The History of the Corvette

Introduced as the new Stingray (now branded as one word versus the previous two-word Sting Ray), the C3 later became known as the “shark,” thanks to its long shape and aggressive styling. A “transitional” generation for the Corvette, this model saw some big changes from ’68 to ‘82 including a smaller block engine and less horsepower due to new regulations. By 1973, the material composition had also changed to include less traditional fiberglass and more lightweight plastic. The longest span of all the generations, this period proved the popularity of the car was still going strong—in fact, the 58,307 sales in 1979 remains the Corvette’s annual sales record.