Corvette C1
| Chevrolet | |
|---|---|
 Chevrolet Corvette C1 (1953-1956)
|
|
| Corvette C1 | |
| Production period: | 1953-1962 |
| Class : | Sports car |
| Body versions : | Roadster |
| Engines: |
Petrol engines : 3.8-5.4 liters (143-265 kW) |
| Length: | 4250 mm |
| Width: | 1770 mm |
| Height: | 1310 mm |
| Wheelbase : | 2590 mm |
| Empty weight : | 1305 kg |
| successor | Corvette C2 |
The Chevrolet Corvette C1 is the first generation of the Corvette . The car was built from 1953 to 1962 and during this time it was visually and technically revised several times. Since its appearance, many features have been retained up to the 7th generation, the Corvette C7 . These include the “ small block ” V8 engine introduced in 1955 , the fiberglass body and the four typical round rear lights introduced in 1961.
history
The first Corvette was presented to the public at the "Motorama" in the New York Waldorf Astoria Hotel in January 1953. The audience responded enthusiastically and serial production began six months later.
As the second production car after the Woodill Wildfire, which was built in small numbers , the Corvette C1 had a body made of fiberglass . In addition to the weight savings, the designers' greater freedom of design and the production tools that could be manufactured more quickly spoke in favor of this material - otherwise the rapid start of series production would not have been possible. The first Corvette showed what could be done with the original parts of other Chevrolet models. So they wanted to keep the price low, because you didn't have to redesign the car from scratch. Originally three body variants were built as prototypes: the Roadster became the Corvette, the Fastback did not go into series production and the Sportsback (station wagon) became the Chevrolet Nomad .
Series production in Flint, Michigan, started just six months after the first presentation on June 30, 1953 . In 1954 production was relocated to St. Louis, Missouri . The first Corvette was built in limited numbers from 1953, initially only around 300 copies per year. Some of these have been adopted by project engineers, General Motors managers, and a few select actors and other celebrities.
The reason for the small number of only around 300 pieces was, among other things, the problematic production of the body from glass fiber reinforced plastic . The 110 kW (150 hp) sports car was not fast enough and yet more expensive than the more prestigious models from Jaguar and Cadillac . The Kaiser Darrin , who appeared a little later, was also unsuccessful on the market. In the first year, Chevrolet couldn't even sell half of its production. What was missing was a large-capacity V8 engine with sufficient power.
The situation became even more dramatic in the following year 1954. Instead of the planned 10,000 units, only 3,640 Corvettes rolled off the production line, 1,100 of which did not even find a buyer. The end of the Corvette loomed in 1955: Almost 700 Corvettes left the new production facilities in St. Louis, perhaps just to fly the flag when Ford successfully launched its first two-seater sports car, the Thunderbird . Ford was able to sell 3,500 units within ten days, most of them with the 156 kW (212 hp) V8.
The rescue for the Corvette was brought about by a new chief engineer: Zora Arkus-Duntov , a former racing driver, demonstrated to GM what the Corvette was missing and thus laid the foundation for a successful restart. The premiere of the revised Corvette was held again in 1956 in the New York Waldorf Astoria Hotel . In 1958 Corvette sales rose to over 9,000 units - enough to be in the black for the first time.
To prove that the Corvette was also a competitive car on the racetrack, Briggs Cunningham took part in several models in the Le Mans 24-hour race in 1960. The best result was eighth place.
The Corvette C1 was and is still very popular among fans today. Today these models are very popular Corvette classics and accordingly relatively expensive. In the US, prices of up to $ 150,000 are not uncommon for a well-preserved example in its original condition.
Production time was from June 1953 to August 1962. A total of 69,015 Corvettes were produced. Since the C1 was not yet available as a coupé , only roadsters ( convertibles ) were produced. After that, production was stopped and in 1963 the new Corvette C2 was finally presented.
body
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The Corvette C1 had a body made of fiberglass-reinforced synthetic resin, which is retained in the Corvette to this day. This saved weight and is now relatively easy to manufacture. However, the production of the plastic body was initially complex and lengthy. The engine, transmission and chassis were from other Chevrolet models.
