The 57 Chevy Corvette; a Successful Failure!
The 57 Chevrolet Corvette almost didn’t make it to 1957 and almost did a crash and burn a few years earlier. Why did this auto, which has won the hearts of many the world over, come close to being canceled?
Chevy initially introduced the two-seat Corvette (or ‘Vette’ as it’s affectionately known) in 1953. It was the passion and brainchild of the legendary automobile designer Harley Earl. Mr. Earl had been designing for Chevrolet since the late 1920’s and at long last managed to persuade them to build a two seater sports car, to compete with the MGs, Alfas and other European cars that were being introduced to the US market by returning GIs.
While the 53 Chevy ‘Vette was lauded for its killer good looks and remarkable body, its performance under the hood was distinctly unexciting, unadventurous and somewhat frigid. The Ford Thunderbird further threatened the future of the auto that would eventually go down in the records of American automotive history as ‘the only true American sports car’, by outselling the Corvette by 24 to 1. Ouch!
While the Thunderbird was looking great on the roads of America, the Chevy Corvette (not yet the 57 model) was still languishing in the showrooms. It was at this time that General Motors considered killing it off, or in the words of an devotee ‘murdering it’. Things were definitely not looking good for the ‘Vette.
Enter the powerful V8 engine and Zora Arkus-Duntov. Zora, who rather incorrectly was designated forever after as the father of the Corvette, inspired the V8 design and specifications for the 57 Corvette. The V8 is credited with being the most valuable alteration made to the Corvette to date.
Enough of the history. Baptized with a new engine the 57 ‘Vette zoomed from so-so to strength in performance and was reborn as a serious sports car.
While the 57 Chevrolet is as synonymous with the American dream as Mom’s home-made apple pie, the US does not have the monopoly on cars in thoughts. The Corvette started appearing in the dreams of car-lovers the world over and began attracting fans all over the globe. The unsuspecting public was introduced to the Corvette by its frequent guest TV appearances, where it often achieved its own listing in the show credits! How is that for a comeback story?
The 1957 Chevy Corvette is coveted and collected by car enthusiasts from Asia to Antarctica. They are being bought at car auctions for anywhere from $70,000 upwards, with no shortage of adoring collectors. The automobile world is now waiting with baited breath for the introduction of the C7 Chevy Corvette anticipated to appear sometime in 2010.
Want to Discover More About 57 Chevys? Here’s FREE Info!
If you enjoyed this post, please consider to leave a comment or subscribe to the feed and get future articles delivered to your feed reader.
Comments
No comments yet.
Leave a comment