A superb and rare photo of the very new 1978 Chevrolet Corvette!
The image shows nice detail of the car, making it also perfect for any
professional restorer of these magnificent cars!
The Chevrolet
Corvette is a sports car that has been manufactured by Chevrolet since
1953. While the style of a car may be just as important to some as to how well
the car runs, it was not until 1927, when General Motors hired designer Harley
Earl, that automotive styling and design became important to American
automobile manufacturers. What Henry Ford did for automobile manufacturing
principles, Harley Earl did for car design. Taking its name from the corvette,
a small, maneuverable fighting frigate (the credit for the naming goes to Myron
Scott), the first Corvettes were virtually handbuilt in Flint, Michigan
in Chevrolet's Customer
Delivery Center,
now an academic building at Kettering
University. The outer
body was made out of then-revolutionary fiberglass, selected in part because of
steel quotas left over from the war. Underneath the new body material were
standard Chevrolet components, including the "Blue Flame" inline
six-cylinder truck engine, two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, and
drum brakes from Chevrolet's regular car line. Though the engine's output was
increased somewhat, thanks to a triple-carburetor intake exclusive to the
Corvette, performance of the car was decidedly lackluster. Compared to the
British and Italian sports cars of the day, the Corvette was underpowered,
required a great deal of effort as well as clear roadway to bring to a stop,
and even lacked a "proper" manual transmission. Up until that time,
the Chevrolet division was GM's entry-level marque, known for excellent but
no-nonsense cars. Nowhere was that more evident than in the Corvette. A Paxton
supercharger became available in 1954 as a dealer-installed option, greatly
improving the Corvette's straight-line performance, but sales continued to
decline. GM was seriously considering shelving the project, leaving the
Corvette to be little more than a footnote in automotive history, and would
have done so if not for two important events. The first was the introduction in
1955 of Chevrolet's first V8 engine (a 265 in³ {4.3 L}) since 1919, and
the second was the influence of a Soviet émigré in GM's engineering department,
Zora Arkus-Duntov. Arkus-Duntov simply took the new V8 and backed it with a
three-speed manual transmission. That modification, probably the single most
important in the car's history, helped turn the Corvette from a two-seat
curiosity into a genuine performer. It also earned Arkus-Duntov the rather
inaccurate nickname "Father of the Corvette." Another key factor in
the Corvette's survival was Ford's introduction, in 1955, of the two-seat Thunderbird,
which was billed as a "personal luxury car", not a sports car. Even
so, the Ford-Chevrolet rivalry in those days demanded that GM not appear to
back down from the challenge. The "T-Bird" was changed to a
four-seater in 1958. There have been six generations of the Corvette so far,
sometimes referred to as C1 through C6.
The first generation Corvette, the Chevrolet Corvette C1 , was
introduced late in the 1953 model year and ended in 1962. These cars are often
referred to as the "solid-axle" models since the independent rear
suspension did not debut until the 1963 Sting Ray. 300 hand-built polo white
Corvettes were produced for the 1953 model year, making it the rarest and one
of the most sought after of all Corvettes. The 1955 model saw the introduction
of the 265 cu in (4.34 L) V8 engine offered as an option,
however the first seven off the production line featured the standard
"Blue Flame" Inline-6.
A new body was introduced for the 1956 model featuring a
new "face" and side coves; the taillight fins were gone. An optional
fuel injection system was made available in the middle of the 1957 model year.
It was one of the first mass-produced engines in history to reach 1 bhp
(0.75 kW) per cubic inch and Chevrolet's advertising agency used a
"one hp per cubic inch" slogan for advertising the 283 bhp
(211 kW) 283 cu in (4.64 L) Small-Block engine. Other
options included power windows (1956), hydraulically operated power convertible
top (1956), four speed manual transmission (late 1957), and heavy duty brakes
and suspension (1957). The 1958 Corvette received a body and interior
freshening including quad headlights, bumper exiting exhaust tips, and a new
steering wheel and dashboard, with all gauges mounted directly in front of the
driver. Exclusive to the 1958 model were hood louvers and twin trunk spars. The
1959-60 model years had few changes except a decreased amount of body chrome
and increased horsepower engine offerings. For 1961, a complete redesign
was made to the rear of the car; a "boat tail" with four round lights.
The light treatment would continue for all following model year Corvettes. In
1962, the Chevrolet 283 cu in (4.64 L) small block was enlarged
to 327 cu in (5.36 L) and produced a maximum of 340 bhp
(250 kW) making it the fastest of the C1 generation. 1962 was the last
year for the wrap around windshield, solid rear axle, and convertible-only body
style. The trunk lid and exposed headlights did not reappear for many decades.
This is a very nice and very rare non period photo that reflects
a wonderful era of Chevrolet and Corvette automotive history in a wonderful
way. This is your rare chance to
own this photo, therefore it is printed in a nice large format of ca.
8" x 12" (ca. 20 x 30 cm). It
makes it perfectly suitable for framing!
Shipping costs will only be $ 7.00 regardless of how many photos you
buy. For 5 or more photos, shipping is free!
(Note: A. Herl, Inc. does not appear on
photo, for ebay purposes only)
No copyright
expressed or implied. Sold as collectable item only. We are clearing out our
archives that we have gathered from various sources.
All items always sent well
protected in PVC clear files and board backed
envelopes.
We have
photographs that came from professional collections and/or were bought from the
original photographer or press studio! They are all of professional and
excellent quality.
After many decades
of professionally collecting photographs and posters we are clearing out our
archives. They make the perfect gift and are perfectly suited for framing. They
will look gorgeous unframed and will be a true asset nicely framed with a
border. They are a gorgeous and great asset in every home, workshop, workplace,
restaurant, bar or club!
First come -
first served. And you can always contact us for your requests. Please ask any
questions before the auction ends.