The Chevrolet Corvette has been America’s premier sports car since 1953, and it’s one of the longest-running nameplates in the entire automotive universe. In its earliest form, the Corvette was a response to the increasing popularity of foreign sports cars like the Jaguar XK-120 and MG TD and transatlantic collaborations like the Nash-Healey and Allard J2. The fiberglass-bodied Corvette looked exotic and offered a very American take on the sports roadster formula, but it wasn’t an instant success.
It took the addition of Chevrolet’s Small Block V8 in 1955 and a complete redesign for 1963 to create the modern Corvette formula. 1955’s Corvette was the first properly fast one, and 1963’s big chassis redesign and style rethink set the template for every Corvette after it until 2020: Big V8s, rear-wheel drive, lightweight chassis and simple, durable mechanical pieces.
All through the late 20th century the ‘Vette was a working class hero delivering exotic car speed and style at a bargain price, even when emission regulations forced the end of big block V8s and convertible bodies. The car eventually got fast again, and by the late 1990s the Corvette ZR1 and Z06 had taken the fight to exotic rivals from Porsche, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Aston Martin, and it still does.
In 2020, after almost half a century of debating mid-engine designs and choosing evolution over revolution, Chevrolet redesigned the C8 Corvette into a mid-engine machine easily mistaken for a Ferrari. It’s the best and fastest Corvette ever, and recentily gained a new Z06 model and a powerful hybrid, the E-Ray.
Corvettes have many fans, and even models as old as the first-generation 1950s version are popular classics. Here, we’ve outlined every generation of this iconic sports car and included some advice about what to pay and what to watch out for.
There are some common themes to all Corvette models: they’re reliable, they tend to be well cared for, and while not necessarily cheap anymore, they’re still usually much less expensive than cars from exotic brands like Ferrari while providing performance that can genuinely challenge many an Italian stallion. They’re more basic inside and rarely described as exotic, but some are genuine 200 mph cars and most have a charm all their own.
Chevrolet Corvette Buying Guide: Cost, Reliability, and the Best Years to Buy
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Chevrolet Corvette Pros and Cons
- Chevrolet Corvette Generations
- Eighth Generation (2020-present)
- Seventh Generation (2014-2019)
- Sixth Generation (2005-2013)
- Fifth Generation (1997-2004)
- Fourth Generation (1984-1996)
- Third Generation (1968-1982)
- Second Generation (1963-1967)
- First Generation (1953-1962)
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Chevrolet Corvette years are the best?
The Corvette has a long record of being built on basic and dependable parts, like the old Chevy Small Block V8, so many versions are reliable. It’s also a car that tends to be owned by people who either look after them very well or trash them, and used examples will make it obvious which type of owner it’s had. Among modern Corvettes, the new C8 and the earlier C5 and C6 models tend to be the most reliable examples, though the C7 isn’t a bad car. Both the C7 and C8 have many more complex systems than the earlier C5, so there’s more to take care of.
What are the worst Chevrolet Corvette years?
The early years of the C7, 2014 and 2015, come in for criticism from various reliability outlets like the Dashboard-Light index, where that model is ranked much lower than all the earlier Corvettes. Consumer reports is more mixed, rating the 2014 models much better than average, but giving only average marks to later C7s. Among older Corvettes, the least desirable models are the 1980s-era C4s, which just don’t have much power and whose plasticky interiors look very dated now. The slowest Corvettes are the 1980 and 1981 models, though many are now modified for more power than they made from the factory.
Is a used Chevrolet Corvette a good deal?
Yes, it absolutely is. Although some classic Corvettes are worth huge sums now, in general, the Corvette is all about value. It’s a reliable vehicle built on proven mechanical pieces and offers world-class sports car performance at a fraction of the cost of more exotic vehicles, and always has. No, it isn’t as exotic as a Ferrari or as luxurious as an Aston Martin, but it offers similar thrills to both in a package you can live with every day and it’s far less costly to service than they might. Even classic Corvettes are cars you can maintain in your garage, which you shouldn’t try with a Ferrari Daytona.
