Chronology of Events in the History of Chevrolet Corvette

	Copyright (C) 1995-97 Ken Polsson
	internet e-mail: kpolsson@islandnet.com
	URL: http://www.islandnet.com/~kpolsson/vettehis.htm
(For complete references see the above website)

1951
September
• General Motors' chief stylist Harley Earl takes a Le Sabre to the Watkins Glen sports car race. Earl is impressed with the Jaguars, Ferraris, and Alfas, and decides to begin designing a new American sports car.

(month unknown)
• Harley Earl assigns Bob McLean to draw a layout for a sports car for General Motors.

1952
April
• Harley Earl's two-seater convertible goes on display in General Motors' private viewing auditorium.

June 2
• General Motors executives are formally presented with Harley Earl's proposal for a 2-seater sports car. The project is code-named "Opel Sports Car". General Motors president Harlow Curtice and Chevrolet general manager Thomas Keating approve production of a sports car prototype for the 1953 Motorama. 

June 12
• Chevrolet's director of research and development, Maurice Olley, creates a sketch for the "Opel" frame, showing locations of radiator, wheels, and body mount points.

July
• Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole, and Harry Barr set to work on an all-new Chevrolet V-8 engine.

(month unknown)
• (early) A fiberglass Corvette prototype is accidentally rolled during a test run. Because the body survives with little significant damage, the decision is made to adopt fiberglass for the production body material.

(month unknown)
• The EX-122 is named the Corvette, after a fast type of Royal Navy warship, by Myron Scott, of Chevrolet Public Relations. Strong consideration had been given to naming the car "Corvair". 

1953

January 17
• The prototype Chevrolet Corvette "Dream Car" is displayed at the Motorama show at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. 

March 23
• The Chevrolet plant in St. Louis is notified that they would be expected to deal with long-term volume production of the Corvette from the 1954 model onward. 

April
• In Ashtabula, Ohio, Robert Morrison forms The Molded Fiber Glass Body Company to meet the US $4 million order for 12,300 Corvette bodies.

May 1
• Zora Arkus-Duntov starts work at Chevrolet as assistant staff engineer.

May
• The first Corvette advertisement appears.

June 20
• Chevrolet introduces the Corvette.

June 30
• The first production Corvette rolls off the assembly line at Chevrolet Plant Number 35, near Flint, Michigan. Sticker price: just over US $3000. Assembly line worker Tony Kleiber has the honor of driving the first Corvette off the assembly line.

June
• Chevrolet begins production of the Corvette on a tiny assembly line in Flint, Michigan.

July
• Zora Arkus-Duntov begins working on the Corvette.

September 29
• The automotive press get their hands on a Corvette for test and review, as the Corvette is officially released. Eight Corvettes are made available to the press at the Milford Proving Grounds. 

December
• Corvette production moves from Flint, Michigan, to a General Motors Assembly Division plant on Union Boulevard, in St. Louis, Missouri.

1954
February 20
• The Ford Motor Company shows the Thunderbird two-seat convertible in Detroit. The Thunderbird is a major part of General Motors' decision to continue production of the Corvette. 

October 15
• Zora Arkus-Duntov writes a memo to Ed Cole and Maurice Olley, noting that the Corvette appeared to be a failure. He urges General Motors not to cancel the car, but to create a separate department within Chevrolet to oversee Corvette development.

(month unknown)
• (spring) A new styling model is completed, proposing minor cosmetic changes to the existing body. But due to poor sales, the styling changes are abandoned.

1955
February
• The basic design of the 1956 model Corvette is completed.

April 16
• A fiberglass model of the restyled Corvette is shown to Chevrolet management.

December
• A team from Chevrolet, including Zora Arkus-Duntov, takes a prototype mule Corvette to Daytona Beach, to attempt a 150-mph run.

(month unknown)
• (Labor Day) Zora Arkus-Duntov races a disguised 1956 model Corvette with a V-8 engine at the Pike's Peak Hill climb, setting the stock car record.

(month unknown)
• Zora Arkus-Duntov begins experimenting with suspension modifications, on a 195bhp engine.

(month unknown)
• The Biscayne prototype was displayed at the General Motors Motorama show. The Biscayne employed many Corvette design ideas, and is presented to management as a new direction for the Corvette.

(month unknown)
• The first 1955 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1956
January 1
• The 1956 Corvette makes its debut at the Waldorf Astoria in New York for the Motorama show. 

