Icons in Time: Chevrolet Corvette Car Connection 06/30/03 by Mike Davis

1953 The first full-scale Corvette concept is displayed as a dream car at GM's Motorama in New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in January.

First Generation, 1953-1962
1953 Six months after the GM Motorama debut, the first production Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Flint, Mich., on June 30. It features the familiar Chevrolet 235.5-cid OHV Blue Flame 6, hopped up to 150 hp with triple carburetors and a two-speed, floor-shift mounted Powerglide automatic transmission. The 102-inch wheelbase is thirteen inches shorter than the
standard Chevrolet passenger car. Fiberglass was chosen over steel for the Corvette's body material for two reasons: tooling is easier to create and it allows designers more freedom to create rounded shapes.
All 300 Corvettes for the 1953-model are produced in Polo White with red interior. Only two options were available on the Corvette: a heater and an AM radio (with the antenna sandwiched into the fiberglass trunk lid). Corvette production moves from Flint to St. Louis, Mo., in December 1953.

1954 Three new exterior colors (Blue, Red and Black) and a new interior color (Beige) are offered.

1955 The 195-hp, 265-cid small-block V8 is introduced, and a three-speed manual transmission becomes available.

1956 Roll-up windows and external door handles are introduced with revised, scalloped-side styling.

1957 Corvettes equipped with fuel injection are available with an optional steering column-mounted tachometer.

1958 Dual headlamps with separate high- and low-beams appear for the first time on Corvette.

1959 The T-handle shifter debuts for Corvette, along with a storage bin under the passenger-side grab handle.

1960 An aluminum radiator is available on Corvettes for the first time, but limited to high-lift cam engines.

1961 A four-round taillamp design is used on Corvette.

1962 Corvette's last year with exposed headlamps, solid rear axle and - for 36 years - a trunk opening.

Second Generation, 1963-1967

1963 Corvette receives a total restyle based on Bill Mitchell's 1959 Sting Rayracecar.

1964 The split-window design is eliminated on the fastback Coupe to improve rear vision.

1965 Corvette's first year for four-wheel disc brakes, and the last year for mechanical fuel injection.

1966 Factory-installed driver/passenger headrests debut as Corvette optional equipment.

1967 Standard features on the Sting Ray - as well as for the rest of the industry - include government-mandated energy-absorbing steering column, hazard warning flashers and dual master cylinder brake system.

Third Generation, 1968-1972

1968 The totally restyled Corvette features an industry first for production cars, T-top removable roof panels.

1969 The 250,000th Corvette - a gold convertible - comes off the St. Louis production line on Nov. 19, 1969.

1970 The ZR-1 optional factory-installed racing package is offered on Corvette for the first time.

1971 All Corvette engines now designed to run on unleaded fuel.

1972 The last model year that Corvette Coupes offered a removable rear window.

1973 Corvettes use a new body-colored front bumper and steel side-beam passenger protection.

1974 Corvette's first year with one-piece lap-and-shoulder safety belts; it is also the last year of the mammoth 454-cid V-8.

1975 Last model year for a Corvette convertible until its return in 1986.

1976 An over-the-radiator, carburetor air-induction system is a new standard feature.

1977 The 500,000th Corvette - a white Coupe with red interior - is produced in St. Louis on March 15, 1977.

1978 The new fastback body style (bubbletop) marks Corvette's 25th year of production. There's a special Silver Anniversary Edition.

1979 AM/FM radio becomes a standard feature on all Corvettes.

1980 Styling changes include a new low-profile hood and a rear bumper cover with integral spoiler.

1981 A fiberglass-reinforced, monoleaf rear spring becomes standard on all Corvettes.

1982 Corvette assembly moves to the new Bowling Green, Ky., plant on June 1, 1981, and assembly of '82 models features a new pop-top hatchback design.

1983 No '83 model is offered for sale to the public. However, 43 units with engineering designations of 1983 models are built as pre-production prototypes of the upcoming all-new 1984 model.

Fourth Generation, 1984-1996

1984 The all-new Corvette C4 has a drag coefficient (Cd) of 0.34, a 24-percent aerodynamic improvement over its predecessor.
The 750,000th Corvette (a 1984 model) is produced at Bowling Green on October 26, 1983.

1985 Big news for Corvette is the addition of tuned-port injection on the 230-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8.

1986 A convertible model returns to the Corvette line (after an eleven-year absence) and serves as the Indy 500 pace car.

1987 A new Z-52 suspension option is available for ride and handling improvements.

1988 Last Corvette model year for the Doug Nash 4 3-speed manual transmission.

1989 A new option is a Selective Ride Control System offering driver selection of three modes: Touring, Sport and Competition.

1990 A new Corvette ZR-1 model debuts and a driver-side airbag becomes a standard feature.

1991 The first major restyle since 1984 adds ZR-1-type exterior appointments to the Coupe and convertible.

1992 Performance of the new 300-horsepower 5.7-liter V-8 engine results in the LT1 designation.

The One Millionth Corvette - naturally, a white convertible with red interior, matching the first Corvette - rolls off the Bowling Green assembly line on July 2, 1992.

1993 A special 40th Anniversary Edition featuring 'Ruby Red' exterior paint is offered on Coupes and convertibles.

1994 New standard features include a passenger-side airbag and introduction of Sequential Fuel Injection.

1995 The final year of ZR-1 production; also the third time that a Corvette paces the Indy 500.

1996 Two unique Corvette models become available - a 'Collector Edition' and a 'Grand Sport.'

Fifth Generation, 1997-

1997 All-new Corvette features numerous technological advances, including hydroformed side frame rails produced from a single piece of tubular steel.

1998 For the first time since '62, a separate trunk with outside access, returns on the Corvette convertible.

1999 A Hardtop model, with permanently fixed roof panel and external trunk lid, joins the Corvette family.

2000 Deemed unnecessary by the standard Active Keyless Entry system, the passenger-side key cylinder lock is eliminated.

2001 The Z06 is introduced with a 385-horsepower LS6 V-8.

2002 Z06 performance enhanced with infusion of another 20 horsepower - for a total output of 405 hp.

2003 As a tribute to a half-century of Corvette production, a 50th Anniversary Edition is introduced as an option for coupe and convertible models.

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I thought it was cool to see the evolution of the vette.