Corvette Generations

[Ken P.]

OK I know what C1,C2,C3,C4.C5,C6 mean. My question is why the "C"...yes I know it stands for Corvette but why not G1,G2...like in Generation 1 etc? Even the Mustang guys got it right they call them by generation not M1, M2 etc. By the Corvette community standards my
4-runner would be a 43...
OK here is another one that buggs me. The mid-year ... So Corvette was first built in 1953 and now its 2010 so a mid-year would be 1981 ish.
Can anyone explain these to me?

[Tom H.]

Re: Corvette Generations

Can't elaborate on the C thing. Never really thought about it.

The term mid year came out in the 70's and the term just stuck !

[John H.]

Re: Corvette Generations

'63-'67 was the middle of the 60's decade.

[Terry M.]

Re: Corvette Generations

Ken,
The Cx is a Chevrolet invention -- I think in the late 1980s, IIRC. My guess is you will have to ask some of the marketing people who were around then. Next time I see Ralph Kramer, I'll ask him. As part of Chevrolet and then GM Communications he might know.

Unfortunately I will miss him at the Museum' Camaro event next weekend.

[Stuart F.]

Re: Corvette Generations

John is right on the mid-years. I heard that term already back in the early 70's when it had more obvious meaning - then it stuck. The mid-years 63 thru 67 have another distinction in that the series was the shortest running, unless you were to look just at the basic chassis.

Stu Fox

[William C.]

Re: Corvette Generations

First time I actually heard the C- used inside GM was the C-4 designation. I was told Corvette picked it up from the Camaro folks who were working on the third generation Camaro in late 70's early 80's. It seemed to catch on and the hobby "backdated" it to refer to the earlier cars, not an official GM term as far as I could find out prior to late 70's or early 80's

[Robert R.]

Re: Corvette Generations

As I recall from the 70s any 53 -62 was refered as "Solid Axle" cars, the 63-67 as "Mid Year", and those from 68 and newer at the time were considered to be "Late Models". Which would have ended with the 82 model year as the 84 was the All New Corvette.

On a side note, I used to have a T shirt that read: Sure they made Corvettes after 1967, but who the heck cares!
The shirt is long gone; somehow it shrunk.

[Philip C.]

Re: Corvette Generations

As I recall from the 70s any 53 -62 was refered as "Solid Axle" cars, the 63-67 as "Mid Year", and those from 68 and newer at the time were considered to be "Late Models". Which would have ended with the 82 model year as the 84 was the All New Corvette.

On a side note, I used to have a T shirt that read: Sure they made Corvettes after 1967, but who the heck cares!
The shirt is long gone; somehow it shrunk.

We call them straight axle, mid years and coke bottle, still have my shirt, still agree Phil 8063

[Henry F.]

Re: Corvette Generations

How about "Real Corvettes have trunks"!

[Joe R.]

Re: Corvette Generations

We call them straight axle, mid years and coke bottle, still have my shirt, still agree Phil 8063

Phil,

Coke bottle? I hadn't heard that one, but I like it, pretty descriptive. I usually hear the C3's referred to as "Sharks" round here.

Joe

[Reba W.]

Re: Corvette Generations

I used to have a tee shirt that read "Real Corvettes have a clutch." Mine shrank also.

[Joe C.]

Re: Corvette Generations

Do C4 Corvettes explode?

All Corvettes are red.

[Michael D.]

Re: Corvette Generations

...First time I actually heard the C- used inside GM was the C-4 designation...

I agree. The "C" became popular with the media folks when writing about the "new" 84. Before that, we had Classics, Mid Years, and late models with "late models" eventually becoming C3s.

[Ken P.]

Re: Corvette Generations


So I'm going to take my C3 and C5 and go look for the all aluminum Mid-year that I was told about at a car show this summer.
Thanks for the replies guys.

[Tracy C.]

Re: Corvette Generations

Ken,

The "mid year" term was coined when there were only 3 basic generations of body styles during the "70s" and long before the "C1, C2, C3 thing started.

52-62 = solid axles

68 - present (again think early 70's) = sharks, coke bottles, or your favorite slang.

the 63 - 67s were the cars "in the middle" = mid years

tc