January
• Zora Arkus-Duntov, in a modified 240hp V8 powered Corvette, sets a two-way record-breaking average of 150.583 MPH at the Daytona Beach raceway. 

• John Fitch races a Corvette at Daytona, setting a production-car record of 145 MPH. 

April
• While driving a hardtop Corvette at General Motors' Milford Proving Grounds, Zora Arkus-Duntov loses control, smashes the car, and breaks a vertebra in his back. 

May
• Zora Arkus-Duntov builds the Corvette SR-2 Sebring racer. 

June
• The Corvette SR-2 appears at Elkhart Lane, driven by Jerry Earl and Dick Thompson. 

July
• Dick Thompson races a production Corvette to first place in the Seattle Seafair race, the first SCCA National title for the Corvette. 

July
• Work begins on XP-64, a sports/racer built for the upcoming race in Sebring. The car is named the Corvette SS. A clay model of Zora's design is made. 

October
• Zora Arkus-Duntov is given authorization and staff to construct four sports/racer test cars, the XP-64. 

(month unknown)
• (end) Zora Arkus-Duntov begins testing the XP-64, the Corvette SS. 

(month unknown)
• At the 12 Hours of Sebring race, a Corvette in SCCA class C/Modified finishes first in class and ninth overall. A Corvette in SCCA class B/Production finishes sixth in class and fifteenth overall. A third stock Corvette also finished the race.  In all, one-eighth of the finishing cars were Corvettes.  

(month unknown)
• At a race at Pebble Beach, a modified Corvette finishes second to a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1957 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1957
March 21
• The XP-64, now called the Corvette SS, is officially released. 

March
• Chevrolet enters Corvettes in the 12 Hours of Sebring race. Dick Thompson and Gaston Andrey place 12th, the first time for any car in GT class. 

May 1
• The four-speed transmission is first made available on the 1957 model Corvette, as a US$188 option. 

June 4
• The Automobile Manufacturer's Association (AMA) decides to ban factory-sponsored racing. 

June 7
• The decision of the AMA to ban race involvement is announced. 

(month unknown)
• Zora Arkus Duntov officially becomes chief of the Corvette production. 

(month unknown)
• The 310-hp Corvette SR-2 is entered at Speed Weeks at Daytona Beach.  The car wins the standing mile run in modified class, with an average speed of 93.047 mph. 

(month unknown)
• Chevrolet begins producing the Corvette News magazine. 

(month unknown)
• The Northern California Corvette Club is the first Corvette club in the US to start up. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1958 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1958
March
• Two Corvettes are entered in the Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance, the last race with official factory participation. 

July
• Bill Mitchell assembles the XP-700, a highly modified Corvette with a long oval nose, and twin-bubble plastic roof. The rear design is later adopted for the 1961 model.  

December 1
• Harley Earl retires from General Motors. 
• Bill Mitchell becomes General Motors' chief stylist. 

December
• Bill Mitchell begins work on the Q-Car, or Q-Corvette, with a rear-mounted trans-axle and fully independent suspension. 

December
• Zora Arkus-Duntov, in a Corvette SS, hits 183 MPH on the General Motors Proving Grounds in Phoenix, Arizona.  

(month unknown)
• Sales of the 1958 model reach 9168, enough to turn a profit for the Corvette for the first time.   

1959
April 18
• The Sting Ray, Bill Mitchell's personal vehicle for style testing of the Corvette, makes its debut at the President's Cup Race at Maryland's Marlboro Raceway. Dick Thompson races it to fourth place. The car was made from the last Corvette SS mule chassis, and
re-bodied by Bill Mitchell and Larry Shinoda.    

October
• The clay XP-720 mockup of what would be the 1963 model is put on display. 

October
• The rear of the XP-700 is revised, lengthened, and exaggerated. Also, a double bubble hardtop is added, made from transparent plastic.

December
• A full-scale model of the Q-Corvette prototype is completed. 

(month unknown)
• (spring) A re-design of the Corvette body for 1962 is considered, but the project is abandoned. 

(month unknown)
• (fall) Project XP-720 begins, to design a production Corvette based on Bill Mitchell's Sting Ray racer. 

(month unknown)
• Aluminum cylinder heads are used for the first time in production for the 1960 fuel-injected Corvettes. 

(month unknown)
• At the official opening of Daytona International Speedway, Zora Arkus-Duntov drives the Corvette SS at 155mph. 

