Chronology of Events in the History of Corvettes

1990

January

• The CERV III (No. 3) makes its debut at the International Auto Show in Detroit. The car's mid-engine V-8 is a 5.7-liter 32-valve, dual-overhead cam LT5, with twin turbos and internal modifications, giving it 650 hp and a top speed of 225 MPH. [15] [36] [101.30] (March [104.114])

January

• In the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, a 1953 Corvette in top shape sells for US$125,000. [159.41] [13.12]

March 2

• At the Firestone Test Center near Fort Stockton, Texas, a team of drivers set a dozen land speed records with a Corvette ZR-1 and a Corvette L-98. Cars were in near stock condition, minus mufflers and catalytic converters. Records include 5000 miles in a time of 28:46:12.462, 5000 km in a time of 17:40:53.748, and 4221.256 miles in 24 hours. Average speed for all record runs were 170-175 MPH. One driver is Corvette Development and Validation Manager John Heinricy. [27.83] [36] [104.152] [127.13] [154.43] [172.51] [173.20]

March

• Dennis Amodeo, winner of 36 Corvettes through a 1989 VH-1 contest, sells the collection to artist Peter Max for approximately US$1.5 million. [27.13] (November 1989 [36])

June 2

• Ground-breaking begins on the National Corvette Museum, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. [13]

(month unknown)

• Chevrolet manager Jim Perkins successfully argues within General Motors that the Corvette program should not be cut, and that the Corvette should remain within Chevrolet. [137.93]

(month unknown)

• General Motors orders that a new model Corvette introduction be delayed from 1995 to 1998. [137.93]

October

• General Motors president Lloyd Reuss is given a presentation on the Corvette program. He agrees to cancel the proposed 1995 "reskin", and revive the US$250 million program for an all-new Corvette for 1996. [137.95]

November 2

• In a shopping center in Bowling Green, the National Corvette Museum Annex is opened. [113.6] [156.63]

1991

January

• Reeves Callaway unveils the Twin Turbo Corvette Speedster, a convertible with a 450hp engine. Prices start at US$107,000. [91.30]

1992

January

• At the 1992 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, General Motors debuts a show car called the Stingray III, a styling preview being considered for the next generation Corvette. [38.43] [137.103] [141.12]

March

• Ground-breaking ceremony is held next to the Corvette plant for a permanent home for the National Corvette Museum. [149.20]

March 23

• General Motors applies for a registered trademark of "STINGRAY". [146]

April

• The new model Corvette is delayed again, from 1996 to 1997. [137.118]

April 25

• Chevrolet General Manager Jim Perkins announces at the Corvette Wind and Thunder meeting that there is a plan for a 1996 Corvette, but with no radical changes. [147.11]

June 5

• Ground-breaking for the National Corvette Museum is completed. [163.103]

July 2

• The 1 millionth Corvette is built. It is a white LT1 roadster, with red interior. [71.S8-12] [72.D4] [73.S5-3] [96.47] [97.36] [123.41] [104.117] [148.96] [108.64]

July 31

• The Corvette Americana Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York. [148.96]

August

• The 11th Corvettes at Carlisle is held, at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Nearly 40,000 attend. [152.65]

September 1

• Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellan formally retires, staying on as a consultant until his replacement is named. [108.10] [173.73] (August 24 [137.120]) (August 31 [96.52]) (August [152.27])

October

• At an Eckler's show, the Stage II Carroll Supercharged LT1 Corvette debuts. [108.7]

October

• The last (number 10) Callaway Twin Turbo Speedster Corvette is completed. [152.47]

October 19

• Corvette program manager Russ McLean informs his staff that the GM Strategy Board has placed all projects after 1996 on hold or canceled, including the 1997 Corvette. [137.17,122,133] (1996 and later projects [124.113])

October

• General Motors executives approve the design of the next-generation Corvette, with a target release year of 1997. [124.114]

November

• The date of building 1997 Corvettes is planned to be September 3, 1996. [137.360]

November

• Dave Hill, an engineer in General Motors' Cadillac program, accepts a job offer to become Corvette chief engineer. [137.130]

December

• General Motors' Corvette group secretly contracts with TDM, Inc. to build a test car of the 1997 Corvette. The test car is officially called CERV-4 (Corvette Engineering Research Vehicle). Corvette directs the project, with Chevrolet paying for it. General Motors management is not told about it, for fear that they would cancel it. [137.143]

