Difference between revisions of "Corvette Stingray (Concept car)"

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{{Infobox Automobile
{{Infobox Automobile
| image         = [[Image:Chevrolet Corvette C1 (Orange Julep).JPG|250px|Chevrolet Corvette C1]]
|name=Corvette Stingray
| name          = Chevrolet Corvette C1
|image=<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Corvette Stingray (concept car).jpg|250px| ''Corvette Stingray in its concept car version'']] -->
| layout        = [[FR layout]]
|caption= Corvette Stingray
| manufacturer   = [[Chevrolet]]
|manufacturer=[[General Motors Corporation|General Motors]]
| parent_company = [[General Motors]]
|production=1959
| production     = 1953&ndash;1962
|predecessor=
| successor     = [[Chevrolet Corvette C2]]
|successor=  
| class         = [[Sports car]]
|class=[[Sports car]] (experimental)
| body_style     = 2-door [[convertible]]
|body_style=2-door [[convertible]]
}}
|related= |similar=
{{Infobox Automobile generation
| name          = Six-cylinder
| production    = 1953&ndash;1955
| assembly      = [[Flint, Michigan]]<br>[[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| engine        = 235&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Straight-6 engine#235|Blue Flame]]'' [[Straight-6|I6]]
| transmission  = 2-speed ''[[Powerglide]]'' [[automatic transmission|automatic]]
}}
{{Infobox Automobile generation
| name          = Six-cylinder and Eight-cylinder
| production    = 1955
| assembly      = [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| engine        = 235&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Straight-6 engine#235|Blue Flame]]'' [[Straight-6|I6]]<br>265&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#265|Small-block]]'' [[V8]]
| transmission  = 2-speed ''[[Powerglide]]'' [[automatic transmission|automatic]]<br>3-speed [[manual transmission|manual]]
}}
{{Infobox Automobile generation
| name          = Eight-cylinder
| assembly      = [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| image          = [[Image:'58 Chevrolet Corvette (Auto classique).JPG|250px|1958 Chevrolet Corvette]]
| production    = 1956&ndash;1962
| engine        = 265&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#265|Small-block]]'' [[V8]]<br>283&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#283|Small-block]]'' [[V8]]<br>327&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#327|Small-transmblock]]'' [[V8]]
| transmission  = 2-speed ''[[Powerglide]]'' [[automatic transmission|automatic]]<br>3-speed [[manual transmission|manual]]<br>4-speed [[manual transmission|manual]]
}}
{{Infobox Automobile generation
| name          = Fuel-Injection
| assembly      = [[St. Louis, Missouri]]
| image          = [[Image:1962 Chevrolet Corvette convertible.jpg|250px|1961 Chevrolet Corvette with fuel injection]]
| production    = 1957&ndash;1962
| engine        = 283&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#283|Small-block]]'' [[Fuel injection|FI]] [[V8]]<br>327&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#327|Small-block]]'' [[Fuel injection|FI]] [[V8]]
| transmission  = 2-speed ''[[Powerglide]]'' [[automatic transmission|automatic]]<br>3-speed [[manual transmission|manual]]<br>4-speed [[manual transmission|manual]]
}}
}}
Stylist Bill Mitchell’s XP-87 "Stingray" project was a privately funded project that was to lead to the development of the next generation of the [[Chevrolet Corvette]].


:For an outline of all the Chevrolet Corvette generations see {{main|Chevrolet Corvette}}
==Design and development==
The Corvette Stingray Racer was designed by [[Bill Mitchell]], GM Vice President of styling, and [[Larry Shinoda]] in 1959. The basis of the "Stingray" was the 1957 Corvette SS, an engineering test mule chassis for the creation of an official Chevrolet race effort culminating with the [[24 Hours of LeMans]]. Soon after its race debut, the Automobile Manufacturer's Association banned manufacturer-sponsored racing, and the SS had been relegated to test track duty.


