Chevrolet Corvette

The Corvette was America's first sports car, introduced in 1953 by Chevrolet. Initially a six-cylinder, a V8 came a few years later. Early models had pointed tail lights, but these were quickly replaced by curved ones. The Corvette was such an early success that dream cars were quickly introduced at Motorama. There was the Nomad wagon, which was quickly changed to a Bel-Air model. Travel-based names were greatly used in the fifties as the National Park System was becoming stronger at the time. There was the Corvair fastback, a name which would be used on an ill-fated model later on. The V8 model would become successful in grand tourer racing. In the early sixties Chevrolet introduced a "boat-tail" model to preview its second generation. The 1963 Corvette was an entirely-new, more aerodynamic model. Dubbed the Stingray, it would become even more competitive in motorsport. For 1964, a slight redesign would be noted, with a regular rear window instead of split. This makes 1963 models rare and valuable. It is likely, however, that racecar drivers preferred the later models due to their greater rear visibility. This Stingray generation only lasted a few years before a complete redesign was created known as the Mako, after a type of shark (this generation is also known as the Stingray II). The Mako would end up being the longest generation to date, lasting well into the eighties. During this time, the Corvette competed in the International Motorsports Association's Grand Touring Championship road racing series. Since adopting a V8, the Corvette had been competitive in endurance racing. In the mid eighties, the Corvette was redesigned into its fourth generation. This generation introduced a new Gran Sport special edition, after a performance edition of various Buick models in the sixties and seventies. The Corvette formed the basis for an IMSA GT Prototype. The Corvette gets its name from a colonial-era warship. The Corvette would eventually be used in the Sports Car Club of America's Trans Am Series as it became more like IMSA GT. It is also used in the SCCA's Pirelli World Challenge. The Corvette was also used in the Grand American Road Racing Association's Rolex Sports Car Series and IMSA's American Le Mans Series and is today used in the WeatherTech Sports Car Championship. The Stingray name was recently revived as a special edition. A 50th Anniversary Edition of the Corvette was released in 2003. In 2005 the Corvette was redesigned to drop the hidden headlights it had sported since the sixties due to concerns regarding malfunctions. The Corvette was tributed at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California.