Since 1953, six generations of Corvettes and been built, and the C6 (Corvette’s sixth generation) embodies the American automotive spirit
By: Mike Blake
In 1953, America was introduced to the Corvette, with the first production Vette rolling off the Flint, Mich., assembly line on June 30. The exciting car, a vision of legendary designer Harley Earl and fine tuned by engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, took off slowly in the public’s consciousness, but endeared itself to America within a few years and became the sports car of the nation.
Since 1953, six generations of Corvettes and been built, and the C6 (Corvette’s sixth generation) embodies the American automotive spirit. It is one exciting car.
The ’53 Vette featured a Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission, Polo White exterior paint, Sportsman Red interior, black canvas top, in-line six-cylinder engine, AM radio and heater. The engine featured overhead valves, cast-iron block, 235.5-cubic-inch displacement, 150 horsepower and three Carter Type YH Model 2066S one-barrel carburetors. John Wayne purchased Vette No. 51. Sticker price: just more than $3,000.
Well, 53 years have passed, and the beauty I tested was an evolutionary transition of the theme. My test vehicle was painted in a striking Sunset Orange Metallic with an Ebony leather trim interior. The hard-top coupe has a removable roof panel that easily can be taken off and put back on in less than five seconds.
That’s not all that the car can do in less than five seconds; it can go from zero-to-60 mph in 4.5 seconds thanks to a 6.0-liter, LS2 sequential fuel injected V-8 engine. The powerplant thunders out 400 hp and 400 lb./ft. of torque and can launch the 3,199-pound car through a quarter-mile in less than 13 seconds. And by today’s standards, it is rated at a very fuel-conscious 18 mph city/26 highway (during my tests, I achieved 23 mpg). The sticker price has increased somewhat my test vehicle was priced at $45,915 but what a ride, what excitement and what a car for the price.
The car is explosively fast. While I would have preferred a stick to play with, the four-speed automatic is smooth and effortless and offers power at every conceivable juncture. The active handling and traction-control system, which you can set in several suspension choices including competitive driving mode, gave me the tightest autocross maneuverability and stickiness I have had in any ride this year. Power speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering smooth out the S-curves with grace.
The car is aerodynamically superior, as Chevrolet engineers put the car through 400 hours of wind tunnel testing to produce Corvette’s lowest coefficient of drag ever 0.28. The car’s look is fresh yet reminiscent of Vettes of yesteryear. The exposed headlamp look hasn’t been seen on a Corvette since 1962. Traditional door handles are nonexistent. The keyless entry allows you to keep your key fob in your pocket. You enter by use of solenoids and electronic actuators hidden in the doors.
The hardtop coupe is an American tradition, and so is the convertible sports car, so Corvette went with the best of both worlds, providing a removable hard top that transformed this striking coupe into a luxury roadster with three snapped levers and a quick hop out of the car to gently remove the top. Its lines and gracefulness are striking as a hardtop and breathtaking as a convertible. The exterior is artwork from the removable top to the 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels and Goodyear Eagle Extended Mobility rubber all around.
Inside, you get passion and pleasure. Inspired by Corvette’s dual-cockpit heritage, you get racer-style instrumentation, leather and cast-skin foam-in-place trim throughout, comfortable six-way power seats, AM/FM radio with CD players and MP3 capability and excellent sightlines, with or without the roof panel in place. And while the engine purrs like a sports car engine should, rigid body structure provides interior quietness.
From a safety perspective, Corvette hits all the marks, with driver and front passenger air bags. The car’s power four-wheel anti-lock braking is true and strong, and the low center of gravity takes the car through quick turns without yaw or uneasiness.
We generally don’t purchase sports cars for roominess and cargo space, but the Corvette coupe has that and then some. Case in point, I had to purchase a 4×4-inch by 6-foot pole for a new mailbox at a new home. I was able to get in the 6-foot pole, a post-hole digger, mailbox and tools in the hatchback cargo space with room to spare. For those who would rather not use their sports Vette as a truck, they can get in two golf bags instead.
Any negatives? I ponder why my test car was set up without GM’s fine navigational system and XM radio. This is a luxury sports car, and at $45,915, it should have those items included. Even if the car were priced $2,500 higher to include those amenities, $48,500 for such a complete package probably wouldn’t deter potential buyers.
America’s sports car has come a long way in 53 years, and Generation 6 is a proud progression of the theme.
Mike Blake, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He’s been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.

