Automotive History The 1970S Corvette

The Corvette has always impressed many ever since it’s first appearance with a V8 engine in 1955. To date there have been six different generations of Corvettes, each special in it’s own way yet retaining the massive V8 engine and brash styling that make the Corvette what it is. The Corvette of the 1970s is however the archetypal Corvette for many people as it exhibits these two features in the most overstated and extreme way yet seen and has captured the hearts of countless patriotic Americans. The third-generation Corvette (known as a ‘C3’ Corvette) was first introduced in 1968 by Chevrolet with a 5.7L V8 engine which was considered ‘small’ at the time, and a massive 7.0L V8 as the ‘big-block’ option. As the C3 aged, the car was constantly tweaked and engine outputs varied, finally peaking in 1971 with a gargantuan 7.4L V8 engine that made 425 horsepower — a truly amazing power figure at the time and one which helped it to become known as the “fastest accelerating American car”. The glory days of the C3 which began in 1970, lasted for 5 years before emissions regulations forced the retirement of the big-block engines, and a severe power reduction in the small-block down to a depressingly low 165 horsepower in 1975. Power never returned to the levels of before 1975 during the rest of the life of the C3 design, and a 250 horsepower engine in 1979 was consequently the most powerful of the post-75 C3 Corvettes and remained that way until the model’s demise in 1982.When you sit in the drivers seat of a C3, the first thing you will notice is the massive hood stretching for what seems like miles in front of you, visible through the thin slit of a windscreen. You will really feel as though you are sitting in the car as opposed to sitting on it. The low driving position, limited visibility and high sills give the impression not of being in just a car but in the depths of an enormously powerful machine. As soon as you are seated you will realise: this is a car to be respected.The styling of the Corvette during the 70s remained virtually unchanged throughout it’s lifespan. But what styling it was! The cars sensuous curves and sleek profile contrasted sharply with the massively flared wheel arches and huge power bulges on the bonnet which grew progressively bigger to accommodate the largest of Chevrolet engines. The superficial elegance of the car was just that — superficial. It was plainly obvious after more than a quick glance that the C3 was a true brute and the ultimate in overstated power. If all the pent up aggression and passion of a man were allowed to take the form of a car, the C3 would be the result, a thin veneer of civility barely hiding the concealed rage and power. The deep throaty burble of the V8 engine note at idle is a harsh sound but beautiful in it’s own way — not obviously aggressive but heavily hinting that if pressed it will unleash four hundred and twenty horses worth of brutal, nearly uncontrollable power in a roaring, tyre-squealing cacophony. What really makes the 70s Corvette shine is not it’s engine, not it’s styling, not it’s performance, not it’s presence. The real reason is a combination of these factors that can only be summed up in one word: Passion. Category:Home › Home • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 2 • Will higher gasoline prices mean lower sales for new cars? — part 1 • Should the crew of the Sea Shepherd board whaling ships? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 13 • Grandparents: Can blogging chronicle your genealogy? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 12 • Are teachers unions the cause of public school problems today? • Which makes a better pet: A dog or a cat? — part 11