An American Love Affair: 70 Years of Corvette

National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA

Summer 2023

Introduced in 1953, the Corvette is an icon of the American automobile, probably the only US sports car capable of competing with the Europeans. Over the 8 generations presented since 1953, the Corvette has kept its character and recurring genes: sporty, 2-seater, aggressive and often spectacular body, coupe and cabriolet, relatively compact and light, powerful V8 (except the very first model, a little underpowered with its V6 and which will know only a limited success).

The Corvette has also shined in racing, competing with Porsche, Ferrari, Aston Martin and others on all world circuits, often winning its class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. The National Corvette Museum presents all generations of Corvettes, special versions and many documents illustrating the history of the model. And to celebrate this 70th anniversary, the National Corvette Museum exhibits some exceptional models.

The 1953 Corvette, one of the 300 examples of this 1st year of production, has been meticulously restored by searching for the original parts. The “Great White” of 1976 was a project intended to inspire the design of the C4. It was one of the favorite projects of Bill Mitchell, a designer of the first generations, and who joined his personal collection. The 2024 E-Ray is the 1st Corvette hybrid, combining the LT2 V8 with an electric motor, enabling 4WD transmission and an all-electric slient driving mode.

The photos on this page belong to the National CorvetteMuseum, no right of reproduction without the express permission of the museum.