Explore how the Corvette took shape between 1951 and 1953 as Chevrolet embraced fiberglass construction to create America’s first true sports car. This chapter reveals the engineering risks, production challenges and innovative thinking that transformed experimental materials into a revolutionary lightweight body — setting Corvette apart from every other car in Detroit.
The Long Road to Plastic Fiberglass Cars Note: This story was originally published in the November 2022 issue of Vette Vues Magazine: “Chevrolet To Make...
Explore Part 2 of the fiberglass story and learn how Chevrolet perfected the process of building the “plastic” Corvette. From early manufacturing challenges to production breakthroughs, this chapter reveals how fiberglass construction became a defining feature of Corvette identity and innovation.
What a very special day for lovers of Chevy’s “Plastic Fantastic”! The Corvette phenomenon was launched seventy years ago today. The car that few inside...
Larry Shinoda was Mitchell’s preferred, go-to stylist guy and seemed to be the best at pulling Bill’s ideas into reality. According to Peter Brock (National Corvette Museum 2017 Hall of Fame inductee), Mitchell was just as tough as Earl, but more jovial and at times profane. Bill just wanted to be “one of the guys”, but he knew what he wanted. (Brock’s book, “Corvette Sting Ray: Genesis of an American Icon” is a MUST READ for all second generation Corvette fans.) Since Larry Shinoda worked out the translation of Brock’s Q-Corvette design into the Stingray Racer, Larry was tasked to do the XP-755, “Mako Shark”. Larry was also working on the XP-720, the 1963 Sting Ray, in its development phase.
On this date in 1953, GM officials never imagined their little fiberglass concept car would one day become a world-class sports car and GM’s technological...
Dateline: 4.24.12 Corvette’s Motorama Kiss’n Cousins In 2009 when GM was getting negative publicity because of its financial troubles, I received a few emails with...
