Chronology of Events in the History of Corvettes

1960

March

• A Corvette finishes first in class at the 12 Hours of Sebring race. Two Corvettes of the Camoradi racing team, driven by Jim Jeffords and Fred Gamble, finish second and third in GT class. [104.151] [133.72] [154.89]

June

• Briggs Cunningham takes three white Corvettes to France to compete in the 24 Hours of Le Mans race. One car reaches 151 mph, and finishes 8th overall, and 5th in GT class. The drivers are John Fitch and Bob Grossman. [79.70] [84.10] [104.151] [107.21] [133.72] (four Corvettes [1]) (1st in GT class [162.166])

October 7

• The CBS TV show, "Route 66" debuts, with two young men driving a 1960 Corvette around the US in search of adventure. [50.725] [51.554]

November

• The CERV I (which now means Chevrolet Experimental Research Vehicle) is first shown in public at the Riverside International Raceway. It is a mid-engine, open wheel, single-seat prototype racing car. [58.53] (1959 [113.30])

1961

March

• At the 12 Hours of Sebring race, Corvette drivers Delmo Johnson and Dave Morgan finish 1st in GT class and 11th overall. [104.151] [133.72] [155.29]

June

• The Corvette Shark showcar makes its first appearance, at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. [5] [104.136]

1962

February 11

• At the Daytona Continental race, Dick Thompson and Don Yenko race a 1962 Corvette of the Gulf Oil racing team to first in A/Production class, and seventh overall. [104.151] [132.69] [133.72] [175.30] (February 14 [181.29])

March 27

• At the 12 Hours of Endurance race at Sebring, Florida, M.J.R. Wylie and Duncan Black drive Gulf Oil's 1962 Corvette to 2nd in A/Production class, and 18th overall. [132.69] [175.30] [181.29]

July

• Production begins on the Grand Sport, designed for racing in World Championship races. Production is intended to be 125. [3] [7]

October 13

• 1963 model production Corvettes make their racing debut at the Los Angeles Times Three-Hour Invitational Grand Prix in Riverside, California. The Ford-powered Shelby Cobra also makes its debut. Four Z06-equipped Corvettes enter, but only one finishes, driven by Doug Hooper. The lone Cobra breaks its rear axle one hour into the race. Hooper's Corvette wins the race. [79.70] [104.151] [90] [5] [31] [36] [106.82] [111.79] [131.55] [133.83] [140.55]

1963

January 21

• General Motors' Chairman Frederic Donner issues a policy memo, re-iterating the company's compliance with 1957 AMA company-sponsored racing ban. This officially cancels production plans for the Corvette Grand Sport, with only 5 of the intended 125 cars built. [1] [3] [30] [55.77] [79.70] [106.5] [131.84] (February [7]) (halt called first week, 5 cars built after that [133.92]) (December 1963 [152.39])

(month unknown)

• Ralph Eckler founds Eckler's Corvette Parts. [106.74]

(month unknown)

• Zora Arkus-Duntov begins work on the CERV II. [21] [30] [58.53] (1964 [17])

(month unknown)

• Chevrolet decides to unofficially support the entry of Grand Sport Corvettes at the Bahamas Speed Week race (Nassau Race Week). [106.6]

August 24

• The Corvette Grand Sport records its first victory, at Watkins Glen. Driver Richard Thompson achieves an overall win. [30] [106.6] [181.32] [182.8]

December 6

• At the International Bahamas Speed Week races in Nassau, the 112 mile Governor's Trophy race is held. The Corvette Grand Sport driven by Richard Thompson blows its engine, ending its participation. Grand Sport No. 003, driven by Roger Penske, takes first in prototype class and third overall. Grand Sports No. 004 and 005 take second and third in class, and fourth and sixth overall. [106.8] [133.94] (Governor's Cup race [152.35])

December 8

• At the International Bahamas Speed Week races in Nassau, the 252-mile Nassau Trophy race is held. Two Corvette Grand Sport cars are entered, No. 004 and No. 003. No. 004 takes first in prototype class and fourth overall. No. 003 takes third in class and eighth overall. [106.8] [133.94] [152.35]

