Being such a long-lasting beast, its generations offer something for everyone. Do you consider yourself a supercar enthusiast? The latest 8^th gen will suit you perfectly. Want to dabble into vintage cars? Then you can try to go for the classic Corvette that everyone wants!

However, looking at the Vette through the lens of time may give you the wrong impression. For example, did you know the first generation came close to utter failure? Or that it started out as the cheaper US alternative to Jaguar and MG? Let us see how the idea of Corvette was born, what went wrong, and how it ultimately rose to the top!

The origins of the Chevrolet Corvette

In typical General Motors fashion, the Corvette had less to do with originality and more with improving the already successful ideas. It all goes to show that even reactionary vehicles can end up becoming iconic. Though prior to that, it came close to becoming just a historical footnote. More on that in a second!

It all started with the boom of exotic sports cars like the Jaguar XK120 (the great-granddaddy of E-type). In the late 1940s, Harley Earl, the head of GM’s styling at the time, realized the potential such a market had. Mainly because the US had barely any claim to it.

All such vehicles hailed over from Europe with quite the hefty price tag, making the opportunity for a cheaper alternative quite apparent. On top of that, US companies had the advantage of relying on good old patriotism to drive more sales.

Taking all those facts into account, Earl presented the concept and managed to get the affordable sports car idea off the ground. Thus, in 1953, Chevrolet Corvette C1 was born. At first, everyone adored the two-seater beast. Its looks screamed “speed”, plus it did come out a bit cheaper than the competition. Sadly, performance did not match aesthetics.

What went wrong with the first-gen Corvette?

In the beginning, GM had fairly reasonable expectations of building about 10,000 Corvette units per year. Although a considerable number, it still fell somewhat on the conservative side. Yet, they could not even reach the 4,000 mark in the first 2 years.

The main reason for that had to do with engine details. The Corvette was touted as a sports car, but could not live up to that. GM initially put in a 3.9L inline-six engine, that gave the car only 150 hp after modifications. Accelerating from 0 to 60 mph took 11.5 seconds. To put things in perspective, Jaguar XK120 could do it in just 8.5 secs even with its higher weight.

To make things worse the Corvette’s engine had already been used for more than a decade in other vehicles. In other words, they relied on old tech for a new car that had to compete with exotic foreign rides!

Perhaps people could have justified it if the price was tremendously lower. After all, that was the initial goal. Too bad it only came at about 15% cheaper than the alternatives. At this point, GM almost shut the whole project down, as it failed to meet their projections. However, largely because the company wanted to save face in the Ford vs Chevrolet rivalry, GM pushed forward for a while longer. The carmaker decided to improve whatever it could and possibly salvage the project. And it did succeed!

How Chevrolet Corvette C1 evolved through the years

Starting in 1955, GM introduced changes to the Corvette on an annual basis. The company took everything good about the car, added some more oomph to it, and made it fly. Below you can see a timetable of how it all progressed.

• 1953 – 300 Corvettes rolled out of the factory and received compliments on their aesthetics.
• 1954 – Only about 3,600 units were built, as the market reacted strongly against the lackluster performance. That almost spelled the end for the model.
• 1955 – GM put in a V8 engine and added a 3-speed manual transmission. Finally, the model got the performance to match its looks. It now had 195 hp and accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 8.5s, rivaling the Jaguar XK120.
• 1956 – With further improvements to the body of the car, and ultimately dropping the old I6 engine, Corvette sales started going up again.
• 1957 – The model’s sales doubled and its V8 engine got some more power, now ranging from 210 up to 290 hp. The 4-speed manual transmission also became an option. The car finally felt like an expensive sports car. On top of that, its price went down, making it an incredible bang-for-the-buck alternative.
• 1958-1961 – Both the interior and exterior received noticeable changes. Models from ’58 and up could be considered facelift versions. Sales continued to rise steadily, even though the price got a serious bump, too (at about 30%).
• 1962 – The final production year introduced the most powerful 327ci V8 engine for the lineup so far. It had up to 360 hp, with both manual and automatic transmissions available.

Ultimately, the first-gen Corvette came out successful. By the end of its run, GM had produced a little over 69,000 units and was ready to take it a step further!

The legacy of the Chevrolet Corvette

In just a few generations, Corvette became the poster American sports car. By its third iteration, its numbers broke the half-million mark, making it one of Chevy’s mainstay models.

That being said, throughout the years, the Corvette became less of an affordable car and more of a top tier luxury beast. The model continues to receive praise, though many old school fans feel like it no longer carries the spirit of those first few generations.

