Corvette History

Chevrolet launched a new version of the Corvette in 1983, with a higher price and an advertising campaign that compared it to imported sports cars, particularly the Porsche. The initial sales were strong, but decreased by 25% in1986. In 1985, G.M was the dominant car manufacture in the U.S, producing 6 of the top ten selling cars in the U.S. However, imported cars still made up for 23.5% of the total U.S market automobile sales. A reorganization of former autonomous car divisions at G.M was undergone, to curb the problem that many of G.M's cars looked alike and to bring about distinctions between the different models. G.M, in a joint effort with Hughes Aircraft Company and Electronic Data Systems, began to design automobiles that would
incorporate aerospace technology into automotive areas. Also, G.M purchased Group Lotus Cars, which meant the bought the competition as this company was known for its state of the art sports cars. G.M produced the Chevrolet Nova and Saturn in a joint venture with Toyota, which constituted their first new make since the 1930's. Chevrolet sold several different cars and trucks, and its Cavalier, Celebrity and Caprice where first, third and seventh selling cars in America, respectively. G.M's launch of the ultra-luxury convertible Allante in 1987 was aimed to provide a halo effect for the Cadillac and create competition in the their own line of cars. The Allante made its debut in the TV series Dallas, replacing a Mercedes Benz. History of the Corvette Models:
1953-1955: The corvette dream car was introduced in 1952 at the Motorama Show and failed to impress the VIPs, as it had leaky pop-in plastic windows, anemic six cylinder engine, and was slower then a well tuned Cadillac or Oldsmobile.
1954's production resulted in a surplus of 3,640 cars and began rumors that the car would be scrapped. However, with the Ford's Thunderbird, G.M's competitive spirit reached new highs. Also, with Zora Arkus Duntov as the head of Corvette's engineering, Corvette's performance improved a lot with the new V-8 engine.
1956-1962: The 1956-1957 Corvettes appealed to both the sports and personal luxury car markets. With continuous refinements the second generation Corvette was considered to be the type of car that true enthusiasts would
appreciate.
1963-1967: The third generation Corvette was the most popular and stylish of all the Corvettes, and a major collector's item.
It was however the most short-lived of all the models, lasting a mere 5 years.
1968-1979: The fourth generation Corvette faced numerous problems, and production was decreased. With the oil shortages, government regulation, and economic downturns. Its performance declined, but it still managed to get sold-out and hence increase the production yet again.
1980-1983: The car went through a lot of weight-reduction so as to improve fuel consumption and not face an EPA tax. This meant it lost most of its performance. Nonetheless, it still remained one of the most popular and well-liked cars in the market.
The ‘new' Corvette: There was no 1983 Corvette because production was shifted to a plant built for producing the new Corvette model. The fifth generation Corvette showcased G.M's developments and improvements in the way of suspension, braking, engine control, etc. This was also met with an increase in the price. This made the press wonder if the Corvette was going against its tradition of being a youth oriented car, to appealing to the older professionals.
Corvette
Advertising: The 1984 advertising campaign of the Corvette had a budget higher then ever before in the car's history. This was mostly a comparison campaign, with testing of acceleration, brakes, etc. And the Corvette emerged as the overall winner.
Promotion and Racing Activities: The Chevrolet Division of G.M sent a free 30-page full color glossy magazine to all its Corvette purchasers, which included news, developments and information on the Corvette, its DIY repairs and news on the racetrack. There were over 700 organized Corvette clubs, all of which included car shows, races, rallies and social gatherings. Corvette's entry into in the IMSA's fourth race was met with skepticism from the competition, as they retired early in the preceding races. And when Corvette won, it broke Porsche's 16 consecutive winning streak. In Showroom Stock races, again the Corvette dominated. Corvette, along with other sports cars, was featured in advertisements for tires, stereo systems, and some unrelated products. The Corvette was given as a grand prize in a toothpaste sweepstakes and in numerous other competitions and contests.
Distribution:
The Corvette had a network of over 5,000 dealers, that's over and beyond the 330 dealers that Porsche had. Small dealers, however, served only as catalogue dealers, and did not stock Corvettes and only sold for special orders. Chevrolet trained its dealers, and mechanics to overcome the problems they faced at the time. Often the Corvette occupied a prominent place on the showroom floor and used register to win campaigns to increase dealer traffic.
Competition:
Porsche: Porsche considered the Cadillac Allante to be its competition for its 928 model.
Nissan: Nissan's shift from economy sports car to a more GT car was a threat for the Corvette.
Mazda: The RX-7 was the main competitor from Mazda.
Press Reactions to the ‘new' Corvette:
May1983: Motor Trend tested the Corvette, Ferrari 308 GTSi, Porsche 928S and Jaguar XJS, and the Corvette came out as the car with the best handling on the racetrack and was chosen as the hardest charging back road burner money can buy. The Porsche, however, was considered the best car in the world according to Motor Trend,
August 1983: Road and track did a comparison trend, at the end of which each car was given points for performance, comfort, design, etc and Corvette got the lowest out of the Ferrari and two Porsche models.
November 1985: Motor trend compared the new 1986 Corvette to the new Porsche 944 Turbo. The Corvette was faster in 0-70 mph, and the Porsche in the 70-90 mph. Overall, it was concluded that it was neck and neck, and the choice was up to the taste and habits of the ultimate consumer.
April 1986: Road and track tested several cars, including the Corvette over a 1,000-mile course in Italy. All the cars were driven by famous ex-racers and at the end they were asked questions about the cars. Corvette got the most votes, as the car they thought would win if the Mille Miglia race were held. And it got the second highest votes, as the car they would choose for a vacation tour of the Mille Miglia route.