(month unknown)
• Zora Arkus-Duntov begins work on the CERV I (Chevrolet Experimental Racing Vehicle). 

1960
June
• Briggs Cunningham takes four Corvettes to the Le Mans race in Europe.  One of the cars finishes in 5th in GT class, and 8th place overall.  

October 7
• The CBS TV show, "Route 66" debuts, with two young men driving a 1960 Corvette around the US in search of adventure. 

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. 

December
• A red convertible and a silver coupe of the proposed 1963 are mocked up and put out for official General Motors review. 

(month unknown)
• While deep-sea fishing in the Bahamas, Bill Mitchell lands a shark and thinks of the idea for the body shape of what would be the XP-775, the Corvette Shark. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1961 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

(month unknown)
• Filming of the TV show Route 66 begins. 

1961
February
• The Sting Ray racer-turned-showcar is put on display at the Chicago Auto Show, at McCormick Place.  

June
• The Corvette Shark showcar makes its first appearance. 

(month unknown)
• (late) A four-seat version of the XP-720 is created as a running prototype. The car is widely criticized, and the project is cancelled. 

(month unknown)
• Shortly after the start of the 1962 model production, a second work shift is added. 

(month unknown)
• Ed Cole proposes building a four-seat version of the Corvette for the 1963 model year, based on the XP-720 prototype. He assigns Larry Shinoda to the project. 

1962
January
• Zora Arkus-Duntov tests a 1963 prototype in a 1962 body at the Sebring raceway. 

April
• Chevrolet shows the experimental Mako Shark Corvette. 

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

July
• 25 pre-production 1963 model cars are assembled, as a test of the production equipment. The cars are then sent out for promotions and the press. 

October 13
• Production Sting Ray Corvettes begin racing at Riverside, California, winning the 3-hour event. 

October
• The restyled 1963 model is shown to the press. 

October
• Ford's Cobra debuts at the Grand Prix in Riverside, California, defeating a pre-production Corvette Sting Ray coupe.   

December
• The first Grand Sport is taken to Sebring for a test session. 

December
• With the completion of test runs of the Corvette Grand Sport at Sebring, Chevrolet promises the FIA that it will build at least 100 before next June, to qualify the car as a production model. 

(month unknown)
• (summer) Four 1963-model Corvettes, with Z06 Special Performance Equipment enter The Los Angeles Times Three-Hour Invitational Race. The coupe driven by Doug Hooper finishes first, beating a Shelby Cobra, also making its racing debut. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1963 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

(month unknown)
• Following the release of the 1963 model, Bill Mitchell begins work on the Mako Shark II test car. 

(month unknown)
• Work begins on "The Lightweight", eventually known as the Grand Sport. 

1963
January 21
• General Motors' Chairman Frederic Donner issues a policy memo, reiterating 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.    

April 7
• A Corvette Grand Sport makes its debut at an SCCA national championship race at Marlboro, Maryland.  

August
• The Corvette Grand Sport records its first victory, at Watkins Glen.  

September
• Production begins on the 1964 model Corvette. 

November 30
• Three Corvette Grand Sports with 550bhp engines arrive in Nassau. In race after race, they decidedly beat the Ford-powered Cobras. 

(month unknown)
• Zora Arkus-Duntov begins work on the CERV II.   

(month unknown)
• The first 1964 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line. 

1964
July
• Production ends on the 1964 model Corvette. 

September 18
• The last episode of TV's "Route 66" airs.

December
• Roger Penske races a Grand Sport in Nassau against vast and powerful Cobra opposition. His win establishes the last General Motors victory over the Ford-powered Cobras for years to come. 

(month unknown)
• (early) Bill Mitchell begins experimenting with design ideas for the next-generation Corvette. General Motors stylist Larry Shinoda begins project XP-830. 

(month unknown)
• The TV show, "Route 66" is cancelled.

(month unknown)
• The CERV single-seat mid-engine test car makes a brief appearance at Pikes Peak hill climb in Colorado. 

(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. 

(month unknown)
• Chevrolet engineer Frank Winchell begins building the XP-819 rear-engined test car.  

(month unknown)
• The first 1965 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1965
January
• Production of the Turbo Jet 396 engine for the Corvette begins.

April
• The Mako Shark II (project XP-830), a test showcar for the next-generation Corvette, makes its debut appearance at the New York International Auto Show. The non-running full-size model cost nearly US $3 million to create.     

