How the 57 Chevrolet Corvette Made Automotive History!

The 1957 Chevrolet ‘Vette almost didn’t make it to 1957 and almost died a death a few years prior. Why did this automobile, which has won the hearts of many, come close to being canceled?

Chevy initially presented the two-seat Corvette (or ‘Vette’ as it’s affectionately known) in 1953. It was the obsession and brainchild of the prominent designer Harley Earl. Earl had been designing for Chevrolet since the late 1920’s and at long last managed to persuade Chevrolet to build a two seater sports car, rather like the MGs, Alfas and other European autos that were being introduced to the US market by GIs returning from the war.

While the 1953 Chevy ‘Vette was hailed for its killer good looks and terrific body, its engine performance was unquestionably unexciting, unadventurous and just plain bad. The Ford Thunderbird further threatened the future life of the automobile that would ultimately go down in the records of American auto history as ‘the only true American sports car’, by outselling the Corvette by 24 to 1. Ouch!

While the T-bird was looking great on the highways and byways of America, the Chevy Corvette (not yet the 57 model) was still looking hopefully at potential buyers in the automotive showrooms. It was during this time that GM considered killing it off, or in the words of an devotee ‘murdering it’. Things were not looking good.

Enter the V8 engine and Zora Arkus-Duntov. Zora, who rather wrongly became known forever after as the father of the Corvette, inspired the V8 design and spec for the 1957 Corvette. The V8 engine is recognized with being the single most important modification made to the Corvette up to that point.

Enough of the auto history. Given a new engine the 57 Corvette zoomed from so-so to muscle in performance and was reborn as a true sports car.

While the 1957 Chevrolet is as synonymous with the American dream as Mom’s home-made apple pie, the Americans do not have the monopoly on vehicles in thoughts. The ‘Vette started appearing in the dreams of car-lovers the world over and began attracting fans all over the globe. They were introduced to the car through the medium of its frequent guest TV appearances, where it often got its own listing in the show credits! How’s that for a comeback?

The 57 Chevy Corvette is coveted and collected by classic auto enthusiasts from Asia to Antarctica. They are being bought at car auctions for anywhere from $70,000 upwards, with apparently no shortage of adoring collectors. The automobile world is now anxiously waiting for the unveiling of the C7 Chevrolet Corvette anticipated to arrive sometime in 2010.

Find Out More About the 57 Chevys! Here’s FREE Information!

Now that you know something about this great auto, want to know more? Want to see photos? What about actual 57 Corvettes for sale? Click on over to 1957 Chevys for Sale and see all the great cars available!