(C) Daily Kos This story was originally published by Daily Kos and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Museums 301: Corvettes (photo diary) [1] ['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.'] Date: 2024-06-23 In 1951, Harley J. Earl, the chief designer for General Motors, began to develop an open sports car that would sell for about the price of a family sedan. Earl then turned his basic concept over to Robert McLean to bring the car into reality. To keep costs down, McLean used off-the-shelf mechanical components from the 1952 Chevrolet and a fiberglass body. The new car, called the Corvette, was introduced at the 1953 New York Auto Show. The public loved the new car and thousands of potential buyers wanted to buy one. Production of the Corvette began on June 30, 1953. Shown below are some of the Corvettes which are on display in automobile museums. 1953 Chevrolet Corvette This was on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. With only 300 produced, this is the rarest Corvette. 1957 Chevrolet Corvette This was on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River, Oregon. 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Drag Car This car was on display in the Thunderdome Car Museum in Enumclaw, Washington. 1960 Corvette 2-Door Convertible Coupe This was on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington 1961 Chevrolet Corvette This was on display in the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. It sold for $3,934. 1963 Corvette Convertible This car was on display in the Thunderdome Car Museum in Enumclaw, Washington. 1963 Chevrolet Corvette This was on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Washington. This model featured the iconic split rear window which was dropped in the following year because of customer complaints about limited rear vision. 1966 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible This car was on display in the Thunderdome Car Museum in Enumclaw, Washington. This car had a base price of $ 4,084. It has the LS1 Redline Performance 425 horsepower engine with a 5-speed manual transmission. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Coupe This was on display in the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. It sold for $4,388. 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible This was on display in the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. It sold for $4,240. 1969 Corvette This car was on display in the Thunderdome Car Museum in Enumclaw, Washington. This car has the 427 cubic inch, 390 horsepower engine with a 4-speed transmission. This was the last year for the 427 big block. 1973 Chevrolet Corvette T-Top Coupe This was on display in the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. It sold for $5,561. 1978 Chevrolet Corvette C3, Limited Edition Pace Car This was on display in the Montana Auto Museum in Deer Lodge, Montana. It sold for $13,653. 1994 Corvette ZR1 This was on display in WAAAM West in Vancouver, Washington. A total of 448 of these cars were produced. The original price was $69,500. The 350 CID engine develops 405 horsepower. This car has a top speed of 180 mph. 2012 Corvette ZR1 This was on display in WAAAM West in Vancouver, Washington. A total of 404 of these cars were produced. The original price was $127,000. The 378 CID supercharged engine develops 638 horsepower. This car has a top speed of 205 mph. 2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible This was on display in WAAAM West in Vancouver, Washington. A total of 512 of these cars were produced. The original price was $135,000. A 6.2 liter supercharged V8 produces 755 horsepower. This car has a top speed of 212 mph. More cars Museums 301: Chrysler Automobiles, 1927-1937 (photo diary) Museums 201: Oldsmobile automobiles (photo diary) Museums 201: Fords of the 1960s Museums 201: Luxury Cars of the 1930s Museums 201: Some Unusual Automobiles (Photo Diary) Museums 201: Early Steam and Electric Cars (Photo Diary) Museums 201: Specialty Model T Fords (photo diary) Museums 201: The Ford Model T Speedster (photo diary) [END] --- [1] Url: https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2024/6/23/2247706/-Museums-301-Corvettes-photo-diary?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=latest_community&pm_medium=web Published and (C) by Daily Kos Content appears here under this condition or license: Site content may be used for any purpose without permission unless otherwise specified. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/dailykos/