| In 1958 production of Corvettes reached 9,168 units,
an increase of about 50 percent over the 1957 model. Some of the styling changes included
adopting the same quad-headlight configuration as the full |
| size Chevy models, the body grew 3
inches wider and 10 inches longer. The weight increased by 100 pounds. The hood sported
fake louvers and the trunk had two chrome strips that ran |
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| down the trunk lid to the rear bumper. These items
were only particular to this year. |
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| With the release of the 1959 Corvette, gone were the
fake louvers and some of the chrome, otherwise the body was the same as the '58. |
| The main change came in the area of
performance. But this performance came with a price, as much as a 50% increase if you
choose all the hot options available. Production reached |
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| 9,670 units. The standard 283-cid V-8 made 230 bhp and
with the options 290 bhp. New trailing radius rods helped during hard acceleration. |
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| The exterior of the 1960 Corvette remained pretty much
the same as the '59 model. There were only minor changes to the interior and |
| chassis. Chevrolet choose to spend it's
money to increase performance under the hood. A look under the hood revealed a
|
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| liberal use of aluminum. New fuel-injected heads
that were 52 pounds lighter than their cast-iron counterparts. With new larger intake
valves the horsepower was pushed to 315 bhp on the top-rated FI engine. |
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| In 1961 the rear end of the Corvette was dramatically
redesigned. The softly curved deck lid and rear fenders were gone. In their place |
| was a design taken from Bill Mitchell's
Stingray racer and the XP-700 show car. The rear deck was lifted and a sharp charactor
line traveled from the top of the rear wheel |
 |
| openings around the back. Set into the angular rear
panel were two pairs of round taillights. Below the taillights were chrome bumperettes,
with a license plate bezel recessed in between. The exhaust pipes exited below the rear
panel. |
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| The 1962 Corvettes were very similar in appearance to
the '61s. The side-cove contrasting color option was no longer available. A chrome |
| rocker molding was added. New
crossed-flag emblems were on the sides and an area in front of the hood. But the big news
for '62 was under the |
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| hood. A new 327-cid engine replaced the old standby
283-cid. This engine was available with the standard 250 bhp, and an optional 300 bhp, or
two hi-performance versions rated at 340 and 360 bhp. |