(month unknown)
• (spring) The L78 option Turbo Jet 396 engine debuts in the Corvette.  

(month unknown)
• (fall) The body style of the next-generation Corvette is essentially complete, and an engineering prototype is tested at Michigan's Milford proving Ground. 

(month unknown)
• The Mako Shark II is displayed to the public at the General Motors Pavillion at the New York World's Fair. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1966 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1966
February
• (early) Grand Sports 001 and 002 are sold by General Motors to Roger Penske. 

February
• (or March) Roger Penske sells Grand Sport 002 to George Wintersteen.  

March 26
• Dick Thompson and Dick Guldstrand race Grand Sport 001 in the Sebring 12 hours race, in Florida. After 3.5 hours, it is forced off the track, and cracks its oil pan, ending its race. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1967 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

(month unknown)
• The Mako Shark show car is displayed. 

(month unknown)
• Testing of the XP-819 begins. 

1967
June
• A Corvette with the L88 engine option debuts at Le Mans. 

July
• Zora Arkus-Duntov returns to the Chevrolet Tech Center. 

August
• The 1968 model Corvette is shown to the press for the first time. 

(month unknown)
• (spring) Chevrolet quietly makes the L88 engine option available for the 1967 model Corvette. The 427 cubic inch L88 delivers 500hp with open exhausts, and features a 12.5:1 compression ratio. 

(month unknown)
• (spring) Zora Arkus-Duntov falls seriously ill, and is hospitalized for several months. 

(month unknown)
• (late) 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". 

(month unknown)
• (late) As a result of Car and Driver's appraisal of the 1968 Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov is appointed chief engineer of Corvette. 

(month unknown)
• The Corvette engineering department is absorbed into Chevrolet's passenger car program. Zora Arkus-Duntov is transferred to special assignments. 

(month unknown)
• Work on the mid-engined XP 880 test car begins. 

(month unknown)
• The Mako Shark II show car is built. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1968 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1968
February
• The 1968 model Corvettes debut in competition racing at the Daytona Continental. 

April
• Chevrolet makes the L88 engine option generally available for the Corvette. 

April
• At a meeting of the International Motor Press Association, Zora Arkus-Duntov declares the entire scheduled production of 1968 model Corvettes sold. 

(month unknown)
• Zora Arkus-Duntov is named Chief Engineer of Chevrolet.  

(month unknown)
• The XP-880, now called the Astro II, is shown at the New York Auto Show.  

(month unknown)
• The Corvette Aero Coupe is first shown. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1969 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1969
November 7
• The 250,000th Corvette rolls off the production line. 

(month unknown)
• The Phase III GT Corvette is shown at the International Auto Show in New York City. 

(month unknown)
• A Corvette driven by Jerry Thompson wins SCCA A/Production class, with Allan Barker winning SCCA B/Production class.

(month unknown)
• Chevrolet general manager John DeLorean cancels work on the XP-882, a four-wheel drive mid-engined test Corvette.  

1970
February
• 1970 model Corvettes begin arriving in dealer showrooms.  

April
• Chevrolet unveils the experimental mid-engined XP-895 Corvette at the New York Auto Show. The car is the restyled XP-882 prototype. 

(month unknown)
• (late) The Repair Department of the St. Louis Corvette plant begins building a limited number of ZR-1 Corvettes with LT-1 small-block motors, for competing in SCCA Class B racing, and ZR-2 Corvettes with LS6 454 big-block motors for SCCA Class A. 

(month unknown)
• The Corvette Aero Coupe is revised and displayed as the Corvette Scirocco. 

(month unknown)
• A Corvette driven by John Greenwood wins SCCA A/Production class, with Allan Barker winning SCCA B/Production class. 

(month unknown)
• Chevrolet signs a deal with holders of the Wankel patents for US$50 million, and begins building a two-rotor and a four-rotor Corvette.  

(month unknown)
• General Motors decides it should change how it reports horsepower ratings, from gross to SAE net. 

1971
June
• A full-size fiberglass model of a Wankel-engined Corvette prototype is completed, and shown to top management of General Motors. General Motors President Ed Cole approves construction of a complete running car. 

(month unknown)
• Car and Driver magazine's Readers' Choice Poll votes the Corvette "Best Sports/GT Car (Category III)", and "Best All-around Car". 

