History of the 1968-1972 Corvette Series

The ‘68 through ‘72 Vettes are the first five of the third generation Corvettes.

The 1968 Corvette was the first year for the Mako Shark body style. This design was inspired by an actual Mako Shark on a fishing trip. The ‘68 Vette is exciting because it was the first of a new generation, and underwent a serious makeover! The slogan for the release was “All different, all over”. The color palette was all different too. GM launched the C3 with shades like British Green, Safari Yellow, and Silverstone Silver alongside Rally Red, Polar White, LeMans Blue, and Tuxedo Black. Being the first, it also had some kinks needing to be worked out in 1969. One of the most often noted design flaws from early buyers was the lack of interior space for the driver. This flaw would be remedied in 1969. A unique non-feature of the 1968, is the lack of the Stingray or Sting Ray moniker.

The 1969 Vette was chock full of reworks and redesigns. The interior of the 1969 Corvette saw a functional redesign giving drivers and passengers more room. The ‘69 wheels grew wider from 7 to 8 inches. Also, the door handle was redesigned to allow for opening the door with either right or left hand on either side of the car.

1970 was the first year designers started moving in the direction of a luxury car in addition to sports car. With this goal in mind, many aesthetic upgrades were made. In addition, The interior will be even roomier and comfier than 1969 as designers continued to tweak for comfort of the driver and passenger. In 1970 Corvettes, big block engines increased from 427 to 454 cubic inches and the powerful 370 HP LT1 small block engine made its debut. So this is something you will want to keep your eye out for in a 1970 Corvette!

1971 Corvettes and 1972 Corvettes both saw very little change aesthetically. However, both years saw a fair share of removals. Similar to the appeal of owning a “first made”, it can be equally fulfilling to own a “last made”. The 1972 Corvette will be the last Corvette to feature both a front and rear chrome bumper, as rubber bumpers are introduced in 1973.

Over these two years, new regulations ushered in significant engine redesigns. Because of this, you may see less power in a later Corvette. However, Corvette still maintained the status of a racecar favorite. However, If engine options and output are number one on your shopping list, you may want to consider a 1968-1970 Corvette.

Overall, these five years ushered in our favorite generation of Chevrolet Corvettes. We saw a unique and sleek Corvette redesign introducing the sharkesque style. We also saw a functional redesign of engines and mechanics, allowing Chevrolet to meet necessary regulations while maintaining the sleek and fast Corvette reputation.