Chevrolet Corvette facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chevrolet Corvette
Overview
Manufacturer	General Motors
Production	1953–present
Model years	1953–1962 1963–1967 1968–1982 1984–1996 1997–2004 2005–2013 2014–2019 2020–present
Body and chassis
Class	Sports car
Body style	2-door coupé 2-door convertible
Platform	FR Y-body (1984–present)
Related	Cadillac XLR

The Chevrolet Corvette is a famous sports car built by Chevrolet since 1953. It is known for its speed and cool design. The Corvette is now in its eighth generation, meaning it has been updated many times over the years.

History of the Corvette

The Corvette has a long and exciting history. Each new version, called a "generation," brought new features and improvements. Let's explore how this amazing car has changed over time.

Corvette C1: The Beginning (1953-1962)

The very first Corvette, the C1, was made by General Motors (GM) in 1953. It was designed by Harley Earl and first shown as a special display car. Only 300 Corvettes were made in 1953.

At first, the C1 was expensive and not very fast. Chevrolet almost stopped making it! But in 1956, they made it much faster and better. This made the car popular, and the C1 was built until 1962.

Corvette C2: The Sting Ray (1963-1967)

The second Corvette, the C2, arrived in 1963. It was a big step up from the C1. This was the first Corvette you could buy as a coupé (a car with a fixed roof). It was also the first to only use powerful V8 engines.

The C2 became known as the Corvette Sting Ray. It had stronger engines, better suspension, and was much faster. Because of these improvements, the C2 sold very well. The Corvette was no longer in danger of being discontinued.

Corvette C3: A New Look (1968-1982)

The C3 was the third Corvette model, made from 1968 to 1982. It looked very similar to the C2, but with a new body style and updated interior. The V8 engines from the C2 became even more powerful.

However, in 1971, new rules for cleaner engines meant the Corvette's power went down. This made the C3 a bit slower. This continued until 1975, as the U.S. government pushed for more environmentally friendly cars. After 1975, only the coupé version of the C3 was sold.

Corvette C4: A Fresh Start (1984-1996)

The fourth Corvette, the C4, was a completely new design. There were no 1983 Corvettes, except for a few test cars. The C4 used some of the same engines as the C3, but its body was totally new.

The convertible Corvette returned in 1986. That same year, a Corvette was chosen as the pace car for the famous Indianapolis 500 race. A special C4 model called the ZR-1 was made from 1990 to 1995. It was much faster than the regular C4.

Corvette C5: Modern and Fast (1997-2004)

The C5 was the fifth Corvette model, built from 1997 to 2004. It was a big improvement over the C4. The C5 had a new body, new engines, and a better frame. It was also much faster, with a top speed of 181 miles per hour.

The 1997 model was a coupé with a removable roof panel, called a targa top. In 1998, the convertible came out. A faster C5 model, the Z06, was introduced in 2001. It was even quicker than the C4 ZR-1. There was also a race car version called the C5-R.

Corvette C6: More Power (2005-2013)

The C6 was the sixth Corvette, made from 2005 to 2013. It had many updates, including visible headlights, better suspension, and a much nicer inside. The C6 was faster than the C5.

In 2008, the C6 got a new engine with 430 horsepower, making it even quicker. Like the C5, there was a Z06 model. The C6 Z06 had a very large engine and was very light, making it super fast. An even faster model, the ZR1, was also made. The ZR1 had a special supercharged engine and was sometimes called the Blue Devil. It was the fastest C6 Corvette. A race car version, the C6.R, was also built.

Corvette C7: The New Stingray (2014-2019)

The C7 is the seventh Corvette model, first made in 2014. It is also known as the Corvette Stingray. The C7 is more advanced than the C6 and has a much nicer interior. Its main engine is similar to the C6's but more powerful.

The C7's body looks different from older Corvettes. It has bigger headlights, unique taillights, and more vents. The C7 is also available as a convertible. Like earlier models, the C7 has a Z06 version. This Z06 is even faster than the C6 ZR1, with a supercharged engine that makes 650 horsepower. For the first time, there was also a Z06 convertible. A C7 race car, the C7.R, was also created.

Corvette C8: The Current Model (2020-Present)

The Corvette C8 is the eighth and current generation of the car. It first started being produced in February 2020. This model continues the Corvette's legacy of speed and style.

Images for kids

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  1953 Chevrolet Corvette displayed at the 1953 GM Motorama car show

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  1956 Chevrolet Corvette transistorized "hybrid" (vacuum tubes and transistors) car radio option, which was GM's first start in using the modern solid-state electronics for a production car model.

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  1963 Corvette Sting Ray coupe

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  1965 Corvette Sting Ray coupe

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  1967 Corvette Sting Ray convertible

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  Corvette Sting Ray tail lights

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  1969 Corvette Stingray coupe with T-top panels removed

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  1984 Corvette with targa top open

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  1990 Red C4 Corvette

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  Corvette C5 coupe

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  Corvette C5 convertible

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  Corvette Z06

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  Corvette C6 coupe

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  Corvette ZR1

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  2010 Corvette Grand Sport

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  2014 Corvette Stingray coupe

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  2014 Corvette Stingray convertible

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  2019 Corvette ZR1

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  2017 Corvette Grand Sport Collector Edition #43

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  2017 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport Collector Edition Dash Plaque

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  2020 Chevrolet Corvette

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  Astronaut Alan Shepard's Corvette on display at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex

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  Mako Shark II advertisement (1966)

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  A Corvette C5-R leading a Maserati MC12 in Oschersleben, Germany

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  A GT1 C6.R on the back straight of Long Beach, California

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  A Corvette C7.R at the 2016 Goodwood Festival of Speed

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  2007 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car

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  1953 Corvette exits assembly line

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  1954 Corvette convertible

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  1956 Corvette convertible

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  1959 Corvette convertible (rear)

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  1960 Corvette convertible

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  1971 Corvette Stingray coupe

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  Corvette Sting Ray detail

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  1974 Corvette Stingray coupe

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  1978 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car Edition (rear)

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  1986 Corvette convertible Indy 500 Pace Car Edition

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  1990 C4 Corvette Rear Drivers side

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  1988 Corvette coupe

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  1990 C4 Corvette Front top off

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  1992 Corvette ZR-1

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  1996 Corvette Grand Sport

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  1959 Corvette XP-87 Stingray Racer concept

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  A 1959 Scaglietti Corvette

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  The XP-87 with a 1963 model and designer Bill Mitchell

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  1961 Mako Shark concept

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  1965 Mako Shark II concept

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  1977 Aerovette concept

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  2009 Corvette Stingray concept

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  1958 Chevrolet Corvette C1

See also

In Spanish: Chevrolet Corvette para niños