26 Fascinating Corvette Facts People Always Overlook

The iconic American sports car has been loved for generations. But do you know all there is to know about the fascinating journey the Corvette has made since its debut? See how many of these facts you know — and may have missed.

What’s in a Name?

The Corvette is named after World War II warships, commonly called corvettes. Today, the word transformed into an iconic legacy of some of the world’s very best vehicles. Agility, speed and power are reflected by this mighty car, worthy of its namesake.

The First Corvette

In 1953, the first Corvette came into the world at GM’s Motorama show. It was produced under the name “Project Opal.” Only 300 were produced, and only 183 sold. To think that its less-than-ideal beginnings would turn into a legacy of excellence. The 1954 model added revisions and a few extra colors to the mix by the following year.

Welcome to the Jungle

Early models of the Corvette greatly resembled the Jaguar XK120. This is due to Haley Earl, the Corvette’s designer, taking inspiration from the classic vehicle when creating the car. How many similarities can you find between the two legendary vehicles?

Windshield Win

The Corvette is the only vehicle to offer an actual panorama (“wrap-around”) windshield. It was the first to introduce the concept, setting the standard for innovative windshield advancements all car owners can enjoy today. While the original idea was scrapped due to safety concerns over visual distortion in its drivers.

American Spirit

Have you ever seen the original 1953 Corvette logo? Notice something different? When the car first came out, the logo featured an American Flag. It was changed to the classic checkered and red fleur-de-lis design after issues with using the American flag for commercialization popped up.

Living Life in Fast Forward (Actually, In Reverse)

We all know that Corvettes are designed for speed, but have you ever considered how fast the car can go backward? Maybe not, but enough people were curious to determine that a Corvette C7’s max reverse speed is 53 mph. Talk about multifaceted engineering; it is an impressive skill to have!

First in Fiberglass

The Corvette is the first vehicle to use fiberglass in its design. Though many skeptics thought it could never match steel, fiberglass was quicker (and cheaper) to work with when designing the vehicles. Fiberglass is also lightweight and dust-proof. While Corvettes are still made with partial fiberglass, they also include a mix of carbon fiber composites.

Ch-Ch-Changes In Corvette

in 1958, the Corvette’s exterior became nearly unrecognizable as changes to the exterior turned it into something close to a giant cheese grater with two extra headlights and a massive grille. The hood had embellished louvers that served only as decoration. At least the chrome accents were a fun touch.

Sing a Little Song

A great car is worth many songs, and the Corvette is a legendary car with plenty! The Corvette has been the topic of many popular songs, including “Little Red Corvette” by Prince, “The One I Loved Back Then” (also known as “The Corvette Song”) by George Jones, “Dead Man’s Curve” by Jan and Dean and many others.

Making History

The Corvette is worthy of remembering for generations to come. The Corvette Museum, located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, has several permanent exhibits, public events, and a wide variety of activities for any Corvette fan, young and old. Their mission is to educate people worldwide about “America’s Sports Car.”

Origin Story

While Corvettes are primarily manufactured in Bowling Green, Kentucky, today, the first Corvette was produced in Flint, Michigan, and later in St. Louis, Missouri. Today, Corvettes are still made in the USA, the C8 earning third overall on the Kogod Made in America index with an average of 86% US and Canadian parts in each vehicle.

Limited Edition

The 1953 Corvette had only 300 of its kind produced. You wouldn’t have found any coupes, either—all of the 1953 models were convertibles. Good luck opening the door from the outside on these beauties–this edition had no exterior door handles and relied on the interior handles. It also only came in Polo White with a red interior.

Film Star

The Corvette has been featured in several films and TV series, including Viva Las Vegas, starring Elvis Presley, several of the Fast and the Furious movies and Boogie Nights starring Mark Wahlberg. After his Star Wars success, Mark Hamill starred in an action comedy called Corvette Summer, an overall flop but a fun “car movie” to add to the mix.

