1962 Chevrolet Corvette
Custom Convertible
Specifications
Drivetrain: Front-engine, rear wheel drive
Engine: 350cid OHV 8-cylinder engine
Horsepower: 360 bhp at 6,000 RPM
Transmission: 350 Turbo 5-speed automatic
A Little History
The post-World War II years were times of great upheaval and change for the American car industry. G.I.s were returning home with small, zippy sports cars such as MGs and Alfa-Romeos. American companies knew they needed something – their own sports cars – to compete.Enter legendary General Motors Special Projects designer Harley Earl, who led the company’s secret ‘Project Opel’ team, and introduced the world to the Corvette prototype at the 1953 General Motors Motorama in New York City.Shortly after seeing the Corvette at the 1953 Motorama, Zora Arkus-Duntov, a Belgian emigré, joined GM with his eye on changing the Corvette from a docile roadster into a formidable sports car by introducing the small-block V8 engine and later fuel-injection. He became known as the ‘Father of the Corvette.’
Advertisements of the day emphasized the power and fun-factor of the Corvette: “a truly delightful machine that can make going lots better than getting there.”
The Design Debuting with the 1961 models were the now-standard four tail-lights, single-tone paint job and boat-tail design that was later used in C2-generation Corvettes. The 1962 Corvettes were the last to use a solid real-axle suspension.
Did You Know? TV’s Route 66 followed two young men traversing the United States in a Chevrolet Corvette convertible, and the events and consequences surrounding their journeys. The series, inspired by Jack Kerouac’s On The Road and with lead actors Martin Milner and George Maharis, ran for 4 seasons.
