5 Corvette secrets we can’t stop talking about
Given the rumors that Chevrolet may spin the Corvette into a sub-brand, perhaps including an electric SUV, it’s only natural that some long for simpler times. This list, which originally ran in 2012, reminds us that nothing’s guaranteed—not even the birth of America’s sports car. —Ed.
The Corvette, America’s favorite sports car, has been in production since 1953. Seven decades would provide plenty of time, you’d think, to air its secrets, but there are still a few things that aren’t common knowledge about this American icon.
GM almost killed it
The 1953 model year was really just a dress rehearsal, but when production began in earnest for 1954, there were more cars than buyers, who weren’t impressed with the lack of roll-up windows and modest performance.
GM was seriously thinking about axing the car when Ford announced the Thunderbird. Not wishing to give Ford the PR win for “killing” the Corvette with the T-Bird, GM pressed on and got serious about making it into a real performance car.
The Corvette didn’t originally have a V-8
Although it would seem unthinkable today, the original Corvette wasn’t powered by a V-8. Chevy’s modern small block V-8 didn’t exist in 1953, so for the first two model years, the Corvette was powered by a somewhat anemic six-cylinder motor.
See secret number three.
The savior of the all-American sports car spent his childhood in Russia
Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, the man who transformed the Corvette from a pleasant little roadster into a serious, V-8-powered sports car, wasn’t born in America. However, as George Will stated in his 1996 obituary, “He was born to be an American.”
Duntov was born in 1909 in Belgium to Russian parents. He moved back to Leningrad with them as a child, a fact that GM rarely mentioned in the Cold War era of the 1950s. His ashes are interred at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
There was no 1983 Corvette
It must have killed GM, because 1983 would have been the car’s 30th anniversary, but there was actually no 1983 Corvette.
A complete re-design of the car had taken place and there were quality-control and supplier issues. By the time they were all sorted out, there were just four months to go in the 1983 model year. GM just decided to skip 1983 altogether and the first new C4 Corvettes were all early 1984 models.
In retrospect, maybe they should have skipped 1984 as well: Cars from that model year are known for a punishing ride and numerous faults, not unlike the previous generation’s first-year model from 1968.
The Corvette had a mini-me twin
GM’s German subsidiary, Adam Opel, AG (better known simply as Opel), was suffering with a particularly staid image in the 1960s. Bob Lutz sent stylist Clare MacKichan to Opel spark a little creativity.
Not coincidentally, MacKichan was a Corvette guy and Opel’s little sports car, the 1.9-liter Opel GT, came out looking for all the world like a two-thirds size 1968 Corvette. They’re rare today, but the reaction an Opel GT inspires when parked next to a 1968–72 Corvette is priceless.
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Augie Pabst is still alive and kicking at 89 years young!
I have owned a brand new ’60 fuel injection, four speed Corvette and a ’66 Corvette a year old at purchase. I still think the best looking front end on a Corvette is the ’57 with only two headlights. Can’t stand the ’61’s and ’62’s with the aluminun grilles and the back end of a ’63 rearend.
I had a ’72 Opel GT (the larger engine) once. I had it up to 105 on one run. Got its best mileage at 85 mph. My then wife wrecked it twice before we divorced and totalled it a few months after we separated. It required 95 octane unleaded gasoline, which was sold only by Amoco dealers. That would be a problem these days.
One reason there aren’t very many of them is that the battery was located on the bottom shell of the nose in front of the radiator. The entire front end would rust out when the battery leaked.
Not a secret, but cool trivia!
Robert Morrison, owner of Molded Fiber Glass (MFG) of Ashtabula Ohio, failed to convince GM to try a fiberglass body for the Corvette instead of the planned steel body. GM then changed their mind and MFG got the contract.
Designers from GM and MFG planned the body construction on Mr. Morrison’s ping-pong table in his basement.
