On October 5, 1965, Chevrolet unveiled the running Mako Shark II to the automotive press — and the reaction was pure amazement. This dramatic concept, blending experimental engineering with unforgettable styling, offered a powerful preview of Corvette’s future design direction and cemented the Mako Shark II as one of the most influential dream cars in Corvette history.
Even though the new production Corvette would use the existing frame, suspension, engine/transmission, and drive train from the then-current Sting Ray, getting everything to fit within an even tighter package was a major challenge. There were issues with front and rear bumper requirements, headlight height and configuration, interior ergonomics, and forward visibility of those gorgeous front fender humps. Getting the design right, plus making all of the parts for tooling was impossible to accomplish in one year for the new design to be a ‘67 model. It’s surprising to me that GM’s upper management couldn’t see that. Another year was added to the development schedule and in retrospect, it should have been two years.
