Car and Driver didn’t hold back in its 1980 Corvette review—and the tone was anything but kind. In fact, this “grumpy” road test captures the frustration of the malaise era, when emissions rules choked performance and expectations still ran high. So, what did they get right—and what did they miss? Download the original PDF and judge for yourself.
Dive into a complete review of the 1968–1982 C3 Corvette, examining its engineering advancements, dramatic styling changes, production highs and market challenges. From chrome-bumper muscle to late-era refinement, discover how the C3 became one of the most recognizable and influential generations in Corvette history.
Greetings, Scott Teeters here. Last year I started writing and creating graphics for the new online Corvette magazine, “Corvsport”. My latest Corvsport project...
Late in 1979, just after the 1980 Corvette came out, Fred and Jean started looking for a dealer in south Florida that would give them a deal on two Corvettes. Because Corvettes were in demand, many dealers were marking up their Corvettes, but Sark Chevrolet Center, in North Miami Beach, Florida was willing to make a deal. Fred and Jean got $1,000 off the MSRP, a pretty good deal, all things considered.
Rather than chasing raw horsepower, Mike and Linda Waal built their 1980 Corvette into a refined Grand Touring machine. This real-world C3 project shows how comfort, drivability, and reliability defined the ultimate long-distance Corvette.
Mike Waal from Maryland builds a Super Sano 1980 Corvette so that he and his wife Linda can “See the USA in their Chevrolet, CORVETTE!”...
It was an interesting generation. Certainly in the Fall of ‘67 as the first Shark ‘68 Corvettes were arriving in Chevrolet showrooms, no imagined the shape would have a 15-year run, with a chassis designed in 1960! The comedian Gallagher used to have a routine about how Americans have, “S t y l e……” The Mako Shark-II defined THE basic “style” of America’s sports car.
What was your favorite C3 Corvette?
