Chevrolet Corvette Models & History (Nat Geo History) (Nat Geo History)

an automobile maybe transportation to some people but too many it's a love affair there are special cars that are the epitome of the word classic these cars hold a unique place in the hearts of their owners and those who can only dream of owning them this is the story of one such car although steam-powered vehicles have been built in Europe and America since the 1700s most people mark the automobiles beginning as 1885 when Karl Benz produced the first commercially manufactured automobile in 1893 in America Charles Duryea demonstrated his automobile and in 1896 Henry Ford built his quadricycle in 1896 Duryea became the first to mass-produce automobiles building thirteen identical ones in Springfield Mass his company would eventually be bought from him and become Chevrolet in 19:3 there were 1000 automobile manufacturers this same year the Ford Motor Company was founded and produced the Model A which went 30 miles per hour and cost $850 which was a lot of money back then Henry Ford revolutionized the assembly line by moving the car past the men instead of the men moving to the car which saved time and lowered the price from 850 to $300 making it possible for everyone to own his Model T in nineteen eight William seed Billy Durant incorporated General Motors backed by Durant Louis Chevrolet Swiss racing driver and engineer created the classic six and incorporated the Chevrolet motor car company on November 3rd 1911 in 1914 when Chevrolet announced the 490 well over 46,000 orders were received by 1918 Chevrolet would become part of GM the car changed people's lives city folk went to the country sometimes unexpectedly running into other people roads were still more suited to the horse and carriage but you could drive through a thousand-year-old California redwood as the automobiles popularity grew so did traffic and parking problems cars became bigger and more luxurious the electric starter replaced the hand crank making it easier for women to own cars in 1925 25 million cars were produced in America clearly the love affair with the automobile was well underway and style emerged as an important aspect of cars these are just a few examples Duesenberg high-performance cars stunned the world the J model with 265 horsepower and SJ series with 320 horsepower which would be like introducing a car today with 1000 horsepower the first post-world war ii car was brought out by Studebaker flush side styling became popular car sales bloomed the automobile had evolved from utilitarian means of transportation to a stylish high-performance car General Motors took notice of the fact that during the war gi's had driven European sports cars such as the mg and Morgan and had brought some back to the States up to 1953 American manufacturers were only building big family sized luxury cars but this was about to change in 1953 America's first sports car the Corvette was born introduced at GM's Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria January 1953 the Corvette was such a hit people lined up for over 30 minutes just to get a glimpse of America's first and - Corvette owners only sports car there were 300 built in 1953 but only 180 sold for just over $3,000 it came as a convertible in polo white with a sportsman red vinyl interior it had a top speed of a hundred eight reaching 60 miles per hour from a stop in 11 seconds its engine nicknamed the blue flame was a straight-6 this is a 1953 Chevrolet promotional film notice that the driver has to reach inside to open the door because it came without door handles in addition to the speedometer it had a tachometer to measure engine revolutions Harley Earl Zora arkus-duntov Bill Mitchell and Edie Cole are considered the fathers of the Corvette because of a lengthy aluminum strike the very first Corvettes were made of a revolutionary new material GRP glass reinforced plastic which became a permanent part of the Corvette due to last-minute holdups not all of those first 300 cars all convertibles looked alike some had different hubcaps or other parts Harley Earl and ed Cole wanted to design a car to compete with the European sports cars such as Jaguar Porsche Mercedes and Ferrari the Corvette is often referred to as the American Ferrari in 1954 3265 were built all convertibles production switched from Flint Michigan to st. Louis in 1953 and 54 Corvettes were all automatic a three-speed transmission was an option in 1955 this 54 convertible is completely original with a six-cylinder 235 cubic inch engine with 185 horsepower only 3400 of these cars were produced red pendant blue black and white or available in 1954 but in 1953 all the cars were white with a red interior Zora Duntov joined the team during the first year Bill Mitchell followed close behind and in 1959 succeeded Earle as head of styling they hope to keep the price down by using existing Chevrolet parts and chassis this made for an exceedingly difficult design problem it didn't take long for Ford to come up with their own idea of an American sports car within a year and a half of Chevrolet's introduction of the Corvette Ford introduced the Thunderbird it was a sleek two-seater sports car September 9th 1954 it rolled off the assembly line the 1955 Corvette had the