Corvette: America's Sports Car (107)
It was born in 1953 as a fiberglass shell placed over standard Chevrolet components. In the fifty years since its birth, it has evolved into America's premier sports car. It is one of the few automobiles in the world that creates its own excitement and makes driving a rewarding experience. It is the Corvette!

Corvette Facts:

• In 1951, a crew began work on a GM sports car. The project was code named "Opel."

• The Jaguar XK120 is believed to have been the inspiration for the first Corvette.

• 11,199 new sports cars were registered in America in 1952, including 7,449 M.G. TDs and 3,349 Jaguar XK120s.

• The man who named the Corvette was Myron Scott... then Chevrolet's chief photographer.
  
  
• The Corvette was the first fiberglass-bodied car to be built by a company the size of General Motors.

• 1954 Corvettes were also available in "Onyx Black" and "Perrant Blue."

• The first five Corvettes to come off the assembly line didn't have an outside rearview mirror.
  
  
• The Corvette's new V-8 engine weighed 41 pounds less than the Blue Flame Six.

• There are 13 vertical bars or "teeth" in the grill of the 1956 Corvette.

• 1957 was the first year a limited-slip differential was offered as an option.
  
  
• Nylon-belted tires first became available on the 1960 Corvette; prior to 1960, only cotton was offered.

• Interior colors for the 1960 Corvette included black, red, light blue metallic and turquoise metallic.

• 1962 was the final year for the power top on the roadster.

• The 1963 Corvette introduced adjustable steering columns, wider wheel rims and power steering.

• A steel "birdcage" framework beneath the plastic shell of the Sting Ray adds to the structural integrity of the body.

• The 1963 Sting Ray Convertible was offered with a choice of folding soft-top or removable hardtop.
  
  
• The designation "Turbo Jet" was first used on Corvette engines with a rating of 390 horsepower or greater.

• 1968 was the first year AM/FM stereo was offered as an option.

• The "Sting Ray" name was not used on 1968 Corvette; the name returned in 1969, spelled "Stingray."

• By Federal mandate, the 1980 Corvette was the first model to have a 85 mph speedometer.

• The 1984 Corvette was the first American production car to have a 64-degree windshield angle.

• In 1987 you could buy a Corvette without a factory-installed engine.

• Twenty 1986 Corvettes were sent to Lotus in England to be converted into prototypes for the ZR-1 project.

• The 1997 Corvette is the first Corvette to have windshield wipers that sweep in the same direction.

• It takes 55 hours to build the C5 Corvette, down from 70 hours for the previous model.

• The optional 1956 V-8 engine produced 225 horsepower. Performance options included a twin-carb kit, and the Duntov camshaft kit.

• A Corvette finished 8th overall at the 1960 Le Mans race.

• The Corvette SR-2 finished 16th at the 1957 Sebring race.

• The Corvette SS engine featured aluminum cylinder heads.

• Independent suspension was introduced on the 1963 Corvette.

• The 1963 Corvette Sting Ray won its debut race at the Riverside Raceway.