Chevrolet Corvette Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Relatively affordable
- Thrilling performance
- Comfortable ride
Cons:
- Low-rent interiors
- Plastic body panels
- Questionable build quality
Chevrolet Corvette Generations
## Eighth Generation (2020-present) The C8 Corvette landed in 2020, and with it, everything changed. This new Corvette is the first to get a mid-engined layout and arguably the first iteration of this legendary American sports car that could be called a true supercar. The mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 can go from zero to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds and has a top speed of 194 mph in the ‘base’ model. The standard Corvette C8 ranges in price from the high $60,000 range to the mid $80,000s, though the mile-long option list can stretch some examples to six figures. That’s still cheap compared to other mid-engine cars of this type or rivals like the Porsche 911.
Add the Z51 Performance Package, and output climbs from 490 to 495 hp and 465 to 470 lb-ft of torque. The Z51 Performance Package also adds an electronic limited-slip differential, performance suspension tuning, and upgraded brakes among its various upgrades. The C8 Corvette is only available with an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, and it’s a fantastic system. As before, it comes as a coupe (with a removable targa top like the 1980s C4) and a convertible, this time with a retractable hardtop.
Technology and infotainment also took a big leap forward with this new Corvette. The dials are a fully digital setup, while 2LT and 3LT trims also come with a head-up display that changes according to the car’s driving mode. The 8-inch infotainment touchscreen features easy and intuitive software, and it responds well to voice commands too. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard from the start and both made wireless in 2021. There’s also a lovely configurable digital gauge cluster and an optional Performance Data Recorder that uses a front-mounted camera to record your driving and display key performance data for circuit driving.
The C8’s cabin is materially nicer than the C7’s already high standard, and there are many color combos and nice touches throughout. The only real negative is the huge wall on the far side of the console, which separates the front passenger and can seem sort of invasive. A series of buttons are mounted atop it, which makes for easy access, but this wall is the most controversial feature of the interior. The C8 is also luggage-challenged, like most mid-engine cars. There’s a rear compartment and a frunk, but both are small, so pack light.
Since 2020, there have been to very noteworthy additions to the Corvette lineup. In 2023, Chevrolet revived the Corvette Z06 model with a 5.5-liter naturally aspirated, flat-plane crank V8 making 670 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. The Z06 can rocket to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds and skip a quarter mile in 10.7, genuinely hypercar territory. It’s expensive, at just over $100,000 to start, but few other sports cars (and none with gas engines) can do that kind of speed for that money.
The second is the Corvette E-Ray, the first hybrid Corvette and new in 2024. It mates the 6.2-liter V8 powering the rear wheels with an electric motor up front, and the two combine for 655 horsepower. This combination is good for a zero-to-60 time of only 2.5 seconds, and it can return 19 mpg combined. The E-Ray is about 5% pricier than the Z06.
The C8 is still just arriving in dealerships’ used inventory, and you’ll pay a minimum of $60,000 for a used example. Used Z06 and E-Ray models, very hard to find, will cost much more.
## Seventh Generation (2014-2019) The C7 Corvette was initially supposed to debut in 2011, but the Great Recession and GM’s brush with bankruptcy pushed it back to a late 2013 introduction. In production from then until November of 2019, it had the shortest run of any Corvette since the 1960s, but what it lacked in longevity was more than it made up for in speed and style.
With taut, sculptured lines, the C7 looked much more sophisticated than the C6 it replaced, and it also significantly raised the bar on the Corvette’s interior. Much nicer materials were featured, and the sculpted console housed a new infotainment screen and an improved control layout and a big, bright new digital instrument cluster with lots of different displays. There were more interior colors and new, expertly contoured seats that were more supportive. In 2015, a Wi-Fi hotspot was introduced as standard equipment, and Apple CarPlay became standard in 2016. HD Radio was introduced in 2018.
The C7’s frame was now made form aluminum alloy and was lighter and more rigid than ever. It even used carbon fiber in the floors. The exterior shape was as functional as it was pretty, with a drag coefficient of just .29 and functional air intakes that helped cool the engine and brakes as well as feed air into the intake plenums.