innovative 265 cubic inch v8 engine the first Chevrolet v8 since the war the SS prototype Corvette race car was built to compete at Sebring it reveals the style elements to come Bill Mitchell who was crucial to Corvettes evolution stands to the right notice the fierce-looking sharpteeth grill 1956 could have been the end of the Corvette but Zora Duntov helped create a new design which included the trademark side indentation also it was the first year a hardtop was available the v8 went from 210 brake horsepower at 5200 rpm to 240 at 5800 rpm at GM's Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria the restyled 1956 Corvette and other GM models and prototypes are displayed Buick Centurion Oldsmobiles golden rocket Pontiacs club de Mer Chevrolet's Impala looking like a Corvette station wagon and Pontiacs Firebird 2 which takes us on a journey through a futuristic world in 1957 racing at Sebring the Corvette won in its class 20 laps ahead of the nearest Mercedes 300 this win put it in the history books the 1957 Corvette had a fuel injection system designed by John dosa and Zora Duntov an optional 4-speed transmission the engine was a 283 with a single four-barrel which had 240 horsepower another 283 engine had two four barrels which they called two quads which improved the horsepower it came with a soft top and a removable hard cup the 57 had two front headlights while the 58 had four in 1957 Duntov officially became chief of Corvette production options that year included a left-side mirror Radio heater brake light warning and windshield washers the 57 taillights were open as opposed to the 58 s that were covered in 1958 Corvette had five engine sizes 9,000 sold and more chrome was added here you see a lineup of Corvettes from 1953 through 1958 in 1958 the other American two-seater the Thunderbird went to a larger four seat configuration and Corvette was now the only legitimate American sports car in 1959 the Corvette had less chrome and better suspension in 1960 sales top 10,000 helped in part by Thunderbird shift from a two-seater to four four Corvettes competed against the likes of Porsche Ferrari and Mercedes in the grueling 24 hour LeMans race in France only one Corvette finished taking eighth place but it surprised and impressed the Europeans unlike most of the other cars which came in a trailer the Corvettes drove to the race fuelled up and went into the competition in 1960 Bill Mitchell while in the Bahamas caught a shark and had it mounted he thought the body shape would be ideal for the new XP 775 prototype which would be called the mako shark he gave it to Larry Shinoda who stylized the shark's jaw and teeth and even the coloring a gradation from light grey to dark blue the story goes that the paint shop repainted Mitchell's shark to match the car since they couldn't get the car to match the shark in 1960 Garry Laughlin asked Sergio scaglietti who built the bodies for Ferraris 250 GTS to build a hybrid car using the Corvette chassis and engine and Scalia T's body only three were built and it never fulfilled its racing hopes but it is highly appreciated for its styling the 1961 Corvette had minor changes except for the restyled flattened rear deck this design would be reflected in models until the mid 1970s the 61 was the last year for the two-tone and the big white walls it was the first year for the trademark quad taillights the tail changed from the 1960 to what's called a duck tail which is actually the back end of the Stingray this new back allowed the seats to be pushed back and allow for greater legroom the front grille was also changed there were no more teeth but it still had the same shape and thin chrome horizontal lines the 61 has a 283 cubic inch engine with 230 horsepower there were 5 engine sizes available all 283 s the highest horsepower was the fuel-injected 315 horsepower which had more than 1 horsepower per cubic inch 61 had Spears and chrome around the cove the 1962 was one solid color and did not have chrome encircling the cove this is one of the last of this model made in July of 62 with the original Hatteras marooned stock color it has a 327 engine with 340 horsepower it still has the original hubcaps engine and transmission it has a hard and soft top a secret project nicknamed Operation Mongoose was begun to challenge Shelby's Ford Cobras the car that resulted was called the Grand Sport whose production began in 1962 the following year at Watkins Glen the Grand Sport would have its first victory also that year three grand sports with 550 brake horsepower engines went to Nassau to race in race after race they decidedly beat Shelby's Ford Cobras technically a hundred were supposed to be built however only five were ever produced this white 62 Corvette is number 1156 out of about 15,000 made that year it has a 327 engine with solid lifters 340 horsepower and a four-speed T tram transmission this was the last year for exposed headlights notice the blacked-out front grille and the different logo on the hood it had less chrome 1962 would mark the end of the second design era a radical change was about to occur bothered by rumors that Ford was creating a high-performance sports car to challenge Corvette Chevrolet decided a dramatic change was in order this comparison shows the major styling change