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Here's the story...
It was not a good time to be a Corvette, and Zora Arkus-Duntov clearly saw that speed, power, and performance were obviously "out." So Duntov set out to make his Corvette the best he could.
In 1972, while showing one of his mid-engine prototypes, a GM board member commented, "What do you want a new car for? You're selling all you can right now!"
That's like saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" But you can make it better. Duntov wanted to use his final years at GM to make the Corvette a quality automobile. The demand for the new C3 Corvette was so high that extra production shifts were added and quality seriously suffered. By '72 "quality" was the least-liked feature of the Corvette. Customers didn't like the Cadillac price with a Vega finish. Thus, Duntov began polishing the '73 Corvette to meet new performance standards.
Corvette sales had been rising since 1972, and continued so until 1978. Although serious cars guys bemoaned the lackluster power and soft touches, Corvettes were more popular than ever. The bean-counters were very happy.
The most obvious change for '73 was the new front bumper and hood. All cars now had to have 5 mph crash-bumpers. The new hood featured a cowl- induction system, and eliminated the troublesome "wiper closet" from earlier C3s. The doors now had guard-beams for added safety. Extra sound-deadening material was added as well as rubber body mounts to make the car quieter inside. GR70x15 radial tires also helped ride quality.
In 1973, only three engines were available: the base 190 horsepower 350, the $299 L82 350 with 275 horsepower, and the $250 LS4 454 with 275 horsepower. Solid-lifter engines were no longer available.
Despite the added weight and the soft touches, buyers didn't care. In 1973 30,464 Corvettes were sold. Duntov spent '68 to '72 making the C3 a rip-snort'n pavement burner. His final efforts actually saved the car in the '70s. Thanks Zora!
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