The '''Chevrolet Corvette C1''' is a [[sports car]] produced from 1953 through 1962. It is the first generation of [[Chevrolet Corvette]]s built and marketed by [[Chevrolet]].
The Stingray used elements of the still-born "Q-Corvette" design study as well as the SS underpinnings, featuring a {{convert|92|in|mm|0|sing=on}} wheelbase. The new car was exceptionally light, with a dry weight of 2,200 pounds, nearly {{Auto lb|1000|-1}} lighter than a 1960 production car. Its fuel-injected 283 cubic inch (4.6 L) V-8 engine produced {{convert|315|hp}} at 6,200 rpm. The Stingray's body design strongly influenced the styling of the next generation Corvette, which saw production as a 1963 model year. It also was a test bed for many technical developments with a four-speed manual transmission, extensive use of aluminum and a de Dion rear suspension. The Stingray exists today with a 327 cubic inch (5.4 L), fuel-injected V-8 of {{Convert|375|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}}.


==Design==
==Operational history==
[[General Motors]] hired designer [[Harley Earl]] in 1927. Earl loved sports cars, and [[GI (term)|GIs]] returning after serving in Europe during [[World War II]] were bringing home [[MG (car)|MG]]s, [[Jaguar Cars|Jaguars]], [[Alfa Romeo]]s, and the like. Even the small independent automaker, [[Nash Motors]], began selling a two-seat sports car in 1951. The [[Nash-Healey]] was made in partnership with the Italian designer [[Pinin Farina]] and British auto engineer [[Donald Healey]] using [[Nash Ambassador]] engines and manual transmissions with [[Overdrive (mechanics)|overdrive]]. Earl convinced GM that they also needed to build a two-seat sports car. Earl and his Special Projects crew began working on the new car later that year, which was code named "Opel." The result was the 1953 Corvette, unveiled to the public at that year's [[Motorama]] car show.   The original concept for the Corvette emblem incorporated an American flag into the design, but was changed well before production since associating the flag with a product was [[United States Flag Code|frowned upon]].
Billed as a car "built to test handling ease and performance," Mitchell arranged to race the car quite extensively. In the hands of Dr. Dick Thompson, it made its debut at Maryland's Marlboro Raceway on 18 April 1959, finishing in fourth place. It went on to win an SCCA National Championship in 1960.


Taking its name from the [[corvette]], a small, maneuverable fighting [[frigate]] (the credit for the naming goes to [[Myron Scott]]), the first Corvettes were virtually handbuilt in [[Flint, Michigan]] in Chevrolet's Customer Delivery Center, now an academic building at [[Kettering University]]. The outer body was made out of a revolutionary new composite material called [[fiberglass]], selected in part because of limiting steel quotas left over from the [[Korean War]]. Underneath that radical new body were standard Chevrolet components, including the "Blue Flame" inline six-cylinder truck [[engine]], two-speed [[Powerglide]] [[automatic transmission]], and [[drum brake]]s from Chevrolet's regular car line. Though the engine's output was increased somewhat, thanks to a triple-carburetor intake exclusive to the Corvette, performance of the car was decidedly lackluster. Compared to the British and Italian sports cars of the day, the Corvette was underpowered, required a great deal of effort as well as clear roadway to bring to a stop, and even lacked a "proper" [[manual transmission]]. Up until that time, the Chevrolet division was [[General Motors Corporation|GM's]] entry-level marque, known for excellent but no-nonsense cars. Nowhere was that more evident than in the Corvette. A Paxton [[supercharger]] became available in 1954 as a dealer-installed option, greatly improving the Corvette's straight-line performance, but sales continued to decline.
The Stingray was then retired from racing and modified by Mitchell with, among other things, a passenger seat added. The modified vehicle was exhibited as an experimental [[concept car|show car]] even while Mitchell regularly drove it personally on weekends. After its career as a concept car was finished, it was retained by the GM Design Studio as a historically significant vehicle.