1964

March

• A Corvette finishes first in GT category at the 12 Hours of Sebring race. [104.151]

(month unknown)

• General Motors design staff prepare for the next major body changes, producing a full-size clay mockup of what would be the 1968 model. [1]

(month unknown)

• The CERV II four-wheel drive vehicle is completed. Some test results include 210 mph, and 0-60 mph in 3.0 seconds. [35.10]

December

• Roger Penske races Jim Hall's Grand Sport Corvette #005 at Nassau against vast and powerful Cobra opposition, winning the race. His win establishes the last General Motors victory over the Ford-powered Cobras for years to come. [1] [133.94] (November [106.8]

1965

April

• The Mako Shark II (project XP-830), formerly called the Mako Shark, makes its debut appearance at the New York International Auto Show. The non-running full-size model cost nearly US$3 million to create. [1] [3] [5] [6] [90] [104.66] [104.138] [140.8] [155.82] [156.59]

October 5

• The second Mako Shark II show car debuts at the Paris Auto Show in France. This version is fully drivable, with a 427ci engine. [104.68,138] [140.8] [155.82]

1966

February

• At the Daytona Continental endurance race, Roger Penske's 1966 Corvette with 427 ci engine finishes first in GT class. [104.151] [140.79] [162.195]

March

• Roger Penske, in his 1966 Corvette with 427 ci engine, finishes first in GT class at the 12 Hours of Sebring race. [104.151] [140.79]

1967

(month unknown)

• Chevrolet quietly makes the L88 engine option available for the Corvette. The 427 cubic inch engine delivers 500 hp with open exhausts, and features a 12.5:1 compression ratio. [56.54] [90] [107.45] [140.71] [155.73]

March

• At the 12 Hours of Sebring race, Dave Morgan and Don Yenko compete in a 1967 L88 Corvette, finishing 1st in GT class and 10th overall. [155.29] [175.84]

June

• Dick Guldstrand and Bob Bondurant race a 1967 Corvette coupe with an L-88 427 ci engine at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in Paris, France. Dick Guldstrand sets a new record speed of 171.5 mph on the Mulsanne straight. In the 13th hour, the engine fails, ending the race for the lone Corvette. [34] [132.13] [138.38]

(month unknown)

• The December 1967 issue of Car and Driver magazine attacks the 1968 Corvette, with editors refusing to give it a road test due to "the car's shocking lack of quality control". [90]

1968

February

• At the 24-hour Daytona Continental race, Sunray DX Oil Company enters three Corvettes. Jerry Grant and Dave Morgan race a 1967 L88 Corvette (car No. 31). Revson/Yenko race 1968 L88 Corvette (No. 29). DeLorenzo/Thompson race 1968 L88 Corvette (No. 30). This is the racing debut of the 1968 model Corvette. The Grant/Morgan car finishes first in GT class and 10th overall. [7] [147.21] [155.30]

March

• At the 12 Hours of Sebring race in Florida, Yenko/Rodriguez race 1968 L88 Corvette (No. 2), Thompson/DeLorenzo race 1968 L88 Corvette (No. 4), and Morgan/Sharp race 1968 L88 Corvette (No. 3). One finishes first in GT class. [104.151] [147.21]

(month unknown)

• Zora Arkus-Duntov is named Chief Engineer of the Corvette. [5] [113.30] (1969 after February [6]) (late 1967 [90])

1969

(month unknown)

• The Mako Shark II is remodeled and renamed the Manta Ray. [104.138]

(month unknown)

• Tony DeLorenzo and Lang of the Owens-Corning Fiberglas racing team run a Corvette to first place in GT class at the Watkins Glen Six Hours of Endurance race. [104.151] [35.37]

November 7

• The 250,000th Corvette rolls off the production line, a gold convertible. [6] [133.27] (November 19 [133.67])