A new seven-speed manual transmission was offered, although buyers could still opt for a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic (replaced by an eight-speeder in 2015). In 2014, the standard engine was a 6.2-liter LT1 V8 packing 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque, good enough to nearly match the Z06 of only a few years earlier, with 4-second zero-to-60 times and 12-second quarter miles. It could also return up to 29 mpg on the highway, which older big block Corvettes could never have dreamed of.
Of course, Chevrolet did not stop there, adding the Z51 performance package and a redesigned Z06 for 2015. The supercharged Z06 now packed 650 horsepower and and an equal amount of torque, making it the most powerful Corvette ever offered up to that time in net or gross numbers. Chevrolet also kept improving it and adding options. In 2015, a Grand Sport model debuted with a 460-horsepower dry-sump version of the LT1 V8, but the heaviest hitter arrived in 2019: a revived ZR1.
The reincarnated ZR1 boasted many performance and aerodynamic upgrades, like big spoilers, huge carbon ceramic brakes, and many other customizations, and it was meant as a track warrior for the road. Under the hood, it packed an even beefier V8, a supercharged 6.2-liter LT5 with an astonishing 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet of torque. It was a fitting sendoff for the fastest and most sophisticated Corvette yet and the final front-engine version of this long-running car.
In 2020, Chevrolet replaced the C7 with the mid-engine C8 after almost 50 years of debating mid-engine designs. The result was a big jump in performance and exotic flair, but the C8 lost the C7’s manual transmission in the process. As a result, some manual-equipped C7s will likely become sought-after, especially in limited-run special editions such as the Corvette Grand Sport.
Today, this is still an expensive and nearly new car, but for the performance it offers, it’s a bargain. Depending on trim and configuration, most C7s are still in the $40,000 to $60,000 range. The very fastest and newest ones can cost much more than that. If you want to saddle up with a ZR1, it’ll cost you at least $140,000.
Sixth Generation (2005-2013)
The sixth-generation Corvette–also known as the C6 Corvette–appeared in 2005, and it really brought the ‘Vette into the 21st century. Chevy smoothed out some of the previous generation's exterior curves and made the styling sharper and more muscular. It was also the first Corvette since 1962 to use exposed headlights, as the car’s trademark pop-up headlights had been banned for safety reasons.
Under the skin, Chevrolet added an all-new suspension with optional Magnetic Ride Control (tried out on the C5 in its final year, and now a regular option on the C6) and an optional Z51 package with a retuned performance-oriented suspension. Power came from a new 400-hp, 6.0-liter LS2 V8, which pushed the sports car from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. By creating a more aerodynamic shape and fine-tuning the power plant, the sixth-generation Corvette managed to deliver fuel economy numbers of 16 mpg city and 26 highway.
Chevrolet also added a great deal of new technology to the car. For the first time, the Corvette’s console sprouted a navigation screen, and there was also an optional head-up display. Multiple driving modes were selectable by the driver, and the car now had a push-button starter and keyless entry. Heated seats were offered, as was a power tilt and telescope steering wheel.
A new Z06 arrived in 2006, with a 505-hp, 7.0-liter LS7 V8, and Chevy gave the Corvette a minor update in 2008, with a new 430-hp, 6.2-liter base V8. The zero-to-60 time was reduced to 4.0 seconds with a six-speed manual transmission. Buyers could also choose a six-speed automatic after 2005 (that year, a carry-over four-speed automatic from the C5 was used).
In 2008, the Corvette ZR1 arrived in showrooms, equipped with a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 producing 638 hp. The ZR1 included a full-leather interior and pushed MSRP for America's sports car somewhere north of $100k. Many considered the price worth it, though, as the ZR1 had a top speed of 205 mph—the highest of any production Corvette up to that time—and held the distinction of being GM's most powerful sports car.
The C6 continued the Corvette’s tradition of reliability but gave it a nicer interior than ever, with better plastics and a more pleasing design than its 1980s and 1990s forebears. It’s still an easy-to-live-with, affordable daily driver today. C6s in good condition with under 100,000 miles generally sell for between $18,000 and $35,000. Z06, Z16, ZR1, and other special performance models can go for more, but usually no more than $50,000. For a 200 mph car, that’s a bargain.
Fifth Generation (1997-2004)
After 12 years of the fourth-generation model, the entire automotive world was excited for the fifth-generation when it debuted in 1997. This was the first model that Chevrolet directly referred to by its generation—C5—and while this naming convention has become standard since then, it was really invented and popularized in the late 1990s because of the C5, which was up to that time, the fastest and most sophisticated version of the Corvette ever made.
The C5’s styling was evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but it was much lower and rounder-looking than its C4 predecessor. While the 'Vette's basic profile remained largely unchanged, with its long hood, hidden headlights, low cabin, fastback-style rear window, and short, rounded tail, the body displayed more pronounced curves, especially across the hood and the flared wheel wells. The body panels were made of even lighter and more sophisticated composites than those used in the C4, and there were other innovations throughout the run, like the addition of magnetic-ride adaptive suspension in 2003.
Under its skin, the C5 was more revolutionary, with many new components, including new power plants. The Corvette sat on a new platform designed for a more solid, stable feel, while the transmission (either a six-speed manual or a four-speed automatic) was repositioned over the rear axle for better weight distribution across the chassis. Power came from a new, all-aluminum Gen III LS-1 345-hp, 5.7-liter V8, which provided a zero-to-60 time of 4.8 seconds. Better yet, the V8 managed up to 28 mpg on the highway.
Although the fifth-generation Corvette was initially available only as a coupe, Chevy added a convertible body style in 1998 and bumped horsepower for the V8 to 350 hp. A fixed-roof “hardtop” coupe appeared in 1999. This was meant to be a lightweight model, and it essentially had a steel roof welded in place where the convertible top might have been on the droptop model. Its debut presaged the arrival of the ultimate C5 a year later, the first Z06.
The Z06, the successor to the C4 model’s flagship ZR1, featured a stiffer body and suspension, more powerful brakes, lightweight wheels, and a 385-hp L6 V8, which was derived from the LS1 version of the Small Block. Chevrolet boosted the Z06's V8 to 405 horsepower in 2002, and a carbon-fiber hood and titanium exhaust system, added in 2004, helped further reduce the Z06's weight, improving performance. Ultimately the Z06 could do zero-to-60 in 3.9 seconds and post a quarter mile time of 11.9 seconds, both of which are still fast today.
There were many special editions of the C5, including two Indy 500 pace cars, a 50th-anniversary model in 2003, and a LeMans edition that celebrated the Corvette C5-R racers that ran the 24-hour race in the early 2000s.
C5 Corvettes are both faster and more expensive than their C4 predecessors. Good standard examples with under 100,000 miles on the odometer tend to sell for between $17,000 and $26,000, but special models and Z06s command even higher prices, as to very low-mileage examples. They’re all good buys.
Fourth Generation (1984-1996)
Chevrolet began designing the fourth-generation (C4) Corvette in 1979 and completely revamped its manufacturing process. Fiberglass, a material of the 1950s, was gone in favor of lighter and more durable composite plastics, which were bonded to perimeter frame assembled from 18 pieces of high-strength steel. Crucially, the T-bar roof of the C3 was eliminated in favor of a targa top, which did not help the car’s rigidity and necessitated huge door sills, but its structure was lighter and its dynamic limits higher than the old car, and it looked great. If you wanted a more open version, the Convertible was back to provide it for the first time in a decade.
The C4’s sleek shape, penned by designer Jerry Palmer, was clearly an evolution of the late C3 era, but sleeker and simpler, and integrating the glass hatch from the start of production. Palmer had already designed many Corvette concepts in the 1970s as GM debated how to replace the C3 for almost a decade. Many mid-engine proposals were considered and rejected, as was the potential use of GM’s aborted rotary engine. The final C4 design looked genuinely futuristic when unveiled in 1983 and matched by a famous computer-animated ad campaign.
The new car had a slightly shorter (by 1.8 inches) wheelbase than the previous generation did, as well as a new suspension. Its rack-and-pinion steering was a first for the 'Vette. As if to match the digital ad campaign, the interior came equipped with a new digital instrument panel, and the interior was much more ergonomically friendly than the previous car, despite having to hoist yourself over the big sills. Production of the new Corvette began in January of 1983, and the cars showed up at dealerships that spring.
Every Corvette from 1984 to 1996 was powered by a version of the old 5.7-liter small-block V8, but there were five different designs in all and they were offered in many stages of tune. The 1984 model used the old L83 design from the previous car, with 205 horsepower and 290 pound-feet of torque, but Chevrolet quickly replaced it in 1985 with the L98 version of the engine. This engine would continue to serve until 1991, with factory ratings from 230 to 250 horsepower and 330 to 345 pound-feet of torque.
In 1990, Chevrolet added the white-hot Corvette ZR1, the fastest version since the big blocks of the 1960s, with a new LT5 V8 featuring cylinder heads designed by Lotus (which was briefly owned by GM in the 1980s). The ZR1 made 375 horsepower and 370 pound-feet of torque at first, but got a boost to 405 horsepower and 385 pound-feet in 1993. From 1992 to 1996, the standard engine was the LT1, with 300 horsepower and up to 340 pound-feet of torque. In 1996, Chevrolet launched the swan-song Grand Sport, referencing a rare model of the 1960s and fitted it with the 330-horsepower LT4 V8.
Two different four-speed automatic transmissions were offered at various times, as were two very different manuals. The first manual, available from 1984 to 1988, was the unusual Doug Nash 4+3, a four-speed gearbox with overdrive ratios on the top three gears. This was replaced by a simpler ZF six-speed in 1988. Though the C4 did take some criticisms for its lack of rigidity, plasticky interior, and emissions-optimized automatics, it still offered pretty compelling performance in the 1980s and was reliable, too.
In the 1990s, the car got progressively faster and sleeker, especially after the ZR1 inspired more changes and got more people interested in the car. Because of its low outputs, the 1980s C4 is still the least desirable Corvette, but it’s a bargain today, and so are most of the 1990s versions. The vast majority of C4s cost roughly $8,000 to $16,000, and it’s only rare models like the ZR1, Callaway Corvette, or Grand Sport that draw the big bucks.
Third Generation (1968-1982)
The longest-lived Corvette, the third-generation C3 debuted just as the Summer of Love was ending and was still on sale when Duran Duran released Hungry Like the Wolf. Because it was around so long, there are some very different eras within this long generation, but they all share the same basic bones and shape.
The C2 was introduced on September 21, 1967, and awed car buyers with its unadorned and curvaceous new look. The lines were patterned on the 1965 Mako Shark II concept, inspired by the animal of the same name and considerable aquatic escalation from the earlier Sting Ray. Bill Mitchell created the concept, with Larry Shinoda penning the show car. The final production version was done by former Cadillac stylist Dave Holls and Chevrolet’s Hank Haga, who later led the design of the 1970 Camaro.
The new ‘Vette, now called "Stingray" (one word), rode on the same platform as the previous generation did, and it came in coupe and convertible trims. Most of the previous generation's engines, including the big 427 cubic-inch (7.0-liter) L88 V8, were still available. As before there were coupe and convertible versions, but now the coupe had removable T-tops, which created a targa-style roof not unlike the one on the Porsche 911.
For 1968 there were six engine choices: Two 327-cid (5.3 liter) V8s with 300 or 350 horsepower; three 427-cid (7.0-liter) V8s in various stages of tune from 390 to 430 horsepower, and the ultra-rare L71 427 with 435 horespower. A three-speed manual was standard with a four-speed manual or three-speed automatic optional. The car was very fast right out of the box, but the new shape had one major drawback—the aerodynamics caused wild front-end lift at high speeds. GM designers would be taming this tendency for the rest of this car’s life.
The legendary ZL-1 joined the lineup in 1969, equipped with a tweaked version of the L88 V8, which generated an eye-popping 585 hp. In these early years, the factory also made lightweight racing versions available. The following year, Chevy switched up the rest of the Corvette's power plants, adding a new 370-hp LT-1 350-cubic-inch (5.7-liter) V8 and a couple of new big-block, 454-cubic-inch (7.4-liter) V8s, which produced 390 and 460 hp and replaced most of the 427s.
As insurance and emissions challenges began to bite in 1970, the big outputs began to decline, and so did sales of the hottest models. Chevrolet also changed the way it published horsepower in 1972 from gross to net, which more accurately reflected the real power levels but made for depressing reading.
The Corvette got progressively slower into 1973, by which time it had to be extensively modified to meet impact bumper legislation. Chevrolet did this by putting the required front bumper under a body-colored urethane cover, which looked great but meant big bills if you bumped anything with the nose. A similar bumper was added in back in 1974, resulting in a significant change in appearance. By this time, the most powerful 454 V8 Corvette made about 275 horsepower.
The big block engines were dropped entirely in 1975 for emissions reasons, leaving only the 350 cubic-inch (5.7-liter) Small block just as in the early 1960s. The Convertible was axed at the end of that year amid fears of new rollover legislation that the car would not comply with, and Arkus-Duntov retired. Nearly all C3 Corvettes from here on out were powered by the 350, with outputs varying from up to 205 horsepower in 1975 to just 190 in 1980 and 1981. The lone exception was the 1980 305-cid (5.0-liter) version, a California emissions compliance special.
But while performance nosedived, sales soared. 1976 to 1978 were blockbuster years for the Corvette, which at least still looked really cool and offered a modicum of real performance that was largely absent in most other cars. Coupes of all sorts were very popular in the 1970s, and that also buoyed the Corvette.
In that last year, the styling was changed again to incorporate a big glass back window, which was turned into a functioning hatchback in the car’s final year of 1982. The car got a further front-end restyle in 1981, and production ended in October of 1982. Cars were still on dealer lots as late as the spring of 1983, just in time for Duran Duran, but there was no official 1983 model as Chevrolet prepared for the changeover to the redesigned 1984 C4 Corvette.
Because it has been around so long and is so popular, there are many C3 Corvettes to choose from, and they really run the gamut on price. A late 1970s Corvette in good shape can cost as little as $10,000. A lightweight 1969 model once sold for $2.8M. These are easy cars to live with and maintain, though the interior is an ergonomic nightmare and the fiberglass body is easily damaged. It’s a low-risk, high-reward sports car in any case, and later examples are a solid deal as a starter classic. The earlier models and convertibles, are much pricier than the disco-era ones.
Second Generation (1963-1967)
A second-generation Chevy Corvette, later called the C2 but usually referred to as the “Sting Ray” generation, debuted in 1963 and lasted until 1967. It's considered by many to be the most attractive Corvette ever built. Drawing its design inspiration in part from the Jaguar’s LeMans racers Chevrolet’s own Corvette racing experiments, most notably GM design boss Bill Mitchell’s 1959 Sting Ray racer, the production Sting Ray was styled led by Tony Lapine (later of Porsche) and Larry Shinoda, one of the first Asian-American car designers. They evolved the car from both the Sting Ray racer and an earlier concept by Peter Brock, later a famous racer himself.
The muscular body sat atop an entirely new platform designed by chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, who had shoehorned the Small Block V8 into the Corvette in 1955 and led further development efforts on the car after that. The redesigned Corvette sat on a new ladder-style chassis with a shortened (by 4 inches) wheelbase and came equipped with four-wheel disc brakes and an independent rear suspension for the first time. Unlike the very basic mechanical pieces of the original Corvette, which were right out of a 1940s sedan, the Sting Ray was engineered like a race car for the road.
Its shape and name telegraphed its intent. The Sting Ray label referred to the sleek aquatic animals. It perfectly described its streamlined shape, low cabin, and tapering tail, accented by hidden headlights, non-functioning hood vents, and a split rear window. That last detail impeded rear vision, so it was removed in 1964. However, it looked great, and the Corvette could pass almost anything on the road at the time. Unlike the original Corvette, the Sting Ray was designed primarily as a coupe, but Chevrolet also created a conventional roadster version with roll-up windows.
The small block V8 remained. Early on, buyers had a choice of 327-cubic-inch (5.3 liter) V8s that generated up to 360 hp, which increased to 375 hp in 1965. The 327 could also still be fitted with fuel injection, though nearly every Corvette competitor other than the Mercedes-Benz SL had given up on that feature by 1962. In 1965, the styling was lightly updated, and Chevrolet began fitting its big block engines to the car, including the 396-cubic-inch (6.6 liter) L78 V8, which debuted in '65 put out 425 hp. However, it remained for only a year and was gone by '66.
In 1967, Chevy upped the power quotient even more with the introduction of the limited-quantity, 427-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) L88 V8, which reportedly delivered around 500 hp. These engines were wildly powerful, and the Corvette was capable of zero-to-60 in 4.7 seconds, which was race car stuff back then, but they were also very heavy up front, without the excellent weight balance of the small block cars.
Sting Rays are expensive classics today, and can cost anywhere from about $50,000 to $250,000 or more. The low end of that spectrum gets you usable, working examples of small block cars, but usually not ‘63 split window models. The high end of the spectrum is for the very powerful big blocks and highly original, low-mileage cars. Split window coupes and Fuelies tend to fall somewhere in the middle.
First Generation (1953-1962)
Introduced as a concept car at General Motors’ Motorama in January of 1953, the original Corvette was America’s response to the success of foreign sports cars like the MG TC and Jaguar XK-120 as well as transatlantic rivals like the 1951 Nash-Healey and Cadillac-powered Allard J2. The concept was so popular that GM hurriedly put the car into production, with the assembly line starting that very June.
That first Corvette looked racy, but underneath its then-novel fiberglass body (which made its curvy shape easy to produce) lurked relatively ordinary mechanical pieces, necessitated by the speed of getting it into production and the reality of how much all-new pieces would cost. It used the frame and rear suspension of a regular ‘49 Chevy sedan and a 150-horsepower, triple-carbureted, high-compression version of Chevy’s 235 cubic-inch (3.9 liter) straight six. Since Chevrolet had no manual transmission that could handle 150 horsepower, early cars had to make do with Chevy’s power-sapping two-speed Powerglide automatic.
Because of a late start, only 300 Polo White Corvette convertibles came off the automaker's assembly line in Flint, Michigan in the first year of production. For 1954, production was moved to St. Louis, and additional exterior colors were added as GM worked out the bugs with the fiberglass body. Sales were slow though, because the weighty car just wasn’t that much of a performer with its original engine, and for all its size and luxury advantages over foreign sports cars, it still had a leaky top and no side windows, just like an MG.
In 1955, Chevrolet debuted its new “small block” V8 for its regular cars, and fitting it (and a three-speed manual transmission) to the Corvette transformed the sports car, though sales were still slow thanks to a glut of unsold ‘54s.
Rather than give up, Chevrolet restyled the Corvette’s fiberglass body for 1956, as if to advertise the new 195-horsepower V8 and all the changes it had made. It was this redesign that made the car legendary. A new chrome grille, concave sides, and a sculpted hood, as well as the tapering rear end minus the tail fins, gave the Corvette a much sportier appearance. Power was pumped up to 210 hp, and Chevy offered the Corvette with an optional removable hardtop for the first time.
Horsepower continued to increase through the late 1950s, and Chevy added new transmissions, including a four-speed manual in 1957. An extensive restyling in 1958 included new quad headlights and an updated interior with a new steering wheel, a new dashboard, and most importantly—roll-up windows. 1958 also saw a major technical innovation, optional mechanical fuel injection. American Motors and Chrysler were also experimenting with fuel injection in this period, but the fuel-injected Corvette worked better than some other attempts. By 1960, the Corvette's engines put out as much as 290 horsepower, and fuel injection remained on the options list until 1965.
Another exterior redesign in 1961 gave the Corvette a "duck tail" rear end with four round taillights, though this look has proven less popular as classic than the more subdued styling and pastel hues of the 1956 to 1960 models. Underneath, the chassis was still the same solid axle design that had debuted in 1953, but with many running changes, only now the engine could belt out up to 315 horsepower. GM was already in the process of designing its replacement, which bowed for 1963.
If you’re buying an early Corvette, be aware that all iterations of this car are valuable now and typically cost between $60,000 and $120,000. Very early models, Fuelies, and highly original cars with low mileage can go much higher. There are also extensively modified versions out there, which come with high price tags, but they’re unlikely to appreciate the way original or well-kept examples will and are often customized for highly specific tastes.