1993

January

• At the 22nd Annual Awards Banquet of the Society of Plastics Engineers, the Corvette platform team is given the Environmental award for their use of recycled sheet molded compound body panels. Chevrolet is given the Hall of Fame award for the 1953 Corvette. [108.11]

January

• AMT/Ertl releases the 1972 Chevrolet Corvette Street Machine 1/25-scale model kit. [108.13]

February 2

• The term "STINGRAY" is registered as a trademark to General Motors. [146]

February

• General Motors Powertrain Division decides to discontinue development of the Gen II engine as a small-block, and create a new medium-displacement V-8 engine. [145.36]

May 3

• Corvette chief engineer Dave Hill unveils the CERV-4 test car at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren. Most of the hundreds of people attending did not even know the test car was being built. It cost Chevrolet about US$1.2 million to build. [137.193]

June 14

• Corvette program manager Russ McLean and chief engineer Dave Hill meet with the General Motors Strategy Board, including General Motors president Jack Smith, to get approval for Concept Initiation of the 1997 Corvette program. The plan is approved. [137.207]

June 29

• Chevrolet general manager Jim Perkins states that a fifth-generation Corvette will be produced for the 1997 model year. [72.D4]

(month unknown)

• John Heinricy is promoted to assistant chief engineer of Corvette. [127.13]

August 10

• The 1997 Corvette program begins Concept Alternatives Selection, in which virtually every part, procedure, and design layout is presented, defended, and decided on. The program provisionally passes, pending a two-week review of some components. [137.218]

September 1

• Engine warranty repair conditions for the LT5 change. Mercury Marine now only works on engines with less than 12,000 miles or 12 months use. Chevrolet handles service beyond those ranges. [148.102]

November

• Mercury Marine completes building all LT5 engines destined for Corvette ZR-1 cars for the year. [148.102]

1994

January 1

• Chevrolet begins handling all warranty engine repairs for LT5 engines. [148.102]

February 19

• Reeves Callaway decides to produce a modified Corvette to race at Le Mans, the first time for a Corvette in almost 20 years. [59.53]

April

• General Motors holds a marketing clinic in Los Angeles, to ascertain how well the new 1997 model Corvette might sell. 60% of the clinic attendees say they would buy the Corvette over the competition. No General Motors car has ever earned that high of a response. [137.263]

May

• General Motors' Strategy Board convenes with Corvette group executives for the Concept Approval phase of the Four-Phase process of building new cars. Conditional approval is given to pass from Phase Zero to Phase One, subject to a review in one month regarding production downtime between the 1996 model and the 1997 model. [137.264]

May 9

• Reeves Callaway takes its modified Corvette to the Le Mans race track, for the test day. [59.53]

May

• A Reeves Callaway Corvette qualifies at Le Mans for the pole position in the GT2 class. At the 6-hour mark, the car is leading in its class, and is 8th overall. But at the 9-hour mark, the car runs out of gas, due to a fuel economy miscalculation. [59.54]

June

• General Motors' Strategy Board meets again with the Corvette group, continuing their arguments defending their request to proceed on schedule toward production building of the new 1997 model Corvette. It is agreed that plant conversion would begin in April 1996, with final current model production ending on June 21, 1996. [137.274]

June

• The 22nd annual Bloomington Gold Corvette show is held, in Springfield, Illinois. 32,000 attend. [143]

June 26

• The first C5 (1997 model) alpha test car rolls out of the assembly room. Build chief John Fehlberg has the honor of being the first C5 driver. [137.277]

(month unknown)

• The second CERV 4 is delivered to the Corvette group. [137.249]

July 10

• At the four-hour endurance GT Championship race at Vallelunga, Italy, A Callaway SuperNatural Corvette LM driven by Andreas Fuchs and Enrico Bertaggia finishes first in GT-2 class and second overall, behind a Ferrari F40. [143.79]

July 13

• The second C5 test car is completed. [137.278]

July 29

• The last 1994 model Corvette is produced. [143.11]

(month unknown)

• George Swanson is buried in his 1984 white Corvette in the Brush Creek Cemetery in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania. [137.162]

(month unknown)

• At the Spa/Francorchamps four-hour race, a Callaway SuperNatural Corvette LM driven by Boris Said and Halmut Reis finishes first in GT-2 class, and third overall. [143]

September 2

• The National Corvette Museum opens in Bowling Green, Kentucky. 4000 Corvettes attend. Over the three-day weekend, 118,000 people visit the museum. The gift shop does US$1 million in business. [39.96] [113.6] [133.37] [137.281] [165.38] [82.82] [148.100]