Chevrolet Corvette

The Corvette is a sports car marketed by Chevrolet since the fifties. Initially a six-cylinder roadster, it was upgraded to a V8 by 1959. It quickly became a major grand touring competitor, successful in endurance racing. It competed in IMSA GT and Trans Am after it became identical to IMSA GT. The Corvette was used to power an IMSA GT Prototype, or IMSA GTP. These purpose-built racecars were based on the FIA's Group C prototypes. The Corvette was also used to power a Daytona Prototype, designed not to become airborne at the 24 Hours of Daytona endurance race, after Pontiac was discontinued. The Corvette has also been used in the American Le Mans Series, IMSA GT's successor. It was used in the Rolex Sports Car Series, which eventually merged with ALMS into the modern WeatherTech Championship. It is used in the Pirelli World Challenge. In 1963 the aerodynamic Stingray was introduced to be more competitive. Initially it had a split-rear-window due to body structure limitations. The split-rear-window was replaced with a full window the following year, making the 1963 model rare and valuable. Racecar drivers prefered the later models for their increased rear visibility. The third generation, known as the Mako Shark, was introduced in the sixties and lasted into the eighties. It is to date the longest lasting Corvette generation. The Stingray introduced popup headlights as part of its aerodynamics increase. These lasted until the sixth generation, after which they were discontinued due to safety concerns regarding the headlights breaking and remaining permanently hidden. After the success of the 1953 Corvette, concept cars were created based on it, but never produced. The Nomad proposed a wagon version. The name was later applied to a Chevrolet Bel Air wagon. The Corvair proposed a fastback version. This was later used for a compact car which did compete in motorsport. The Ford Thunderbird was introduced to compete with the Corvette. Chevrolet won the first ever IMSA GT race at Virginia International Raceway and went on to win the championship. A special Gran Sport edition was also available with a special paint scheme. The name was also applied to a special edition of the Buick Skylark. The Corvette's fiftieth anniversary was tributed at the Monterey Historic Automobile Races at Laguna Seca Raceway. In light of a new generation of Corvette coming out, the sixtieth was tributed ten years later. Chevrolet has reintroduced the Stingray edition of the Corvette, complete with the special logo.