When was first corvette made

Drivers in the '50s wanted as much horsepower as they could get, so the HP, two-speed engine was a deterrent for many. The engine remained for the production year and in , a V8 option and a 3-speed manual transmission were available in the same body. This is when the Corvette really began to make a name for itself. Due to the low production, you will be hard-pressed to find a Corvette come up for sale.

Buyers who get their hands on one tend to keep it around and the car history is often well documented, showing just one or two owners in its lifetime. These rare sports cars have maintained their value and remained relatively steady over the years.

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Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. Now, the company had quite a following eager to see what the C2 would deliver. In , on the year anniversary of the Corvette, Chevy released the second generation. In , the Corvette received an upgrade with a big block V8 engine.

Rather than wait 10 more years in order to release the C3, Chevy launched it in The company revealed a sharper-looking car.

The body was completely redesigned with removable T-tops and a removable back window. In , Chevy released the ZR-1 optional factory-installed racing package plus a gold Corvette that was a first. The ,th Corvette was produced in , and Chevy chose to paint it white with a red interior.

Then, in , Corvette celebrated its 25th year of production. No manual transmission is offered in the C8, with Corvette engineers opting instead for an in-house eight-speed dual-clutch automatic.

Convertible versions feature a retractable hardtop for the first time. Every generation of Corvette has its performance highlights. C1s were available with higher-output fuel injected models, while C2s had "big-block" L78 engines with hp available, along with an L88 engine and a Z06 package designed for racing.

C4 Corvettes returned to the ZR1 moniker, losing the hyphen in the process, for the "King of the Hill" model, which featured a DOHC cylinder head designed by Lotus to produce as much as hp.

Fifth-generation Corvettes brought back the Z06 package, now a street performance option with to hp depending on the year. C6 Corvettes had both the Z06 option now making hp from 7. Not to be outdone, Z06 versions of the C7 produced hp with a supercharged engine, while the ZR1 was bumped up to hp. Corvettes vary in price, performance and driving experience rather greatly from generation to generation.

Early C1 convertibles with lethargic six-cylinder engines and automatic transmissions were boulevard cruisers compared with later performance models. Still, C1 and C2 Corvettes tend to be the most desired as collectible cars and are generally the most expensive, especially for rare performance variants while C6 and newer Corvettes on the used market are simply that-just used cars that are still depreciating.

Looking for a bargain? Check out C4 and C5 Corvettes, which are currently out of the market's favor but can offer plenty of performance and driving fun, especially ZR1 and Z06 versions. Any Corvette, C1 to C7, is typically worth a premium when fitted with a manual gearbox. You have questions about the Chevrolet Corvette and Automobile has answers. Yes, but orders for the Corvette are still available. Talk to your local Chevrolet dealership for more information. The Corvette is one of the best performance cars available at any price, and one of the best performance values.

This is generally true of many previous Corvettes in their time, as well. Good enough that it can legitimately be mentioned in the same breath as performance cars from competitors such as Porsche, Ferrari, and Aston Martin. Close Ad. Join MotorTrend. Rory Jurnecka Writer.