GM was seriously considering shelving the project, leaving the Corvette to be little more than a footnote in automotive history, and would have done so if not for two important events. The first was the introduction in 1955 of Chevrolet's first V8 engine (a 265&nbsp;in³ {4.3 L}) since 1919, and the second was the influence of a [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] emigre in GM's engineering department, [[Zora Arkus-Duntov]]. Arkus-Duntov simply took the new [[V8]] and backed it with a three-speed manual transmission. That modification, probably the single most important in the car's history, helped turn the Corvette from a two-seat curiosity into a genuine performer. It also earned Arkus-Duntov the rather inaccurate nickname "Father of the Corvette".
==Specifications (1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Racer)==
*Year: 1959
*Make: Chevrolet
*Model: Corvette Stingray Racer
*Frame:Space frame
*Body: Fiberglass
*Engine location: Front
*Drive type: Rear wheel
*Weight: 2,200 lb (1,000 kg)
*'''Engine''' 
**Engine configuration: V
**Cylinders: 8
**Aspiration/Induction: Normal
**Displacement: 283.00 in³ | 4638 cc
**Valvetrain: OHV
**Power: {{Convert|315|hp|kW|0|abbr=on}} @ 6200 rpm
**Torque: 295.00 ft·lbf (400 N·m) @ 4700 rpm
**Power to weight ratio: 7.0 lb/hp
**Power to volume ratio: 68.5 bhp/L
**Bore: 3.87 in | 98.3 mm
**Stroke: 3.00 in | 76.2 mm
**Compression Ratio: 11.0:1


The first generation is commonly referred to as a solid-axle, based on the fact that independent rear suspension (IRS) was not available until 1963.
==References==
* Friedman, Dave and Paddock, Lowell C. ''Corvette Grand Sport: Photographic Race Log of the Magnificent Chevrolet Corvette Factory Specials 1962-1967''. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Co., 1989. ISBN 0-87938-382-8.
* Mueller, Mike. ''Corvette Milestones''. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Co., 1996. ISBN 0-7603-0095-X.
* Nichols, Richard. ''Corvette: 1953 to the Present''. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-218-1.


==Fuel injection==
==External links==
The first generation started in 1953 and ended in 1962, with the noteworthy addition of optional [[fuel injection]] in 1957. This new induction system first saw regular use on a gasoline engine two years prior on the [[Mercedes-Benz 300SL]] "Gullwing" roadster. Although the Corvette's GM-Rochester [[fuel injection]] system used a constant flow style fuel injection system as opposed to the diesel style nozzle metering system of the Mercedes' [[Straight-6|six cylinders]], the system nevertheless produced about {{convert|290|hp|abbr=on}}. The number was underrated by Chevrolet's advertising agency for the 283HP/[[GM Small-Block engine#283|283&nbsp;in³]] (4.6&nbsp;L) [[V8 engine|V8]] one&nbsp;hp per&nbsp;in³ slogan, making it one of the first mass-produced engines in history to reach 1&nbsp;hp/in³. In 1962, the GM Small-Block was enlarged to 327&nbsp;in³ (5.4&nbsp;L) and produced a maximum of 360&nbsp;hp (268&nbsp;kW). Other early options included Power windows (1956), hydraulically operated power convertible top (1956), four speed manual transmission (mid 1957), and heavy duty brake and suspension options (1957).
* [http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z6401/default.aspx 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Racer]
* [http://www.worldcarfans.com/classics.cfm/classicid/5050609.001/country/acf/corvette-sting-ray-racer's-renaissance Corvette Sting Ray Racer's Renaissance]
*[http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette/ Chevrolet Corvette — Official site]


==CERV I==
==See also==
:{{main|Chevrolet Corvette CERV}}
*[[Chevrolet Corvette]]


[[Zora Arkus-Duntov]] started development of CERV I (Chevrolet Experimental Racing Vehicle) on 1959, which was later unveiled in public at Riverside International Raceway in November 1960, under the name CERV I (Chevrolet Experimental Research Vehicle).


==Oldest unit ==
{{Corvette timeline}}
The oldest Corvette in existence is believed to be the EX-122.[http://www.kerbeck.com/kerbeck/kerbeck.nsf/Worlds_Oldest_Corvette]  The EX-122 was a pre-production prototype that was hand built and first shown to the public at the 1953 GM Motorama at the Waldor Astoria in [[New York City]] on [[January 17]], [[1953]].  That car can now be seen at the [[Atlantic City]] Showroom and Museum of Kerbeck Corvette.
 
