Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company

 

The Chevrolet Corvette C3 was introduced in the fall of 1967 as the third-generation Corvette, and it was built through the fall of 1982. From 1969 to 1976, it was also called Stingray and carried this name with a beautiful badge on the body. 

The Corvette C3 was very successful despite initial problems. The new generation was characterized by a consistent new design of both the interior and the body. The eye-catching body design went down in car history as the “ Coke Bottle Corvette ”.

Chevy took wheelbase and most of the chassis from the C2. The coupés were equipped with T-Top and a removable rear window. The construction of the convertible, on the other hand, ended at the end of 1975 due to more strict safety regulations.

 

Production

Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company

 

The design of the C3 is heavily based on the 1965 concept car Mako Shark II which in turn quoted numerous elements of the 1954 Arnolt-Bristol designed by Bertone. The "Mako Shark II" (project designation XP-830) was presented to the public for the first time in April 1965 at the " New York International Auto Show " as a design study. 

The development cost of this non-driveable prototype was almost three million US dollars. The Mako Shark II made its second debut at the Paris Motor Show on October 5, 1965. However, this time, it was equipped with a 7.0 liter, eight-cylinder engine and was ready to drive. After all, this car was the basis for the new "Stingray".

The two "Mako Shark II" concept cars caused a stir in 1965 with numerous futuristic details such as a rectangular steering wheel, an extendable rear spoiler, and a bumper that could be extended for improved protection, but these ideas were not adopted in series production. The heavily curved body line of the show cars, on the other hand, was adopted by Corvette designer David Holls for the third generation. 

Production began in September 1967 and it ran until October 1982. In 1981 GM moved the production from St. Louis, Missouri to Bowling Green, Kentucky, the plant where the Corvette still rolls off the assembly line today. 

As a result, the parallel production of the C3 models in June and July 1981 was unusual. The single-colored versions were made in St. Louis during these two months, while the two-colored versions were produced in Bowling Green.

 

Technology

Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company

 

First of all, the Corvette C3 looks much more massive than its predecessors. The body length had increased by 7,5 inches and had grown to 15,2 feet, while the wheelbase and width remained the same. However, the height was 2 inches lower than that of the C2 and was only 3,9 feet. 

The C3 is also called " Coke-bottle-shape Corvette" because of its striking fender curve since the side profile resembles a Coca-Cola bottle. Other car manufacturers often copied the distinctive design or elements of it. 

The recessed handle shells on the top of the doors were new; conventional door handles were no longer used. From 1969 the Corvette also had the ignition lock with steering wheel lock in the steering column that GM had introduced on all models.

Parts of the trade press criticized the fact that the new model’s design took a back seat to practical concerns over aesthetic gimmicks. For example, the windscreen wipers, which were hidden under a cover that could be pulled out by vacuum, were criticized and were unsuitable for areas that were not frost-proof. 

From 1969 to 1976, the "Stingray" badge appeared on the front fender, albeit in one word -in contrast to the C2, where the name was written as "Sting Ray". Initially, the Corvette featured chrome bumpers front and rear until the 1973 model year, when they were eliminated, and the front and rear were molded entirely of plastic.

 

Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company

 

As an absolute novelty in production cars, the Corvette was equipped for the first time with two removable roof halves, after which a central bar remains, which is also called a " T-Top ". Even the upright rear window can be removed from models from the first five years of production. It was retained as a style feature until 1977; from 1978, the Corvette was given a fastback rear end with a large glass dome behind the B-pillar as part of a major facelift.

Due to increased safety regulations in the USA, the convertible was only offered until the end of 1975, after which it disappeared from the range. After that, only the coupé was available until production ceased in October 1982.

Initially, the Corvette had chrome bumpers front and rear. To comply with the new five mph impact protection regulations, the Corvette received a polyurethane front bumper for the 1973 model year, while the rear retained the traditional chrome bumper. However, this was replaced in the following model year with a center-split PolyUrethane bumper.

The two-speed automatic transmission "Powerglide" from the C2 had had its day and was replaced by the new automatic transmission "Turbo Hydra-Matic" with three speeds. In 1967 over 80% were delivered with a manual gearbox.

 

Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company

 

The technicians from General Motors once again demonstrated their innovative spirit in the chassis area, but only in the penultimate model year of the Corvette C3. The transverse leaf springs on the rear axle were made of glass fiber reinforced plastic from 1981 onwards. 

The hunt for the largest cubic capacity and the highest performance reached its absolute peak in 1971. Therefore the Corvette used the biggest "big block" between 1970 and 1974: 7.4 liters cubic capacity chucked 435 horsepower. In 1971, this number marked the highest performance of a production car, even though the compression was reduced in this model year.

From 1972, oil prices and dramatically increased insurance premiums for high-performance vehicles resulted in a reduction in maximum power to 270 horsepower, compared to a base Corvette of 200 horsepower. At the end of its construction period, the C3 could mobilize a maximum of 230 horsepower.

 

Sales

Chevrolet Division of General Motors Company

 

A total of 542,861 Corvette C3s were built, including 70,586 convertibles that were solely produced from 1967 to 1975. With almost 543,000 models built in 15 years, the C3 shines on the success of its predecessors.

Even the best production year in the history of the Corvette, 1979 with exactly 53,807 units (after 46,776 units in 1978), falls in the era of the C3 Corvette. This model remained relatively stable until 1981 (40,606 units), but production fell to 25,407 units in the last model year, 1982. 

Prices started in 1968 at $4663 for the coupe and $4347 for the convertible. By 1975 the coupe price had increased to $7117 and the cabriolet to $6857. From 1982 onwards, the C3 had no chance against the European and Japanese competition with these prices. This situation was changed in 1983 with the production of successor model, the Corvette C4.

 

Protecting a Chevrolet Corvette C3

 

Chevrolet Corvette C3 is a highly sought after classic and a decent one is a big investment. Therefore, there are a ton of company that builds Corvette specific protection equipment. Chevrolet, and therefore the GM chose the best one of those companies and went into a partnership. They are called the Coverking and just like Chevy, we recommend them!  

If you own a classic, you should really have an indoor garage. But, even an indoor garage is not the safest environment to keep your pride and joy. Because of rust and humidity, you must cover your vehicle with a sturdy Autobody Armor Car Cover from Coverking.

You might not be fortunate enough to have the interior garage space available for your Corvette C3. In this case, you should have nothing less than StormProof Car Cover from Coverking. It will be your best friend. 

The Chevrolet Corvette C3’s interior is not really the most durable of classic vehicles. You are going to need both dash and seat covers. We recommend the SpartanShield Custom Seat Cover for the upmost protection and Diamond Stitched Custom Seat Cover for the styling. You should check out the Molded Carpet Dash Cover and Designer Velour Dash Cover for your dash’s protection.

 

Resources

 

Coverking Links

 

Tankut Basar

Tankut Basar is an ARA (American Rally Assoc.) Racing Driver and an FIA Bronze Category License Holder. His passion for driving began with karting like most racers. He started racing internationally at the age of 22. Tankut loves everything car-related and will keep enjoying the drive until the end.

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