in 1963 the revamp Corvette appears the famous stingray it remains one of the most innovative automobile styling designs it was an instant hit doubling Corvette production available as a convertible or coupe it remains one of the most exciting cars ever built its design influenced by aerodynamics was the flattened wedge pop-up headlamps cutoff rear slit rear window and recessed taillights the rear window divider makes the fuel on altered ones very collectible the 63 was the first year they had a coupe 1953 262 were all convertibles it was also the first year for the rotating hideaway lights and the split window and back the louvers on the hood are just for styling the 63 had the two horizontal side vents that don't operate and behind the door you can see the indentation but there's no vent or blowers from 63 to 67 different gas lit emblems and rocker panels marked each year notice that stingray was spelled in two words at this time the Stingray was an outgrowth of the keel car prototypes begun in 1957 for the Stingray owner the most popular were red or silver with leather seats positraction rear axle and Blackwall tires on alloy wheels due to demand Chevrolet had to add a second shift and dealers reported owners waiting months for their cars to be delivered production surpassed 20,000 units this 1963 stingray belonged to Harley Earl who was the designer of the original Corvette in this rare film shot at the General Motors Grand Prix proving grounds a group of Chevrolet research and development engineers and Zora arkus-duntov flanked by two famous Corvette race drivers dr. dick Thompson and Dave McDonald are about to evaluate a new all-american sports car the Corvette Stingray I try just what you said the acceleration very definitely really got what it takes to come on and couldn't spin the rear wheels when I got out here I stepped on it the first as far as I could when you're independent yes could you break loose not at all the high speed stability oh very good this car really looked good I was falling off that riser people over 100 and it read it it's solid so am i beautiful up there so I'm not sure we're in love with it but that's time you guys are yeah but important improvements impressive in 1957 all the automobile manufacturers had agreed to stop competing and racing however Bill Mitchell out of his own pocket and other Corvette engineers continued to support racing doing it out the back door racing has always had an influence on the design and engineering of the car the 1964 Corvette had a single rear window and smoother quieter ride this 64 riverside red coupe stingray has a 327 cubic inch 250 horsepower automatic Powerglide engine power steering brakes and windows a blower motor operating through the louvers behind the door recirculates the air inside like the 63 the 64 has to fake louvers on the side from 1954 to 1966 the rear end stayed basically the same the 67 had a backup light over the license plate Thunderbird had changed out of its sports car beginnings to become a luxury 4 seater but Ford had another car on its mind in 1964 the Mustang was born despite the huge success of the Mustang Chevrolet once again decided to keep the Corvette a true two-seater sports car Chevrolet realized that Corvettes appeal was crucial to maintaining its youthful and high-performance image the Stingray styling would continue through 1967 the 1965 had all-around disc brakes and an optional 396 CID porcupine head engine boasting 425 horsepower dubbed turbojet 396 1965 was the first year for the 396 big-block engine with 425 horsepower the big-block was made from March of 65 through the end of the year it came as a hardtop or convertible in this Glen green convertible you can see the side pipes which were added for the first time this blue coupe has a 250 engine with power steering and power brakes 1965 was the last year for fuel injection and the first time Corvette introduced disc brakes to replace the drum brakes there were five engine sizes available the slits were vertical and opened to help cool the brakes as opposed to the 63 and 64 models that had closed horizontal vents that were just for decoration in 1966 fuel injection was dropped as too costly since it added about 538 dollars to the price in 66 they came out with the 427 the 1967 was the only year for the front scoop and for the first time rally wheels became available with several tire options this one has white walls the backup light is over the license plate the four-speed 67 stingray has a big-block 427 engine with three carburetors it has two tops hard and convertible in 1968 Corvette styling changed again the blue 1967 stingray styling has disappeared in the yellow 1968 Corvette the mako shark - an experimental prototype and show car that had been around since 1965 influenced the styling of the 1968 stingray the 1968 had a tunneled roof with removable panels sloping front end and rear spoiler and proved immensely popular it went to a hundred miles per hour from a stop in 20 seconds a convertible was available with a removable top the l88 series only lasted three years with twenty built in 67 80 in 68 and 116 in 1969 the innovation was the aluminum head the l88 motor came in a car without a heater and screen defroster in an attempt to discourage street use it