== Production notes ==
{|class=wikitable
!Year!!Production!!Base Price!!Notes
|- align=right
|1953||300||$3,498||align=left|First year production starts on [[June 30]]; polo white with red interior and black top is only color combination; Options standard until 1955 for the car were interior door handles; "clip in" side curtains were a substitute for roll-up windows
|- align=right
|1954||3,640||$2,774||align=left|Production moves to [[St. Louis, Missouri|St. Louis]]; blue, red, and black are added; beige top, longer exhaust pipes
|- align=right
|1955||700||$2,774||align=left|Both [[straight-6]] and 265&nbsp;in³ [[V8]] engines produced; 3-speed manual transmission added late in the model year
|- align=right
|1956||3,467||$2,900||align=left|New body with roll-up windows; V8-only; 3-speed manual transmission becomes standard equipment and Powerglide moved to option list
|- align=right
|1957||6,339||$3,176||align=left|283&nbsp;in³ V8; Optional 4-speed manual and [[fuel injection]] added
|- align=right
|1958||9,168||$3,591||align=left|Quad-headlight body and new interior. Fake louvres on hood and chrome strips on trunk lid. Number of teeth in grille reduced to 9 (from 13)
|- align=right
|1959||9,670||$3,875||align=left|First black interior and dash storage bin; only year with a turquoise top. Louvres and chrome strips from '58 removed.
|- align=right
|1960||10,261||$3,872||align=left|Very minor changes to the interior: red and blue bars on the dash logo, vertical stitching on seats
|- align=right
|1961||10,939||$3,934||align=left|New rear styling, bumpers, and round tailights. Grille now a fine mesh instead of teeth
|- align=right
|1962||14,531||$4,038||align=left|327&nbsp;in³ V8 engine; last year with a trunk until 1998. Grille blackened, chrome fender trim removed
|- align=right
!Total!!69,015!!!!
|}


==Engines==
{{Chevrolet}}
{| class=wikitable
[[Category:Chevrolet concept vehicles]]
!Engine
[[Category:Chevrolet Corvette|Stingray]]
!Year
[[Category:Rear wheel drive vehicles]]
!Power
[[Category:Sports cars]]
|-
[[Category:Roadsters]]
|rowspan=2|235&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Straight-6 engine#235|Blue Flame]]'' [[Straight-6|I6]]||1953–1954||150&nbsp;hp (112&nbsp;kW)
[[Category:1950s automobiles]]
|-
|1955||155&nbsp;hp (116&nbsp;kW)
|-
|rowspan=3|265&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#265|Small-block]]'' [[V8]]||1955||195&nbsp;hp (145&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1956||210&nbsp;hp (157&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1956||240&nbsp;hp (179&nbsp;kW)
|-
|rowspan=4|283&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#283|Small-block]]'' [[V8]]||1957||220&nbsp;hp (164&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1958–1961||230&nbsp;hp (172&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1957–1961||245&nbsp;hp (183&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1957–1961||270&nbsp;hp (201&nbsp;kW)
|-
|rowspan=5|283&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#283|Small-block]]'' [[fuel injection|FI]] [[V8]]||1957–1959||250&nbsp;hp (186&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1960–1961||275&nbsp;hp (205&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1957||283&nbsp;hp (211&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1958–1959||290&nbsp;hp (216&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1960–1961||315&nbsp;hp (235&nbsp;kW)
|-
|rowspan=3|327&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#327|Small-block]]'' [[V8]]||1962||250&nbsp;hp (186&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1962||300&nbsp;hp (224&nbsp;kW)
|-
|1962||340&nbsp;hp (254&nbsp;kW)
|-
|327&nbsp;in³ ''[[Chevrolet Small-Block engine#327|Small-block]]'' [[fuel injection|FI]] [[V8]]||1962||360&nbsp;hp (268&nbsp;kW)
|}
 
== See also ==
* [[Chevrolet Corvette]]
 