The fiberglass body of my Studebaker Avanti, 63R-2301, was built at the same facility as the 63 Corvettes. (December 26, 1962) Boxing Day! I hope at least got Christmas off!
Nancy Morrison, Bob Morrison’s daughter drove her Dad’s 53 Corvette to high school….rumor – her younger brother dropped a 283 in the car👎. MFG also sold glass boats & my Dad was a dealer – they had design problems keeping the deck & seats anchored to the fiberglass. They used the wood Lyman design (great Lake Erie rough water boat). MFG also built Avanti & White truck glass bodies.
My brother bought a 1962 factory fuelly Vette in 1968 when he was in the Navy. He still has it. The only problem he had with it was the fuel injection and finding someone who knew how to fix it.
Ive owned a 79, L82, Vette, an 86 convertible and now I own the first year of C6, 05 torch red with black interior. I must admit having no door handle can be a pain for me I do love that LS 2 engine.
Got my ’84 @ Jim Quinlan Chev Clw, Fl DEC ’82 could not get it out till Apr 23, 1983. Still have it don’t drive it much but battery stays hot. Had the first 505 HP Zo6 in 2006 too much $$$ had to pay $10,000.00 over + tax way more than the $24,890.20 the ’84 was.
My cousin had a ’53/54 (not sure which one) Corvette. What a thrill to go for ride in it as a young teenager. The cousin drilled holes in the bottom of the doors to let collected rain water out.
This is a (very) late reply to the Nov 25th article on the ’63 Tempest “326” V8. Although I had bought one new, I had never heard that the actual displacement was 336 cu. in., so I looked in my archived literature.
The Motor Trend February 1963 issue containing a V8 Tempest road test lists the bore and stroke of the 326 V8 to be 3.72 by 3.75. This calculates to 326 cu. in., which is the number they published.
The Ethyl Corp. publication Brief Passenger Car Data – 1963 also lists 3.72 by 3.75 and 326 cu. in.
The owner’s manual lists 3-25/32 (3.78) by 3.75 but still lists the displacement as 326, although these dimensions calculate to 336 cu. in.
Regarding my ’63 LeMans, after one year of ownership and two rear end gear set replacements, I traded it in on a ’61 Corvette, followed by three other Corvettes including my current 2014 Z51.
I really, really, really, dig the Opel GT. I Want.
The ’67 Corvette Tri power 427-435hp that Jesel blue printed must have had more that just a “blue print” to run an ET of 10.09 at 135 mph…the 427-435 was a great engine, but not normally 10 second drag strip car. perhaps Baldwin Motion had a part in that engine…
I bought a 10 year old 1986 Corvette and put 100,000 miles on it. Great car. Everyone wanted to tell my how bad they were mechanically, but that was not my experience. At a gas pump one day, there was another Corvette parked beside me. The owner started talking to me, complaining about how his car was always breaking down and needing engine work. After my car was full, I walked by his vette and saw through the rear window he had a nitrous oxide tank hooked up. Draw your own conclusions.
Duntov developed the Ardun overhead conversions for the US Army to convert our flat head Ford powered tanks to be competitive with the German Panzer tanks that could run circles around the US tanks during WWII.
My sister’s college boy friend had a dark green Opel GT, I loved the look. Couldn’t find a GT when I graduated and I bought a used Manta Rally in 1977, bright yellow with black racing stripes. Looked fast -but not so much, noisy but fun to drive and real easy to work on. Never had any difficulty mechanically. It was almost impossible to get baby seat in and out of the tiny back seat and my wife at the time was not keen on riding in the back 🙃 sold it and bought a Ford Fairmont in Ghia dressing…should of kept the Opel, it was faster.
Then there’s the story of my kid brother talking me into letting him borrow my AC Cobra to go out on a date and impress his girlfriend ..rite.Seems he headed straight to the local Manners cruising around looking to race the hottest corvette he could find.He,in later years claimed to leave them so far behind in second gear they would just quit.I heard stories of his one nite adventure from a lot of people for years afterward.