Tailfin inventor Harley Earl gave the open two-seater with the plastic body its shape - like a predator, this Corvette showed the chrome teeth of its radiator grille. The curved fenders stretched over the wheelhouses. The headlights were under a stone guard, there were fins at the stern. The panoramic windshield was pulled around on the sides. The symmetrically designed, painted dashboard had two semicircular recesses, the driver-side of which contained an insert with six display instruments.
The first major exterior overhaul of the Corvette took place in 1956. The tail fins disappeared completely, but lateral indentations behind the front wheels and the first two-tone paintwork in the model's history were introduced. Outer door handles were another innovation this year. The hardtop was delivered from the factory. The front headlights that had previously been integrated into the body were now exposed and protruded slightly, while the taillights that were still outstanding on the first Corvette were now integrated into the rear fenders. With the revised chassis, the Corvette was able to bring even more power to the road.
In 1958 the Corvette was revised once more and equipped with twin headlights, and also lengthened and widened. The suspension and chassis were basically the same, as was the simple rigid axle . The 1959 version looked essentially the same as its predecessor, but this year the chrome trim strips on the rear and the large ventilation slots on the bonnet were dispensed with. The car performed well and was well equipped compared to some of its competitors.
In 1961, the exterior of the C1 was revised for the last time. The front was taken over from the previous models. The stern, on the other hand, was changed and was now a boat stern , which was retained in the C2 series as well as in the following models C3, C4 and C5.
The then new GM chief designer Bill Mitchell also introduced the four round taillights in 1961. GM has remained true to this typical style element to this day.
Engine / performance
The engine was initially a slightly modified "Blue Flame" six-cylinder in - line engine from a truck with a displacement of 3.8 liters. Higher compression and a Carter triple carburetor increased the output to 110 kW (150 PS), then 114 kW (155 PS) and provided a maximum torque of 302 Nm at 4500 rpm. The Corvette C1 accelerated from 0–100 km / h in 8 to 11 seconds, depending on the source. The maximum speed was given as 172 to 180 km / h. However, this performance did not correspond to that of a sports car, even for the conditions at the time.
That's why Ed Cole and Zora Arkus-Duntov prescribed a power regimen for the Corvette C1: Instead of the previous six-cylinder, they opted for a “small-block” V8 with initially 4.3 liters displacement and 143 kW (195 hp). The first Chevrolet “Small-Block” V8 engine, and thus the first Corvette V8 engine, came onto the market in 1955. With this change, the Corvette developed into a real sports car with very good driving performance. With this engine, Duntov accelerated the Corvette in Daytona to a top speed of 150 mph ( 150 km / h), which was a respectable figure at the time.
In 1957 a new engine was added to the C1. The V8 engine, enlarged to 4.6 liters, already delivered 208 kW (283 hp) with the new gasoline injection. With exactly one hp per cubic inch ( cubic inch ) of displacement (converted 16.4 cm 3 ), a very high value was achieved. The two-seater accelerated from 0 to 100 km / h in 7 seconds; The Corvette of the last year of this first model generation was even faster.
In 1958, the range of engines ranged from a V8 with 169 kW (230 hp) to the most powerful engine with 213 kW (290 hp) and petrol injection. Most popular, however, was the basic version with a 4.6 liter engine, the performance of which was felt to be sufficient. From 1960 onwards, cylinder heads made of aluminum were used in the V8 engine.
The last 1962 version of the Corvette C1 was equipped with the 5.3-liter V8. This was the most powerful engine ever available for the C1. It made 360 SAE horsepower and accelerated the Corvette up to 241 km / h.
transmission
Initially, the car had a two-speed automatic transmission, and a manual transmission was also available. However, the sales figures only rose when the then new Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov combined the V8 version with a three-speed manual transmission.
In 1957, car buyers were able to combine a manual transmission with fuel injection for the first time with the Corvette. The new automatic transmission now had four instead of three stages. From 1962 the automatic transmission of the Corvette had an aluminum housing, after which the new Corvette C2 was presented in 1963.
Replica
A replica of the Chevrolet Corvette C1 has been manufactured by the Japanese car manufacturer Duesen Bayern since 2009 . Visually, the model corresponds to the version of the Corvette built from 1958 to 1960. Vehicle parts and engines from the Japanese car manufacturer Nissan are used for the vehicle .
Individual evidence
- ^ Concept Cars of the 1950's , History TV
- ↑ Car picture from January 12, 2004 - picture description of the design of the Corvette C1 replica by "Duesen Bayern"