So what do you think, should you buy a Corvette today, and if yes, which one? With the exception of C4 and C5, I love them all. The irony is that classic Corvettes often cost more than the new ones!

The post First-gen Corvette: America’s answer to the Jaguar appeared first on Altered Steel.

Now, the Corvette may not be the fastest vehicle around. It may not be the prettiest either. It may not even be “the most American”. And yet, the model is perhaps the most desired sports car for many Americans. However, that does not really tell you much. Why?

There are way too many Corvette models, so the name alone does not mean a great deal. That is why I have decided to figure out which of this vehicle’s iterations is the most wanted one. Let’s see what there is to find!

A quick mention for the newer Corvettes

Cars have evolved to be beautiful, fast, and breath-taking. All the newer models look awesome, there is no doubt about that. However, there is something special about the classic Corvette. I cannot quite pin it down, but it has to do with its spirit. It has aged well, and maybe the modern one will catch up to it one day. But for now, we will only include it as an honorable mention.

So which of the newer models should catch your attention the most? In my opinion, the 2017 Corvette Grand Sport takes the lead with flying colors. It is a beast with 460 horsepower on the LT1 6.2L engine. But these are not just numbers – it gets from 0 to 60 in 3.6 secs. So it is a true successor of the original Grand Sport.

Defining the rules

Now that we have already dealt with the modern age, we can properly turn back to the classics. With their curvy design, vintage aesthetics and amazing engine sounds, these models are a pure treasure. So are you ready to know the winner here? Yeah, I was too. But then I faced an issue.

When I set out to find the Chevrolet Corvette that everyone wants, I hit a brick wall. How do we actually define that? Do I look for the most expensive model? That surely does not mean it is the most desired. What about the most bought? That also does not necessarily mean “most wanted”.

I figured I can just research what the “best” model is. But, obviously, the internet does not agree on that either. So I decided to drop looking for “the one model” and I will instead give you some noteworthy candidates. You can have your pick from any of them!

Who cares about the price?

It goes without saying that cars are not cheap. But $3,850,000 is not exactly a price that you would consider “reasonable”. Surprisingly though, a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 got sold for exactly that amount. However, considering there are only 20 such vehicles ever built, the price seems more than fair.

It is interesting to note that this is not even the most expensive Corvette out there. The low end for this model is around $1,000,000, but there are known ‘Vettes that go up to 8 mils. Yes, a bit steep, I would say.

The scarcity of the 1967 L88 model made it a prized collection piece, even in the year of its production. It was not just for show either. This Corvette could hold its own with 430 HP, according to the manufacturer. The funny part? It was actually more along the lines of 560 HP when tested. Not too shabby.

If you have the opportunity to get your hands on one of these 20 gems, go for it. They are the secret dream of every Corvette fan, so you will never be left without attention.

The first Corvette with a V8 engine

History tells us that the ‘Vette had its debut in 1953. Back then it was an interesting addition to the array of sports cars on the market. And yet it was nothing new, like Jaguar, Ferrari, and Aston Martin had already staked their claim as sporty vehicles.

However, come 1955 things changed. The Chevy Corvette got its now-staple V8 engine and things started looking much brighter for the American beast. The performance boost of that motor made this Chevy a much more desirable vehicle. That was likely the main reason why it did so well, making the company continue on with its second generation.

The 1955 Corvette V8 can be found at different auctions online and it is much more affordable than our previous mention. So if you are looking for a classic model to buy, this one may just fit your budget with prices around the $100,000 mark.

The third generation beast

When people talk about classic vehicles, they cannot always agree on what is considered such. But we can safely say that the first three generations of the Corvette model fall well within the classic domain.

The third generation, in particular, is the longest-running one of all with 14 years of production. Yet, among its most iconic pieces is the 1969 Corvette L88. Wait, isn’t that the same as the expensive model from two minutes ago? Well, actually, no!

While it may sound like these two vehicles should be nearly identical, they are not. In fact, the 1969 model builds well upon the design of its predecessor. From a classier, sportier look it turns to a more muscle one. Its aesthetics get more aggressive and the overall build seems a little bit closer to ground.

That being said, the price is not all that different. You need to shell out upwards of $450,000 for the regular 1969 L88. But if you want something more exciting, you can go to almost 3 times the price with the ZL1 version.

Are you ready to go all-in?

Let’s say you are now convinced that a ‘Vette seems like a good investment. Keep in mind that you do not need to buy the most expensive one. There are a lot of nice models, which sell for a lot less than the mentioned here. But are you ready to go all-in? What’s your  ‘Vette?

The post The classic Corvette that everyone wants appeared first on Altered Steel.