(month unknown)
• General Motors' president anticipates the upcoming Clean Air Act by ruling that all of General Motors' cars should be designed to run on no more than 91-octane gas, which would be lead-free. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1972 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1972
January 14
• General Motors ships the chassis to a prototype Wankel-engined Corvette to Pininfarina, in Turin, Italy, for construction of the car's body. 

June
• A fully-detailed steel-bodied prototype 2-Rotor Wankel-engined Corvette is completed, and shown to General Motors management. 

(month unknown)
• (early) Zora Arkus-Duntov asks Chevrolet engineer Gib Hufstader to develop a mid-engine Corvette using the Wankel rotary engine.  

(month unknown)
• A two-rotor version of the XP-882 is commissioned and built, called the XP-987GT. 

(month unknown)
• Dick Gerstenberg puts a final stop to current mid-engine Corvette projects, on the basis that the car is selling well enough without need for such a radical change. 

(month unknown)
• John Greenwood races Corvettes at the Le Mans race in Europe, setting a Mulsanne straightaway record of 211 mph. 

(month unknown)
• Jim Prather begins the Vette Vues newsletter. 

(month unknown)
• Zora Arkus-Duntov convinces General Motors to donate the CERV cars to the Briggs Cunningham Museum. 

(month unknown)
• General Motors donates the CERV I and CERV II research cars to the Briggs Cunningham Museum, in Costa Mesa, California.  

(month unknown)
• The first 1973 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line. 

1973
January
• Work begins on adding a body to an experimental 4-rotor Wankel-engined Corvette. 

April
• A clay scale model of the 4-rotor Wankel-engined Corvette prototype undergoes aerodynamic tests in California's GALCIT wind tunnel.

June
• The final shape of the experimental mid-engined Corvette is approved.  

September 13
• General Motors show a 266ci two-rotor Wankel-engined test Corvette at the 45th German Motor Show in Frankfurt, Germany. The car is called Corvette 2-Rotor, with a steel body.  ]

October 4
• The two-rotor and 390ci four-rotor Corvettes are shown in Paris, France.  

(month unknown)
• The driving team of John Greenwood, Ron Grable, and Mike Brockman drive a Corvette to a win in its class at Sebring, and taking third place overall, the best ever showing for a Corvette at Sebring. 

1974
September 24
• General Motors President Ed Cole announces that the company is postponing the introduction of a Wankel-based rotary engine, due to difficulties in meeting proposed emissions standards. 

(month unknown)
• Chevrolet contracts Reynolds to build an all-aluminum show car, code-named XP-895. 

(month unknown)
• The Classic Corvette Club (1953-55) is founded. The name and scope of the organization is later changed to The National Corvette Restorers Society.  

(month unknown)
• The first 1975 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1975
January 1
• Zora Arkus-Duntov officially resigns from Chevrolet; David McLellan takes his place.   

January
• Zora Arkus-Duntov buys his 1974 company Corvette from Chevrolet. 

April
• The film, "Death Race 2000" is released in theaters in the US. The lead car appears to be a modified current model Corvette.

May
• A Car and Driver Reader's Choice Poll names the Corvette as "Best All-around Car". 

June
• The last 1975 model-year convertible Stingray rolls off the assembly line. 

(month unknown)
• Jerry Palmer's Chevy Three design studio proposes a mid-engine Corvette design, using a V6 engine. 

1976
December
• Work is completed on the final full-size clay model of the Aerovette.  

(month unknown)
• (early) Chevrolet engineering constructs a test car with X-car driveline and suspension, and a mid-engine V6 under a Porsche 914 body. 

(month unknown)
• Smokey Yunick sells the remains of the XP-819 to Dick Walker and Steve Tate. 

(month unknown)
• The Four-Rotor Corvette is given a small-block V-8 in place of its rotary engine, and renamed Aerovette. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1977 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

(month unknown)
• The Corvette Scirocco is restyled and displayed as the Mulsanne. 

1977
February 5
• The anti-theft key-switch is removed from the 1977 model-year Corvette body, just behind the driver's side front tire. In its place, side flags are added. 

March 14
• The 500,000th Corvette drives off the assembly line. 

April 12
• General Motors announces it is discontinuing research and development work on the rotary engine entirely. 

July
• Bill Mitchell resigns from General Motors.   

(month unknown)
• (late) Chevrolet engineering abandons the V6 mid-engine idea for a Corvette. 

(month unknown)
• Irv Rybicki becomes head of General Motors Design Staff.  

