My OperaVettes The 57 Corvette; a Successful Failure!
Sunday, January 31, 2010 12:05:48 AM
The 57 Chevrolet Corvette almost didn't make it to 1957 and nearly did a crash and burn a few years earlier. Why did this automobile, which has won the hearts of many, come within a hair's breath of meeting its demise?
Chevrolet initially introduced their two-seat Corvette (or 'Vette' as it's affectionately known) in 1953. It was the passion and brainchild of the prominent automobile designer Harley Earl. Mr. Earl had been creating magic for Chevy since the late 1920's and finally managed to persuade Chevrolet to manufacture a two seater sports car, not unlike the MGs, Alfas and other European automobiles that were being introduced to the US market by returning GIs.
While the 53 Chevy Corvette was lauded for its killer good looks and cool body, its performance under the hood was decidedly unexciting, unadventurous and just plain bad. Ford's Thunderbird further threatened the future life of the automobile that would eventually go down in the archives of American auto 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 highways of America, the Chevrolet Corvette (not yet the 57 model) was still languishing in the showrooms. It was during this time that General Motors considered killing the Corvette, or in the words of an devotee 'murdering it'. Things were definitely not looking good.
Enter the V8 engine and Zora Arkus-Duntov. Zora, who somewhat erroneously became known ever after as the father of the Corvette, inspired the V8 design and spec for the 1957 Corvette. The V8 is credited with being the most significant alteration made to the car up to that point.
Enough of the history. Given a new engine the 57 Corvette zoomed from so-so to muscle in performance and was re-christened as a true sports car.
While the 1957 Chevy is as synonymous with the American dream as Mama's home-made apple pie, the US does not have a monopoly on cars in imaginings. The 'Vette started appearing in the dreams of sleepers the world over and started attracting fans all over the globe. The unsuspecting public was introduced to the 'Vette by its plentiful guest TV appearances, where it often achieved its own listing in the show credits! How is that for a comeback?
The 57 Chevy Corvette is coveted by classic car enthusiasts the world over. These beauties 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 debut of the C7 Chevy Corvette projected to come sometime during 2010.
Want to Discover More About 1957 Chevrolets? FREE Information!
Want to know more about these classic dream cars? For free information (and photos), click to see some 1957 Chevy Corvettes. Cars for sale, too, at http://www.1957chevyforsale.comVettes: cheap corvettes
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