering tendencies. This work is never easy and Paul was forced to become aggressive when removing the bushings. Center: new ball joints were installed. Below: the transmission mount was also shot and was replaced.

Existing shock absorbers were tired and replaced as part of a long list of "while we're at it" items. New KYB gas shocks were installed.

After the front end work a four wheel alignment was necessary. Service Tire Company in Van Nuys CA did a great job. Steering, which had been pulling to the right along with the other front end troubles, was now straight.

About $2,000 was spent which included fixing a lot of other problems expected in a year old car. The results were significant. Safari no longer followed the grooves in the highway and the steering lost a lot of it's vagueness.

The steering still had too much play in it, so a steering coupler was ordered from Zip-Corvette (part number SC-377, $99.95 including shipping). As with many the other parts, the coupler looked like it had never been replaced since it was installed in 1968. The next big step was tires. The ones supplied by the previous owner had worn very unevenly, with the wear bands on the right front showing and the left front about to appear - with under 10,000 miles. The problem, no doubt, was the bad need of a front end rebuild that was taken care of November 2012. A set of four Coker BFG Silvertown P 215 /70R15 Redlines were ordered from summitracing.com at a cost of $960.95 including shipping.

The new tires was the third major step towards improving the way Safari drove. The first was the front end rebuild by Paul Wustrack. This reduced the tendency for the tires to follow the grooves in the freeway. The second was the new steering coupler which took a lot of the play out of the steering. The third item was the new tires which also improved steering feel and effort. This is not to say the FALKEN Sincera Touring tires installed by the previous owner were bad tires; they basically never had a chance with the front end needing a rebuild.

A Functional Embarrassment

After about two years of ownership, Safari still had one unfinished business item: the steering wheel. The previous owner did not like the original steering wheel (below left) that was supplied in all 1968 Corvettes, which was understandable. It was too large and caused some comfort issues as the drivers hand would bump up against the thick upper part of the door panel. It also included an offset that caused it to be too close to the driver. GM basically admitted that it was a mistake by issuing a one inch smaller diameter steering wheel which also had a lower offset for 1969. Many 1968 owners - both when the car was new and today - have switched to the later model steering wheel.

The previous owner recognized the problem but came up with a bad solution: the "Grant GT" steering wheel (above right). It was basically a functional and visual disaster. While it did resolve the problem of the drivers hand hitting the door panel and its minimal offset caused it not to be too close to the driver, it carried some serious negative baggage. The small size coupled with the lack of power steering resulted in low speed (especially parking) maneuvers that were a real physical effort. It also obscured the upper half of the gauges. As usage accumulated, the low quality stitching started to fall apart. And it screamed "CHEAP" to the point of embarrassment.

The solution for many 1968 Corvette owners was to install the steering wheel that came with the 1969 and later (up to 1975) Corvettes. While not technically correct, it could be argued that it was "period correct" since it was installed by many owners on their new 68s.

Left: the upgraded steering wheel is installed. Right: SOOOO much better!

Car Show Season

Plastic Fantastic, 2013: Made a return visit to San Diego (the first being the NCRS national convention in 2012) and entered the Plastic Fantastic hosted by the North County Corvette Club. This is always a great show, made special by the awesome Seaport Village location. The setting has provided a great backdrop for many of the photographs you see in "The Corvette Story" web site.

The Plastic Fantastic show also provided the opportunity for an official portrait of sorts for Safari.

May-11-2013; had a great time at the Shepherd of the Hills in Porter Ranch CA. Nice local car show benefitting a worthy cause, helping to build water wells in Sierra Leone, Africa.

July-21-2013: Ventura Motor Sports Gathering had an excellent selection of cars.

Monterey Historics, 2013

What an Honor!

Corvette was the featured marque for the 2013 Monterey Motorsports Reunion. The NCRS put on a special Corvette Corral featuring a Corvette from every year - 1953 through 2013. Safari was selected to represent 1968! It was a great time and special thanks to Mike Ingham for his organizational work.

Odd as it may seem, until August 10, 2013 I had never waxed Safari. The previous owner had sold it with a good quality wax job so there really was no need for another for a couple of years. The detailing regiment consisted of hand washing when needed and many treatments of quick detailer using Mothers, Meguiar's and other products. Since it was never driven in the rain, this was sufficient.

There are many rewards for owning a vintage Corvette, some of them unexpected. I was at the Supercar Sunday event in Woodland Hills CA when this little tyke ran up to Safari and kept pointing at it. He didn't say anything but he indicated a lot of excitement to his parents. I let him have a seat and he just smiled and pointed to this and that. A future 'vette enthusiast? Let's hope so!

February 28, 2016, hanging with fellow Corvette peepes at the Petersen Museum. The drive there with LA freeways and in town traffic wasn't so great but a good time was had when we arrived.

Had a great honor in May 2015; was invited to the Greystone Mansion Concours in Beverly Hills. A classy event, made that much better as it included tours of the mansion. There were a lot of high dollar cars in attendance. Above Right: Was interviewed by Dave Kunz | abc7.com.

Around 2017, some problems with the exhaust system became apparent. There were occasional rattles and other issues. I was never happy with the aftermarket header exhaust flanges as they were the lowest part of the car and therefore vulnerable to speed bumps etc., a common malady for low slung cars.

The system previously installed wasn't bad but it did carry some negative baggage. The mufflers themselves were clumsily installed and were hitting the body; some sections of the body had been cut away due to clearance issues. Also missing were hangers just before the frame opening.

Dale worked his magic and I was very pleased with the results. The flanges were cleaned up so speed bumps and other threats were mitigated. Proper hangers were installed and the mufflers themselves got better placement. The exhaust tips themselves were changed to a more correct type with an angle cut, although I really wasn't going for a "concours" result.