Happy 60th, Corvette

As of yesterday the iconic American sports car, the Chevrolet Corvette, has been in production for 60 years. The first production model came off the line on 30 June 1953; since that day, some 1.37 million Corvettes have been manufactured and more than half of all Corvettes produced are said to be still on the road.

During the last six decades, the Corvette’s engine has been beefed up from a 235 cubic inch, 150 horsepower straight six – the same motor that powered all other 1953 Chevrolets – to the 6.3 litre (376 cubic inch), 450 bhp power plant that will lurk under the bonnet of the upcoming seventh-generation Corvette. The tyres have changed somewhat, too. The first production cars, which were based on a show car at General Motors’ 1953 Motorama display, came fitted with 6.70×15 Air Rides from US Royal – in a whitewall pattern, of course. The new Corvette will be fitted with Michelin tyres – an unthinkable, almost heretic choice 60 years ago – with the Pilot Super Sport ZP run-flat fitted in P245/40ZR18 at the front and P285/35ZR19 on the rear axle. The optional Z51 performance package that will have larger tyre specs, with P245/35ZR19 for the front and P285/30ZR20 for the rear.