(month unknown)
• The mid-engined V8 Aerovette is first shown. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1978 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1978
March 27
• The Wall Street Journal runs a front-page article about the 1978 Corvette Indy Pace Cars, indicating they would be excellent investments. 

March
• Production begins on the 1978 Limited Edition Corvette pace cars. 

May 28
• The 62nd Indianapolis 500 begins, with a 1978 Corvette as pace car.  

June
• The movie "Corvette Summer" premieres, in Ohio. 
July
• Chevy Three's studio chief Jerry Palmer produces a sketch of a next-generation front-engined Corvette. 

July
• A clay model of the next-generation Corvette is made.   

October
• The movie, "High Rolling in a Hot Corvette" is released. 

(month unknown)
• (late) pat Furey's interior-design group joins development work on the next-generation Corvette. 

(month unknown)
• Chevrolet management decides to abandon work on mid-engined Corvette prototypes, and return to the traditional front engine configuration. 

(month unknown)
• Work on a new redesigned front-engined Corvette begins at General Motors' Tech Center in Warren, Michigan. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1979 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1979
November
• Construction begins on the final clay model of the basic style of the next generation (1984) Corvette. 

December
• Chevy Three completes most work on the exterior look of the next-generation Corvette. 

1980
April
• Design work on the interior of the next-generation Corvette is completed. 

(month unknown)
• (early) A complete fiberglass model of the next generation Corvette (1984) is completed. ]

1981
June 1
• Production of the Corvette begins at a new plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The first Corvette is a beige 1981 model.    

July 31
• The last Corvette built in the St. Louis plant rolls off the assembly line.    (August 1 )

(month unknown)
• The first 1982 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1982
January
• Bob Stemple becomes general manager of the Chevrolet Division of General Motors. 

October
• The Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, closes down to begin retooling for the 1984 model Corvette. 

November
• Final prototypes of the 1984 model Corvette are shown. 

1983
January 3
• Production begins on the 1984 model Corvette. 

January
• The press receive first looks at the 1984 model Corvette. 

February
• The 1984 Corvette goes on sale in the US, except for California. 

April
• The 1984 Corvette goes on sale in California.

June
• Chevrolet announces a recall of the first 6,000 1984 model Corvette, to replace defective brake components. 

August
• Chevrolet announces a recall of 14,000 1984 model Corvette, to fix problems with the power steering and battery cable. 

October
• The Corvette plant is up to full-speed production. 

December
• Chevrolet adds cast-iron and rubber dampers to the differential's subframe to reduce noise in the 1984 model Corvette. 

December
• Chevrolet begins production of the manual gearbox for 1984 model Corvette. 

(month unknown)
• (summer) Chevrolet fits Bilstein shock absorbers to 1984 model Corvette, to improve suspension. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1984 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

(month unknown)
• Pop singer Prince releases the song, "Little Red Corvette". 

(month unknown)
• Motor Trend magazine names the 1984 Corvette "Domestic Car of the Year" for 1984. 

1984
February
• Chevrolet improves the cut of the ring and pinion gear teeth on the 1984 model Corvette, to reduce audible gear whine. 

February
• Chevrolet adds a 3.31:1 axle ratio to the list of options for the 1984 model Corvette. 

March
• Chevrolet adds a brace to the alternator bracket to stiffen the assembly and reduce vibration.]

March
• Chevrolet changes the brake rotors on 1984 model Corvette, to reduce squealing. 

April
• Chevrolet changes the door-hinge-bushing on the 1984 model Corvette from brass to sintered iron, to increase their life. 

April
• Chevrolet adds bumpers to the storage shelf for the roof panel of 1984 model Corvette, to reduce rattling noise.

(month unknown)
• Dave McLellan makes it clear the V8 engine in the Corvette will not be replaced with a V6. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1985 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1985
March 23
• General Motors recalls 47,000 1984-model Corvette for repair of the cruise control systems. 

April
• The Corvette Group meets with Tony Rudd of Lotus Engineering, to discuss Lotus 4-valve heads for the L98 Corvette engine. This eventually leads to the 1989 LT5 engine, for the ZR-1 Corvette.   

June
• Chevrolet and Lotus discuss creating a technical showcase, which would become the CERV III. 

July
• It is realized that adapting the new twin-cam heads to the L98 engine isn't working, and a completely new engine would be needed.

(month unknown)
• (spring) Tony Rudd of Lotus Engineering proposes a new V-8 engine for the Corvette which General Motors approves. 