had a top speed of a hundred eighty-three miles per hour in 1967 one led the grueling 24 hour LeMans race for 11 and a half hours before its engine blew up the 67 and 68 didn't have fan shrouds so it was easy to overheat if you weren't careful this 1968 L 88 has a 427 engine with a supposed horsepower of 430 but four years later Chevrolet issued a memo stating it actually had over 500 horsepower along with the air filter being in the hood of the car it has 12.5 to 1 compression 600 lift camshaft aluminum heads 336 Road gears and J 56 Racing brakes not a street car since this Corvette only takes between 100 and 105 octane racing fuel at a cost of four dollars and twenty-nine cents a gallon the big-block designated zl1 was a devastating power pack and to discourage road use came without the amenities of a heater power steering or air conditioner the 1969 stingray was spelled in one word this 1969 Riverside gold Corvette 350 has a 300 horsepower engine the smallest offered that year it had been 17 years since the first Corvettes named after a World War two French ship had rolled off the assembly line in Flint Michigan on June 30th 1953 1970 Corvette one car and drivers pole is the most popular car at a manual 4-speed transmission and 390 horsepower 454 ls5 v8 the largest Corvette engine this 1970 Donnybrook green convertible is a first a production car with a 350 cubic inch shell 46 engine with 350 horsepower 4-speed transmission 370 positraction rear end and power windows and steering the egg crate grilles on the side are different from the 69 which had four events the grilles also matched the front and the turning indicators are big and square instead of round the wheel wells are more flared to keep stones from coming up and chipping the body there was also a small-block 350 cubic inch lt1 engine that generated 370 horsepower in the 70s fuel consumption along with pollution and safety concerns doomed the muscle cars the l88 needed 103 octane gas and nothing over 91 was available at the pumps interestingly Corvette had been designed with a safety feature that should it ever be hit head-on the front deck would slide under the driver and passenger compartment in 1972 only three engine sizes were offered the smallest number since 1963 in 1976 Corvette stopped making convertibles until public demand brought them back in the mid 80s the 76 had four red taillights instead of two red and two white the dealer added the luggage rack 1976 was the last year stingray was written on the side of the car as well as the last year four front louvers it has a removable T top this Corvette has added side skirts and a front spoiler the 350 engine has a hundred eighty horsepower with a top speed of 135 miles per hour in 1977 the five hundred thousandth Corvette rolled off the assembly line production reached over 49,000 1977 was the last year for the small flat back window and the first time we see the sports mirrors which were an option the 76 had stingray on the car to 77 just has the flags this silver blue 1977 with a 350 cubic inch automatic engine has 50,000 original miles on it and is completely stock the 1978 Corvette again had a styling change wraparound fastback rear screen reminiscent of the 63 stingray it was its 25th Silver Anniversary and to special limited edition cars were produced which were collector cars right off the line the silver anniversary and the Indy pace car replicas in 1981 production of Corvettes changed to Bowling Green Kentucky this 1981 was originally a t-top that was made into a convertible by its owner the 3/5 the engine with 4-speed transmission has 190 horsepower reaching over a hundred thirty miles per hour this was the last year for carburetors before Corvette returned to fuel injection in 1980 to 1982 marked the end of another Corvette generation with a custom exterior and interior glass hatchback and crossfire injection 5.7 liter v8 engine Corvette introduced the hatchback rear window as well as the crossfire injection system in this 350 5.7 liter 190 horsepower engine this is one of the 6500 49 silver beige collector's edition Corvettes which were all identical interior and exterior in 1983 another styling change occurred for the Corvette derived from a design known as the arrow Vette it came from research and the Boeing wind tunnel and produced a more aerodynamic car also rack and pinion steering was added however it was not offered for sale until 1984 France so well known for its great wine and food has serious Corvette fans the French are often called chauvinistic and xenophobic however there are those who prefer a Corvette to a Pujo or Citroen the Chevrolet Corvette Club de France has existed since 1989 the club has approximately 350 members and about a hundred 60 cars among them they generally come to the USA particularly California to buy their Corvettes and take them back to France Corvette Mike in Orange County is a favorite dealer to young French club members drove from lyon france in their beautiful 1983 Aero Vette to a small medieval town on the Cote d'Azur naturally their car elicited a lot of envious stares the engine of the 1983 is rated at 205 brake horsepower with 290 feet 4 pounds of torque new is a four-speed manual transmission with computer-controlled overdrive the suspension has more