Originally conceived as a sports car to rival the American Sedan in the same price range, the Corvette is a car that has become classic not only based on the evolution of the body style and limited edition runs, the engineering and design that has shaped the development of the Corvette made many technological leaps forward that set standards in the modern world of the automobile. The first innovation to rock the world of automobiles was the so-called “small-block” engine. This engine was essentially a V8 that literally caused the car to jump up and down when it was first installed. The fiberglass body that came with this roaring new engine was rare in the automobile industry as well. In the mid 1950’s the Corvette’s engine was being tweaked and eventually combined with a Powerglide transmission. With this, the first real sight of the potential of the Corvette was seen.
From there, the 256 cubic feet engine was accompanied by a three speed manual transmission, finally giving the Corvette a real foot into the doors of the racing world. The next major notable innovation to the Corvette was the fuel injection system that came on the heels of offering performance-upgraded engines as an option to the consumer. Rochester mechanical fuel injection gave the car quicker starts off the line and pumping the throttle no longer flooded the engine. Instantaneous throttle response is something that every sports car enthusiasts should want under their feet. Many Corvette fans still claim the 62′ model to be the top of the line of the first generation series, featuring solid rear axles and up to 340 horsepower. With the innovative designs of the Stingray and other hybrid models of the Corvette body in the early sixties, there were minor tweaks to the engine and subsequent engine systems, among them being the increase in fuel tank size. There had been many complaints that the previous tanks were just too small. By 65′ the small block engine had evolved into the “Big Block” and could put out 425 horses. It was the most power General Motors had infused a vehicle with since producing tanks. While these are only early innovations, the future of the Corvette was moving fast and running strong. The Corvette has been one of the most successful vehicles that General Motors has ever produced, and continues running strong even today. Corvette enthusiasts from around the world purchase their corvette modifications from CorvetteMods.com.
Joe is a guest blogger who does a lot of work on Corvette modification blogs.