On Display

Though it’s now closed, Cooperstown, New York, was once home to the Corvette Hall of Fame within the Americana Museum. Guests could find sleek sports car models on display in chronological order, highlighting the culture during each time period in America, often featuring iconic American monuments and landmarks. It opened in 1992 and closed in 1998.

Hello, Stingray!

After retiring the first generation model of the Corvette, Chevrolet released the Sting Ray in 1963. The new design offered a split rear window. However, this feature was only available for one year, as the divided rear window reduced visibility for its drivers. As a result, 1963 Sting Rays are highly sought out by collectors.

What’s in a Name?

The Sting Ray was reintroduced as the Stingray in 1969, combining both words to make an iconic model name that would last for decades. At the same time, they enlarged the stroke of the V-8 engine, which produced 370 horsepower.

Could’ve Had a V8

You won’t find a Corvette with a V-6 engine—unless it was customized. Starting with the C2, Corvettes are still fitted with a V-8 engine as opposed to a V-6 engine. The engine sits low in the car, allowing for rapid forward visibility. The pushrod engine also has fewer breakable parts, making it reliable and durable.

Out of This World

Many astronauts have owned Corvettes due to a generous gift (and genius promotional strategy). Alan Shepard received a new 1962 Corvette upon his return as the first American in space. Ed Cole, the GM boss at the time, also caught wind of the successful relationship Jim Rathmann, a successful race car driver turned car salesman, had with Buzz Aldrin, Gus Grissom, Gordon Cooper and Alan Shepard. The quartet was allowed to lease their own Corvettes for a dollar each.

The Big Bang

Did you think we were done with space-themed Corvettes? No way. In 1969, Alan Bean, Charles “Pete” Conrad and Richard Gordon got Corvettes of their own, customized with triple-card 427s and gold and black paint that matched their spacecraft. Only Alan Bean’s car remains; the fate of the other vehicles is unknown.

The Most Expensive Corvette

You may think regular Corvettes are pricey, but you may think twice once you know how much one Corvette sold for at auction. One of only 20 ever produced, one 1967 L88 sold for $3.85 million in 2014. When it’s back on the market again in 2024, it may just break that record again.

Faster and Faster

There’s always the fight to make the best, fastest vehicle on the market. As for Corvettes, the fastest model is the upcoming 2025 C8 ZR1, which will go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The hybrid version set to come out later is said to be even faster. Other ZR1s are also known for their speed prowess, like the 2019 C7 ZR1.

Firsts for Everything

The very first mid-engine Corvette, the C8, came out in 2020. The Z51 Performance Package made the vehicle the fastest the company had ever created. More variations of the Z51 are in production, improving every year with something exciting and new for its customer base. What will the C9 be capable of?

“Couped” Up

The C2 was the first Corvette available as a coupe. Prior to 1963, you could only get a convertible Corvette. The availability of coupe versus convertible and exclusively using V8 engines made the vehicle stand out and sell many more models than the C1. The C2 also set the tone for all future Corvette models.

Holy Grail

Car enthusiasts and Corvette collectors covet the 1969 Corvette ZL-1 as the “Holy Grail” vehicle. Only two were ever produced, making the car exceptionally rare and a model that many enthusiasts will only dream of owning. It was offered in white and in yellow. Its current market value? $2 million.

The Sinkhole Incident

In 2014, the National Corvette Museum suffered from a sinkhole collapse. The only victims were a few of the vehicles, one being the first 2009 Corvette ZR1 ever built, affectionately known as “The Blue Devil.” Thankfully, the model was restored and is now displayed again in the museum. You can also visit the sinkhole, “The Corvette Cave-In,” and explore the ruins yourself.

All Aluminum

Reynolds Metal Company and GM once teamed up to make the most experimental Corvette of all time: an all-aluminum Corvette. The purpose was to experiment and see if aluminum could provide a similar strength to a steel one. They found it did work and reduced the weight by 400 lbs. Want to see it in real life? See the car featured in the GM Heritage Museum in Detroit.