aluminum the Aero vet styling would last until 1997 when the c5 would debut this two-tone champagne 1985 has the z51 racing suspension modified by Dick gull strand for Chevrolet a black strip divides the two colors on this two-tone champagne Corvette with stock wheels this was the first year for a tuned port injection engine instead of the crossfire in 1988 bill Mitchell died of a heart attack a Callaway twin-turbo Corvette reached a top speed of 250 4.76 miles per hour at the Transportation Research Center of Ohio at this historic meet every production style Corvette from every year from 1988 back to 1953 was brought together it gives a wonderful comparison of the styling evolution the Corvette has gone through notice the change between the original white 1953 and the burgundy 1988 from the Aero of that styling era this 1989 stock six speed poop with the l98 motor was customized by Warner Brothers for the movie heat and was driven by Val Kilmer and Ashley Judd a new and more rounded rear and front end distinguished the 91 from the 1990 also the front lights wraparound and one piece instead of being separated and the weatherstripping carries the same color as the body whereas the 90 had black stripping the matching stripping continues to this day this color turquoise metallic green was only used in these two years the grilles on the side changed from two verticals to four horizontals and this was the first year the taillights went from a circle to a square shape it has a base l98 fuel-injected engine with every option made fully loaded the 1995 nose is lower and longer and the back is rounded the taillights are now oval an lt1 stock car it has a 350 cubic inch engine with 300 horsepower some Corvette owners modify their cars this black beauty has been subtly altered so that the front door fits more snugly and it's paint as part plum and part black this 1982 modified Corvette has a unique paint job that even carries under the hood this 1991 has a ghost phosphorescence gold paint job and the whole side of the car turns golden when bright sunlight hits it the sides are also done in pearl and in the evening it turns a darker gray at night the gauges are all red Digital the stripes and the designs inside the hood are all painted freehand this modified 600 horsepower engine has a fifth gear powered by a nitrous canister in the rear which gives an extra hundred horsepower at the push of a button every nut and bolt is 24 karat gold the artist signed the car this is an evolution of Corvette styles the Corvette has always been a style leader as shown by these changes in design from the 1953 to the modern Corvette according to GM there are five generations of Corvettes they are 1953 the first year 1963 the revolutionary stingray 1968 the second generation stingray 1984 the Aero Vette and 1997 the c5 some would argue that 1956 when Zora arkus-duntov totally revamped the Corvette should be included the new c5 Corvette premiered in January 1997 its styling is familiar and yet up-to-date it has a hatchback and removable roof panels the c5 as it's called meaning fifth generation was originally supposed to debut in 1993 for Corvettes 40th anniversary the c5 has a 346 cubic inch v8 engine it has aluminum block and heads and two overhead valves per cylinder this forceful 5.7 liter engine has more horsepower and torque and rack and pinion steering the c5 defines sports car practicality it has 35% fewer parts or 1500 fewer parts that could need attention it's easier to get in and out of and the hatchback opens effortlessly it's lighter and yet it's also an inch longer there's more room in the interior and the trunk priced around $40,000 Road & Track magazine says there's no car as quick in a straight line in its price range Corvette lovers will not be disappointed it has a top speed of 172 miles per hour does 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds with horsepower rated at 345 brake horsepower at 5600 rpm and of course it remains a true two-seater sports car it has not and will never turn into a luxury sedan Corvette fans have a choice of magazines devoted to it Corvette has a mystique and today hundreds of national and international Corvette clubs and classic car associations hold regular meets to share and compare cars parts history and experiences and sometimes to compete for trophies from its beginning in 1953 through today the Corvette has always fired the imagination it represents style speed and freedom Corvette lovers are a very blood some are purists who won't change a single detail others are into heavy modifications some love the old classics some love the muscle cars but they all agree on one thing they won't be trading it in for a sport utility vehicle any day soon Chevrolet created the Corvette but the enthusiasts the collectors the restorers and the fans have made it a classic

Channel: Car History Documentary

Views: 8,909

Rating: 4.130435 out of 5

Keywords: classic cars, cars, National Geographic, History, Chevrolet Corvette classic car, Chevrolet Corvette Documentary, Nat Geo, documentary, Car Documentary, Chevrolet Corvette History, classic car History, Chevrolet Corvette, classic, Chevrolet Corvette old

Id: kcXuvYRZwp0

Length: 44min 16sec (2656 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 26 2016