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Here's the story...
When you consider the challenges of the automotive industry during the '70s, it's amazing that the Corvette even survived. Chevrolet proved that with the right combination of performance, image, and racing heritage, that an expensive, limited-use sports car could be successful.
The C3 Corvette lasted an amazing 15 production years. 1968 to 1982 saw some of the most radical changes ever seen in automotive history. Performance cars peaked then quickly became a dirty word. Safety concerns, exhaust emissions, and gas mileage suddenly became more important that styling changes. Although the Corvette was a very different car by the end of the C3 run in '82, it was still America's only true sports car.
The contrasts of the C3 Corvettes are extreme. The list price for a base Corvette in '68 was $4,663. By '82 the base price was $18,290.
In '68 there were six different engines to choose from, two small-blocks and four big-blocks. By '82 there was only one engine available. In '68 there were four transmission choices, by '82 there was one, the new four-speed automatic.
Aside from the Corvette's stunning looks, power was a key feature. C3 Corvettes saw a wide range of power figures. In '71, to help tone down the heat from anti-performance groups, Detroit began using "net" power figures, instead of "gross" power figures. Published power figures had always reflected an engine with no power-robbing accessories: such as a fan, exhaust pipes, alternator, and warm air. The new "net" figures looked terrible on paper, but were closer to reality. Compounding the problem was the reduction in compression so that engines could begin using unleaded gas.
The strongest "official" engine of the C3 years was the '69 427 L71 big-block with 435 hp. The weakest C3 engine was the '80 California 305 with 180 hp. The '70-1/2 LS7 454 almost won the big dog prize with its 460 hp rating, but the engine was never available. Duntov was a Corvette racer's best friend and always made sure that good racing parts were available. The two racing legends of the C3 Corvettes were the 427 L88 (underrated at 430 hp, but closer to 550 hp) and the all-aluminum 427 ZL-1.
Car magazines have been bashing the Corvette's weight for years. The C3 Corvette had a 465-pound difference from the lightest to the heaviest. The '69 model had the lightest curb weight at 3,260 pounds. Just three years later, the '73 model weighed in at 3,725 pounds!
High performance is great, but it really all comes down to sales. Considering the nature of GM, the low-volume Corvette shouldn't be. From '68 to '82 Chevrolet produced 529,600 Corvettes. The lowest sales year was 1970, due to labor strikes that delayed production. For 70-1/2, 17,316 Corvettes were made. List price for a '70-1/2 model was $4,849 for a convertible and $5,192 for a coupe. The highest sales year was '79, with 53,807 Corvettes made at a list price of $10,220. In '68, convertibles outsold coupes almost 2-to-1, and had the best year with 18,630 convertibles built. 1975 was the last year for convertibles and had the lowest sales, with 4,629 units built.
By the end of '82 Chevrolet had built 716,579 Corvettes since '53. The C3 Corvette went from a rip-snort'n pavement pounder to a boulevard cruiser. But vastly better times were just ahead.
Be sure to check out the NEW Illustrated Corvette Series Portfolio.
This portfolio of Scott Teeters' "Vette Magazine" series, covers every production Corvette from 1953 to 1996. Also included are all of the major Corvette show cars, engineering prototypes, concept cars, and several Corvette racers.
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