== Gallery ==
<gallery>
Image:195X Chevrolet Corvette.jpg|Chevrolet Corvette
Image:1957 Chevrolet Corvette EUD883.jpg|1957 Chevrolet Corvette
Image:1958 Chevrolet Corvette NWA995.jpg|1958 Chevrolet Corvette
Image:19XX Chevrolet Corvette 2.jpg|1958 Chevrolet Corvette
Image:1959 Chevrolet Corvette.jpg|1959 Chevrolet Corvette
Image:19XX Chevrolet Corvette.jpg|Chevrolet Corvette
</gallery>
 
{{Corvette timeline}}
[[Category:Chevrolet Corvette|C1]]

Latest revision as of 02:12, 4 February 2009

Corvette Stingray
ManufacturerGeneral Motors
Production1959
ClassSports car (experimental)
Body style(s)2-door convertible
ManualsService Manual

Stylist Bill Mitchell’s XP-87 "Stingray" project was a privately funded project that was to lead to the development of the next generation of the Chevrolet Corvette.

Design and development

The Corvette Stingray Racer was designed by Bill Mitchell, GM Vice President of styling, and Larry Shinoda in 1959. The basis of the "Stingray" was the 1957 Corvette SS, an engineering test mule chassis for the creation of an official Chevrolet race effort culminating with the 24 Hours of LeMans. Soon after its race debut, the Automobile Manufacturer's Association banned manufacturer-sponsored racing, and the SS had been relegated to test track duty.

The Stingray used elements of the still-born "Q-Corvette" design study as well as the SS underpinnings, featuring a 92-inch (2,337 mm) wheelbase. The new car was exceptionally light, with a dry weight of 2,200 pounds, nearly 1,000 lb (450 kg) lighter than a 1960 production car. Its fuel-injected 283 cubic inch (4.6 L) V-8 engine produced 315 horsepower (235 kW) at 6,200 rpm. The Stingray's body design strongly influenced the styling of the next generation Corvette, which saw production as a 1963 model year. It also was a test bed for many technical developments with a four-speed manual transmission, extensive use of aluminum and a de Dion rear suspension. The Stingray exists today with a 327 cubic inch (5.4 L), fuel-injected V-8 of 375 hp (280 kW).

Operational history

Billed as a car "built to test handling ease and performance," Mitchell arranged to race the car quite extensively. In the hands of Dr. Dick Thompson, it made its debut at Maryland's Marlboro Raceway on 18 April 1959, finishing in fourth place. It went on to win an SCCA National Championship in 1960.

The Stingray was then retired from racing and modified by Mitchell with, among other things, a passenger seat added. The modified vehicle was exhibited as an experimental show car even while Mitchell regularly drove it personally on weekends. After its career as a concept car was finished, it was retained by the GM Design Studio as a historically significant vehicle.

Specifications (1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Racer)

  • Year: 1959
  • Make: Chevrolet
  • Model: Corvette Stingray Racer
  • Frame:Space frame
  • Body: Fiberglass
  • Engine location: Front
  • Drive type: Rear wheel
  • Weight: 2,200 lb (1,000 kg)
  • Engine
    • Engine configuration: V
    • Cylinders: 8
    • Aspiration/Induction: Normal
    • Displacement: 283.00 in³ | 4638 cc
    • Valvetrain: OHV
    • Power: 315 hp (235 kW) @ 6200 rpm
    • Torque: 295.00 ft·lbf (400 N·m) @ 4700 rpm
    • Power to weight ratio: 7.0 lb/hp
    • Power to volume ratio: 68.5 bhp/L
    • Bore: 3.87 in | 98.3 mm
    • Stroke: 3.00 in | 76.2 mm
    • Compression Ratio: 11.0:1

References

  • Friedman, Dave and Paddock, Lowell C. Corvette Grand Sport: Photographic Race Log of the Magnificent Chevrolet Corvette Factory Specials 1962-1967. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Co., 1989. ISBN 0-87938-382-8.
  • Mueller, Mike. Corvette Milestones. St. Paul, Minnesota: MBI Publishing Co., 1996. ISBN 0-7603-0095-X.
  • Nichols, Richard. Corvette: 1953 to the Present. London: Bison Books, 1985. ISBN 0-86124-218-1.

External links

See also


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