(month unknown)
• General Motors' President Lloyd Reuss decides to halt turbocharger development, and build a new high-tech engine for the Corvette. 

1986
January
• Chevrolet introduces the Corvette Indy prototype car, the CERV III, at the Detroit Automobile Show. It has 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, and CRT cockpit screens. 

May 25
• The 70th Indianapolis 500 race begins, with a 1986 convertible Corvette as pace car.  

May
• The first Lotus/Chevrolet V8 engine runs on a test bed at Hethel, England. 

October
• Chevrolet enters into a relationship with Callaway Engineering to produce a 345hp twin-turbo Corvette, for US $51,000. 

(month unknown)
• Dick Guldstrand develops the Grand Sport 80 Corvette conversion. 

(month unknown)
• The Briggs Cunningham Museum, housing the CERV I and II, closes. 

(month unknown)
• Building of the CERV III No. 1 is completed.

1987
January
• Building of the CERV III No. 2 is completed. 

September
• With help from ASC Incorporated, Chevrolet begins working on a removable hardtop for the Corvette.

September
• Mike Collier sells the CERV I and II cars to Steve Hendrickson and Kerrie Jones for US$300,000. 

(month unknown)
• At the Geneva Auto Show in Switzerland, Chevrolet displays the ASC Corvette Geneve show car.

(month unknown)
• The first 1988 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1988
August
• General Motors blocks an auction sale of the CERV I and II, claiming ownership title to the cars. A court later rules against General Motors. 

October
• A Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette reaches a top speed of 254.76 MPH at the Transportation Research Center of Ohio. 

(month unknown)
• One of the five Corvette Grand Sports is sold at auction for US$500,000. 

(month unknown)
• At a press review for the 1989 model Corvette, General Motors also shows an aluminum-bodied XP-895, a derivative of the mid-engined XP-882 prototype. 

(month unknown)
• Building of the CERV III No. 3 is completed. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1989 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1989
January
• The CERV I is offered for sale at an auction in Monterey, California.  Bid reach US$1.2 million, but the owners want US$1.6 million. 

March
• The magazine Corvette Fever is first published. 

April 9
• The Corvette Challenge race series begins its second season, at the Phoenix International Raceway, in Arizona. 

June 13
• Zora Arkus-Duntov sells his 1974 Corvette for a six-figure price.

August 12
• Music video station VH-1 starts taking entries in its Corvette sweepstakes.   

August 30
• Production of the 1990 ZR-1 begins, at Bowling Green, Kentucky.   

October 11
• The VH-1 Corvette sweepstakes closes.  

October 16
• A drawing is held by music video station VH-1, giving away 36 Corvettes, one from each model year. Dennis Amodeo is the winner.  (October 14 ) (October 15 )

October
• A Corvette Museum Task Force meets for the first time, in Cypress Gardens, Florida. 

October
• SCCA officials announce an end to the Corvette Challenge races. 

November
• VH-1 contest winner Dennis Amodeo sells his 36 Corvettes to Peter Max for around US$1 million. 

(month unknown)
• (early) Chevrolet introduces the Corvette ZR-1 at the Geneva auto show. 

(month unknown)
• The CERV II is put up at auction in Detroit, Michigan. Bids reach US$525,000, not high enough for the reserve of US$750,000. 

(month unknown)
• Gene Schiavone buys Grand Sport 001 from Jim Pervis, and has it restored to original condition, with some modern updates to make it more derivable. 

(month unknown)
• Planning begins on the "C5", the next generation Corvette to follow the 1984+ model. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1990 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

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 650hp and a top speed of 225 MPH. 

March 2
• A team of near-stock ZR-1 Corvettes sets over a dozen records near Fort Stockton, 
Texas, for speed and endurance, such as averaging 175 MPH for 24 hours straight.

March 8
• Carrozzeria Bertone debuts its Nivola LT5 at the Geneva Auto Show, in Switzerland. The car is based on a Corvette ZR-1, with the engine mounted behind the driver, and given distinctive Italian styling.

June 2
• Ground-breaking begins on the National Corvette Museum, in Bowling Green, Kentucky. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1991 production Corvette ZR-1 rolls off the assembly line.

1991
January
• Reeves Callaway unveils the Twin Turbo Corvette Speedster, a convertible with a 450hp engine. Prices start at US$107,000. 

