Chevrolet Corvette: Through The Years: Part 2

     1963 brought a brand new Corvette, dubbed the "Corvette Sting Ray," and with it a striking silhouette that has influenced every 'Vette since. The Chevy now featured a long hood and a hatchback-like rear with an almost nonexistent rear deck, and for the first time was offered in coupe form. This layout, as well as many visual cues, give the Sting Ray its iconic, streamlined, sporty appearance.
     Up front, hidden headlights and a low-set grille, along with the powerful, raised bodywork over the front wheels lend the car a sleek, high-performance look. Rectangular intakes on the hood and horizontal vents just behind the front wheels add to this hardcore sports car image. The crease at the beltline of the C2 makes it seem as if the car is slicing through the air in front of it, and creates an interesting contrast in light between the upper and lower halves of the car. While this is a great touch, it almost hides the intricate grille from view. The hook-shaped chrome bumpers give a sturdy look, and are set on a thin rectangular grille, with luxurious skinny horizontal bars. These are sandwiched by aerodynamic orange turning lamps. And despite all of this beautiful detailing, my favorite part of the front of the '63 is the raised streak running down the center of the hood into the windshield. For me, it completes the smooth, streamlined look, fitting in perfectly with the flared wheels arches and hidden headlamps. It also accentuates the iconic Corvette flags logo.
     Moving around back, the Sting Ray retains the sleek appearance of the front. Athletic rear haunches give a powerful look to the 'Vette, and they are complemented by the faux vents just behind the side windows. The double circular taillights and reappearing hook shaped chrome bumper pieces add elegance to the sports car. My favorite element from the front, the raised line on the hood, is continued on the back, through a strip running down the roof, and in between the famous split-window. The trim piece bisects the 'Vette logo, and ends at the bottom of the gorgeous V-shaped rear of the cabin. Overall, the '63 Corvette is absolutely beautiful, and Chevy obviously knew this, as the exterior changes over the next four years of production were minimal.
     In 1964, the split-window was famously replaced with a single piece rear window, and while I love the appearance of the split, this change does have a hugely detrimental effect on the elegant look. Also, up front the faux vents on the hood were removed, though indentations where they had been remained. This cleaned-up the hood, but again, this touch doesn't have a huge effect on the overall car.
     The next year, the indentations on the hood were also removed, and the vents behind the front wheels were changed. Instead of the previous horizontal arrangement, there were three vertical "gills," which fit in perfectly with the Sting Ray name. For 1966, the grille's horizontal's slats were replaced by horizontal and vertical lines crossing at right angles. Also, the small intakes behind the windows were removed. For its final production year, the three "gills" were replaced by five, and a reverse light was added above the license plate spot.
    For the second generation Corvette, Chevy wisely stuck to the old saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." This is one of the most beautiful cars of all time, and really symbolizes the beginning of the Corvette as we know it today.

Grade
Front: '63: A
'64: A
'65: A
'66: A
'67: A
Back: '63: A
'64: A-
'65: A-
'66: A-
'67: A-
Overall: '63: A
'64: A
'65: A
'66: A
'67: A

Chevrolet Corvette: Through The Years - Part 1

      When the Corvette was first revealed in 1953 as a prototype, America fell in love and this iconic sports car was almost immediately put into production. Ever since then, the Corvette has been a legend and a constant reminder to the world that America is alive and breathing, even in it's darkest hours. Over the next few post, I will give a review of each generation, starting at the original C1 and finishing with the new, flashy C7.

Corvette C1: 1953-1962

1955 Corvette at the Henry Ford Museum

1955 Corvette

    The first 'Vette, being a Fifties car, is covered in shiny chrome, and is fitted with classic white walls tires. While at a glance, the curvacious body is gorgeous, but upon closer inspection I have a few criticisms. The headlights appear to be caged in, which along with the multitude of vertical bars in the grille and bumper, lend a prison-like appearance to the front fascia. The grille, which I've never particularly liked, always reminded me a big of an angry mouth, and doesn't fit in with the sensual bodywork. Despite these minor complaints, it is still a beautiful sports car. The chrome bumper pieces emerging from the underbelly along with the long thin strip running down the side give a '50's futuristic feel. Around back the small bullet-like taillights and trim pieces give a sporty, yet luxurious appearance.

     In 1956, the Corvette was heavily updated, fixing many of my complaints on the '53. The headlights became smaller and more circular, and made the front fin have less of a curved shape. The hideous mesh was gone, and the bumper "fangs" were significantly reduced. These changes create a more sophisticated face for the 'Vette. The chrome bar along the side disappeared, replaced by a sporty, indented oval, allowing the car to have a classic two-tone paint scheme. In the rear, the tail
lights are more slickly integrated into the swooping tail, giving a more elegant look to the Chevy.

1958 Corvette in Naples, Florida

1956 Corvette 

      1958 brought the double-headlamp, along with sporty air scoops beneath the headlights and behind the front wheels, smoothly fused into the side oval, giving the car an extremely bold face. There were also skinny chrome trim pieces extending back from the headlights over the hood and forward from the taillights across the trunk lid, an interesting and unique detail that adds a luxurious feel. While the '58 was a fair improvement over earlier versions, the 1961 'Vette changed the Corvette's image forever.
        '61 saw the introduction of the two-piece taillights, and this design element has been a staple of the Corvette ever since. The change to the taillights also created a more crisply tapered rear end, giving the Chevy a more muscular look. Up front, the grille lost the chrome "teeth," so the car had a more streamlined, sophisticated appearance.
      Over its ten years of production, constant updates meant the Corvette evolved into a mature yet aggressive sports car.

Grade
Front: '53 - B
'56 - B+
'58 - A-
'61 - A
Back: '53 - A-
'56 - A-
'58 - A
'61 - A
Overall: '53 - B+
'56 - A-
'58 - A
'61 - A