Photo: National Corvette Museum
The Corvette story can be traced back to the return of GIs from the European theater of World War II. It was there that Americans started to understand what makes a sports car a sports car, and this got Harley Earl thinking.
The head of styling at General Motors wanted to apply the European formula to a Chevy, and work began on “Project Opel” in 1951. Two years later at Waldorf-Astoria in New York City, the C1 “solid-axle” Corvette was previewed with fiberglass body panels and the Blue Flame inline-six powerplant.
Chevy waited until the 1955 model year to roll out the small-block V8 in this application, and the Corvette story only got better with the C2. The second generation laid the groundwork for the exterior styling of all future ‘Vettes, and the Z06 was introduced under the guidance of Zora Arkus-Duntov. You know, the guy who wanted a mid-engine 'Vette since the days of the CERV I.
Fast-forward to the present day, and Zora’s dream has finally come true with the C8 platform. As for Harley Earl, well, he would be proud of the Corvette if he were still with us today to find out how many of his babies were made.
1,750,000 examples of the breed and counting, to be more precise, and the milestone car has been photographed by the National Corvette Museum in the factory. “This 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, painted Arctic White with an Adrenaline Red interior, pays homage to the first production Corvette of 1953, which was Polo White with a red interior.” And it’s a very nice spec considering the 3LT equipment group, Z51 Performance Package, trident-style wheels, carbon-fiber engine bay garnish, and front lift with memory.
“This type of milestone only comes around every 10 or so years for Corvette,” said Kai Spande, Bowling Green plant director. “For this landmark achievement to also be one of the early mid-engines is just awesome for us and for our customers. It’s an amazing time to be part of the Chevy brand.”
As mentioned in a previous story, car number 1.75 million will be raffled by the museum. Only 1,500 tickets at $200 per piece are offered, and all proceeds are going to help the museum during these challenging times.
Chevy waited until the 1955 model year to roll out the small-block V8 in this application, and the Corvette story only got better with the C2. The second generation laid the groundwork for the exterior styling of all future ‘Vettes, and the Z06 was introduced under the guidance of Zora Arkus-Duntov. You know, the guy who wanted a mid-engine 'Vette since the days of the CERV I.
Fast-forward to the present day, and Zora’s dream has finally come true with the C8 platform. As for Harley Earl, well, he would be proud of the Corvette if he were still with us today to find out how many of his babies were made.
1,750,000 examples of the breed and counting, to be more precise, and the milestone car has been photographed by the National Corvette Museum in the factory. “This 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, painted Arctic White with an Adrenaline Red interior, pays homage to the first production Corvette of 1953, which was Polo White with a red interior.” And it’s a very nice spec considering the 3LT equipment group, Z51 Performance Package, trident-style wheels, carbon-fiber engine bay garnish, and front lift with memory.
“This type of milestone only comes around every 10 or so years for Corvette,” said Kai Spande, Bowling Green plant director. “For this landmark achievement to also be one of the early mid-engines is just awesome for us and for our customers. It’s an amazing time to be part of the Chevy brand.”
As mentioned in a previous story, car number 1.75 million will be raffled by the museum. Only 1,500 tickets at $200 per piece are offered, and all proceeds are going to help the museum during these challenging times.
It's here! The 1,750,000th Corvette has rolled off of the line at Bowling Green and it's available for you to...
Posted by National Corvette Museum on Tuesday, August 18, 2020
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