January
• At the International Auto Show in Detroit, ASC and General Motors' chief of advanced engineering, Don Runkle, unveil the Corvette ZR-1 Spyder, a prototype convertible ZR-1.  

April
• A Rick Mears edition Corvette ZR-1 is displayed at the New York Automobile Show. 

(month unknown)
• (fall) The first 1992 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line. With it, Chevrolet introduces the LT1 engine, capable of 300hp at 5000 rpm. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1992 production Corvette ZR-1 rolls off the assembly line.

1992
January
• At the 1992 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, General Motors debuts a show car called the Stingray III, a styling preview of the next generation Corvette. 

July 2
• The 1 millionth Corvette is built. It is a white LT1 roadster, with red interior. 

August 31
• Dave McLellan officially retires from Chevrolet. 

(month unknown)
• The first 1993 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1993
June 29
• Chevrolet general manager Jim Perkins states that a fifth-generation Corvette will be produced for the 1997 model year.

(month unknown)
• The first 1994 production Corvette rolls off the assembly line.

1994
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. 

May 9
• Reeves Callaway takes its modified Corvette to the Le Mans race track, for the test day. 

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. 

September 9
• The National Corvette Museum opens in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

1995
April 28
• The last ZR-1 Corvette rolls off the assembly line. During its six year lifetime, 6939 ZR-1 Corvettes were built. 

May 28
• The 79th Indianapolis 500 race opens, with a 1995 Corvette performing the role of Official Pace Car. 

(month unknown)
• A Reeves Callaway Corvette qualifies at Le Mans for the pole position in the GT2 class. The car finishes second in class, 10th overall. 

1996
April 21
• Zora Arkus-Duntov dies at age 86, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
 
June 21 
• The last Corvette of the fourth-generation "C4" body style (used since 1984) is produced. Over 300,000 cars were produced since 1984. 

August
• The 15th annual Corvettes at Carlisle is held, at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. Over 3,500 Corvettes and 46,000 people attended. 400 members of the ZR-1 Registry club showed their cars. 

November
• The 1997 model Corvette is unveiled to the press. 

1997

January 6
• Chevrolet unveils the 1997 Corvette, dubbed "C5. A new small-block V-8 engine is introduced, the LS1, with 345hp, and 10:1 compression ratio. 

January 8 
The 1997 model Corvette is introduced in Canada, in Montreal.

August 
• The "Corvettes at Carlisle" 1997 show records attendance of 48,500 over three days.

September 
• Chevrolet introduces the 1998 convertible Corvette at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

September
• 9,000 Corvette owners attend a special gathering at the National Corvette Museum. 

(month unknown)
• Mid American Designs purchases the 1959 CERV I, for display in its "My Garage" collection of rare Corvettes and memorabilia in Illinois.

September 13 
•	 Mid America Designs hosts Funfest '97, with 3,400 Corvettes and 20,000 people attending. [127.50] 
•	November 1 
•	Corvette assistant chief engineer John Heinricy is re-assigned to chief engineer of GM's F-platform engineering group. [127.13,70] 
November 
•	Ralph Eckler retires from the Corvette aftermarket business. [144.11] 
November 16 
•	Larry Shinoda dies of kidney failure. [127.30] (November 13 [151.35]) 
December 16 
•	Location of the ABS/Traction Control System brake pressure modulator is moved from the rear of the Corvette to behind the radiator. [127.67] 
(month unknown) 
•	(late) Motor Trend magazine selects the 1998 Corvette as its 1998 Motor Trend Car of the Year. [134] 

1998
(month unknown) 
•	(Labor Day weekend) Dave Hill offiially introduces the 1999 hardtop Corvette. Price is US$38,777. [151.29] 
August 
•	(end) Corvettes at Carlisle is held. [151.48] 
September 4 
•	The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Ed Cole, General Motors President and Chief Engineer of Chevrolet. [151.33] 
•	The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Bill Mitchell, head of General Motors Design staff. [151.34] 
•	The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Joe Pike, Corvette promoter and editor of Corvette News and founder of the National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC). [151.34] 
•	The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Larry Shinoda, designer and member of the 1963 Sting Ray design team. [151.34] 
•	The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Zora Arkus-Duntov, first Chief Engineer of Corvette. [151.35] 
September  8 
•	Baseball team St. Louis Cardinals president Mark Lamping presents team member Mark McGwire with a red 1962 Corvette, after McGwire hits his 62 homerun of the season.