Difference between revisions of "Chevrolet Corvette C3"

This generation has the distinction of being introduced to the motoring public in an unorthodox—and unintended—fashion. 1968 marked the introduction of [[Mattel]]'s now-famous [[Hot Wheels]] line of 1/64-scale die cast toy cars. General Motors had tried their best to keep the appearance of the upcoming car a secret, but the release of the Hot Wheels line several weeks before the Corvette's unveiling had a certain version of particular interest to Corvette fans: the "Custom Corvette", a GM-authorized model of the 1968 Corvette.

This generation has the distinction of being introduced to the motoring public in an unorthodox—and unintended—fashion. 1968 marked the introduction of [[Mattel]]'s now-famous [[Hot Wheels]] line of 1/64-scale die cast toy cars. General Motors had tried their best to keep the appearance of the upcoming car a secret, but the release of the Hot Wheels line several weeks before the Corvette's unveiling had a certain version of particular interest to Corvette fans: the "Custom Corvette", a GM-authorized model of the 1968 Corvette.

In 1970 the 427 big-block [[V8]] was enlarged to 454 in³ (7.4 L). Power peaked in the 1970 and 1971 models, with the 1970 LT-1 small-block putting out 370 hp (276 kW) and the 1971 454 big-block having its last year of big power with 425 hp (317 kW). In 1972, GM moved to the [[horsepower#hp (SAE)|SAE Net]] measurement for power (away from the previous SAE Gross standard), which resulted in lower values expressed in reported horsepower. Along with the move to [[unleaded fuel]] which required lower [[compression ratio]]s, emission controls, and catalytic converters, power continued to decline and bottomed out in 1975—the base L48 engine put out 165 hp (123 kW), and the optional L82 engine put out 205 hp (153 kW). This was the lowest power Corvette since the first year of production. Nevertheless, ''[[Car and Driver]]'' magazine found the Corvette to be the fastest accelerating American car for 1976, with a 0-60 time of 7.1 seconds. Power remained fairly steady for the rest of the C3 generation, ending in 1982 with the 200 hp (149 kW) L83 engine. In 1980, all California-spec Corvettes received the smaller 305 cubic-inch V8 due to that state's more stringent emission regulations along with an automatic transmission for just that one year, while 49-state Corvettes continued with the 350 V8 and a choice of automatic or four-speed manual transmissions.

In 1970 the 427 big-block [[V8]] was enlarged to 454 in³ (7.4 L). Power peaked in the 1970 and 1971 models, with the 1970 LT-1 small-block putting out 370 hp (276 kW) and the 1971 454 big-block having its last year of big power with 425 hp (317 kW). In 1972, GM moved to the [[horsepower#hp (SAE)|SAE Net]] measurement for power (away from the previous SAE Gross standard), which resulted in lower values expressed in reported horsepower. Along with the move to [[unleaded fuel]] which required lower [[compression ratio]]s, emission controls, and catalytic converters, power continued to decline and bottomed out in 1975—the base L48 engine put out 165 hp (123 kW), and the optional L82 engine put out 205 hp (153 kW). This was the lowest power Corvette since the first year of production. Nevertheless, ''[[Car and Driver]]'' magazine found the Corvette to be the fastest accelerating American car for 1976, with a 0-60 time of 7.1 seconds. Power remained fairly steady for the rest of the C3 generation, ending in 1982 with the 200 hp (149 kW) L83 engine. In 1980, all California-spec Corvettes received the smaller 305 cubic-inch V8 due to that state's more stringent emission regulations along with an automatic transmission for just that one year, while 49-state Corvettes continued with the 350 V8 and a choice of automatic or four-speed manual transmissions.