Chevrolet Corvette History: General Motors And Chevy Cars

In terms of American sports cars, none has the same kind of cache and past as the Chevy Corvette. Corvette history is as long and storied as any European muscle cars, and each subsequent generation of Chevrolet accounts itself very well against its more expensive cousins. A review of Corvette history shows a tremendous vehicle, which has pushed technological, mechanical and style barriers for decades.
The saga of Corvette history started in 1951, when General Motors executive Harley Earl reviewed some of the more popular European sports cars, and decided to test the feasibility of an American car on the luxury market. General Motors assigned the project to one of its child brands, Chevrolet, and prototypes of the muscle car were put into production. Corvette history officially begins in 1953 when Chevy brings it to automotive industry trade shows and declares it the American Dream Car. The first line of Chevy Corvettes, the C-1s, roll out of General Motors' Flint, Michigan plant at $3,000 a piece.
The next stage of Corvette history was underway in 1963, when the Chevy Corvette Stingray hit the market. The Sting Ray was a significant change over the flatter, more wide bodied Chevy vehicles of the past, making it look sleeker and more like a European muscle car. Some of the rarest and most expensive vehicles in Corvette history were designed at this time. The Grand Sport Corvette was a luxury racing vehicle that only stayed on production for five total vehicles, which are worth millions today.
The C-3 Mako Sharks were the next line in Corvette history, coming around in 1969. These were the first vehicles to feature the standard Chevrolet design which is featured in all Corvettes today. The engines received an upgrade and fueling switched to unleaded, but the next significant changes in Corvette history were not really seen until the C-4s in the early 80s. The C-4 was considered a much better handling racing model, though it was not particularly comfortable. In 1986, Chevy produced the Corvette ZR-1 which was priced at double what other models were, but featured one of the most powerful engines on the muscle car market.
More recent Corvette history produced the C-5 in 1997. The new breed shared the power and handling of its ancestors, but the rides were considered much smoother and more comfortable. With the 2003 models, Chevy held a celebration of the 50th anniversary of General Motors' foray into the sports car market and Corvette history in general. The new C-6 Corvettes and Corvette Z06s, started production in 2005, and have featured progressive engine upgrades and slight body modifications to make the line more desirable on the international luxury market. Which, given that the Corvette is priced at nearly half its competitors' average stickers, is entirely possible
Corvette history is as American as the flag and apple pie. It is a story of an American company diving headfirst into a genre dominated by European manufacturers and coming up with a design that is just as desirable and powerful as any of theirs. A look into Corvette history is a look into the past of the American auto industry, and the future of General Motors and its place in the auto market.


Sources:
"Chevrolet Corvette." General Motors Corporation. 2007. 8 July 2007. http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/.
"Corvette Timeline." National Corvette Museum. 2007. 8 July 2007. http://www.corvettemuseum.com/library-archives/tim eline/1951.shtml.
"Corvette History." H&H Corvette Inc. 2003-2005. 8 July 2007. http://www.hnhcorvette.com/corvetteHistory/index.h tm.
"Chevrolet Corvette." Wikipedia. 6 July 2007. 8 July 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette.