How the Corvette Changed the Sports Car Industry Forever

Harley Earl was an automobile design expert at Chevrolet who noticed the influx of small European sports cars into the United States after World War II. He knew there was a market for a two-seat roadster and convinced Chevrolet to introduce their own version: The Chevrolet Corvette.

In 1953, the first Corvette's were unveiled. The cars were unique in their construction. Instead of the steel bodies common for the time, the Corvette was actually built from a much lighter material-fiberglass. This innovation, combined with its Earl-designed appearance, however, was still not enough to make the car an overnight success.

At the time, Chevrolet was known for producing inexpensive, but unexciting vehicles. The Corvette, despite its sex styling and innovative construction was "just another Chevy" at heart, and lacked the performance sports car enthusiasts craved. The original Corvettes featured a less-that-impressive V6, a two-speed automatic transmission, and a brake system taken directly from the regular Chevy line. In essence, the original Corvette was a sports car in appearance alone. Sales lagged and there was even talk of discontinuing Earl's pet project after a few years.

Sales were simply too low. Although the fiberglass design wowed potential buyers and critics within the sports car industry and the appearance of the Corvette was beyond reproach, the car simply lacked the kind of performance those searching for a true sports car expected to find.

Then came Zora Arkus-Duntov, the Russian ?migr? and engineer who found a home at Chevrolet, and a project in the Corvette. In 1955, Chevrolet introduced its first V8 engine. Arkus-Duntov redesigned the V8 especially for the Corvette and placed the bigger, more powerful motor into the small-bodied car. He also replaced the old two-speed "powerglide" automatic with a 3-speed manual transmission. Suddenly the Corvette was no longer just a pretty face. The Corvette became a legitimate competitor for the other major U.S. sports car, Ford's Thunderbird, and its popularity soared dramatically. Arkus-Duntov is often considered the father of the Corvette due to his line-saving alterations.

Over fifty years later, Corvette remains a leading name is sports cars and is currently offering its sixth generation of products, including a rumored high performance model known as the Blue Demon. The Corvette is now known as the "poor man's super car" and is noted for its relative affordability and impressive reliability records.

But before there was a Blue Demon, a Z06, or any of the Corvette C classes that sports car enthusiasts love today, there was Harley Earl and a cute design with a V6 they called the Corvette. Chevrolet embraced the idea of a truly American sports car, and with the help of a Russian ?migr?, built one of the most popular and lasting sports car labels in the world.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/classics-articles/how-the-corvette-changed-the-sports-car-industry-forever-5181331.html
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Author: William Steffy
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America's love affair with the Classic Corvette

Author: Lisa Roduner

The Corvette is easily one of the most famous and desired sports cars in America today. No matter whether it's because of its wide range of curves, its large amounts of horsepower, or its superb handling, it is undoubtedly one of the best known sports cars in the United States.

One of the primary causes for this is because of the basic truth that it is manufactured in the USA. A lot of automobiles on the highways right now are built overseas, causing many people to really feel partial towards cars that were built in America. And not solely because of that, it initially came out in the 1950's creating large nostalgic feelings towards the Corvette . It's difficult to believe it was almost cut from Chevy's production schedule in the 50's as far more of an exhibit car than a real performance car. Fortunately it didn't, as not many car makes and models can endure more than 50 years and still be this admired. In fact, in 2003 the Chevy Corvette became the one American sports car to have lasted 50 years. That is a rather extraordinary achievement.

In 1953, the original Corvette off the line laid claim to a huge 150 horsepower. Nowadays, you can get a Corvette with a bare minimum of 400 HP, going as much as 500-700 HP with the Z06 and ZR1 models. The Chevy Corvette has often been identified as one of the racier production cars available. In contrast to other fast cars like the Ferrari or Porsche, the Corvette isn't particularly expensive. Its cost-speed ratio is particularly small, which makes it one of the quickest cars for the selling price. Due to this, this car symbolizes the American Dream really quite well. The ordinary hard-working individual can, if they save up, afford a Corvette.

The Chevy Corvette is so well-liked in the States due to the fact it, in some ways, reminds you of America in itself. It has continued for a prolonged period of time, it looks great, and is really quite reasonably priced. America's love affair with the Corvette has continued for the past 50 years and a slow down is nowhere in sight.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/classics-articles/americas-love-affair-with-the-classic-corvette-4184846.html
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