Chevrolet Corvette History

Sports car · 1953–present

America's sports car since 1953 — eight generations from the hand-built C1 to the mid-engine C8.

Photo: “1962 Corvette Convertible” by Mustang Joe / Wikimedia Commons — CC0 1.0. Cropped to 16:9.

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History

Launched in 1953 as a hand-built fiberglass roadster, the Corvette is America's longest-running sports car and has been built continuously across eight generations.

The 1955 small-block V8 set its performance template; the 1963 Sting Ray added a coupe and independent rear suspension; and the 2020 C8 made the historic switch to a rear mid-engine layout.

Performance halos — the Z06, the ZR1, and the Grand Sport — have anchored the line for decades, delivering supercar pace at a fraction of European prices.

Generations

First generation · C1
1953–1962
The original Corvette — launched mid-1953 as a hand-built fiberglass-bodied roadster. Six-cylinder at first; the 265 small-block V8 arrived for 1955, setting the V8 sports-car template.
Second generation · C2 "Sting Ray"
1963–1967
The Sting Ray — introduced the nameplate, the first Corvette coupe, and independent rear suspension. The 1963 coupe's one-year-only split rear window makes it the most iconic Corvette body.
Third generation · C3 "Stingray"
1968–1982
The Coke-bottle 'shark' body — the longest-running Corvette generation. Big-block muscle early, then detuned through the 1970s emissions era; the original ZR1 option appeared 1970–1972.
Fourth generation · C4
1984–1996
A ground-up modern redesign launched as a 1984 model (no public 1983 cars). Home of the Lotus-engineered ZR-1 'King of the Hill' (1990–1995) and the 1996 Grand Sport finale.
Fifth generation · C5
1997–2004
A clean-sheet C5 with the new LS1 V8 and a rear transaxle for balance. The hardcore Z06 returned for 2001 with the LS6, reviving the badge after a 38-year absence.
Sixth generation · C6
2005–2013
Exposed headlamps for the first time since 1962. Spawned the 7.0L LS7 Z06 (2006) and the supercharged 638-hp LS9 ZR1 (2009) — the most powerful Corvette of its era.
Seventh generation · C7 "Stingray"
2014–2019
Revived the Stingray name for 2014 and was the LAST front-engine Corvette. Topped by the supercharged LT4 Z06 (2015) and the 755-hp LT5 ZR1 (2019).
Eighth generation · C8 "Stingray"
2020–2026
The first rear mid-engine production Corvette (2020), a landmark reinvention. Followed by the flat-plane LT6 Z06, the AWD E-Ray hybrid, and the twin-turbo 1,064-hp ZR1.

Famous Corvette variants

The nameplates that define the Corvette — each with its own cross-year history, engines, production, and collectibility.

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First generation · C1

Second generation · C2 "Sting Ray"

Third generation · C3 "Stingray"

Fourth generation · C4

Fifth generation · C5

Sixth generation · C6

Seventh generation · C7 "Stingray"

Eighth generation · C8 "Stingray"