Chronology of Chevrolet Corvettes

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References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2023 December 20.


1966

January
  • David Greenblatt sells Corvette Grand Sport #004 to Jim White of Toledo, Ohio. [534.47]
  • George Wintersteen sells Corvette Grand Sport #005 to Dave Erwin of Painted Post, New York. [534.47] [580.182]
January 14
  • A special development L88 Corvette is built at the St. Louis assembly plant, destined for the Roger Penske racing team. [720.25]
(month unknown)
  • Sunoco buys a new red 1966 Corvette with L-88 engine, L-88 hood, and M-22 transmission. [518.192]
February 5
  • In Daytona, Florida, the Daytona Continental 24-hour race is held.
    • Finishing 1st in GT +3000 class and 12th overall is the Roger Penske / Sunoco #6 1966 Corvette 427 ci, driven by Dick Guldstrand, Ben Moore, and George Wintersteen.
    • Finishing 3rd in GT +3000 class and 20th overall is the Cannon Auto #67 1966 Corvette 427 ci L72, driven by George Cornelius, Dick Boo, and Robert Ryan Brown. They win the International Police Chief's trophy for "the most durable, most dependable automobile in the Daytona 24 Hour Continental".
    [104.151] [140.79] [263] [309.22] [310.14] [337.64] [345.15] [423] [518.192] [580.201] [720.26] (#67 finishes 4th in GT [771.84])
February
  • Chevrolet sells Corvette Grand Sports 001 and 002 to Roger Penske. [3.53] [64.83] [133.94] [317.42] [325.14] [454.95] [704.22] (January [534.47]) (1965 [206.68] [211.47] [572.44]) (Penske buys one, George Wintersteen buys other [106.6])
  • Roger Penske sells Corvette Grand Sport #002 to George Wintersteen. [64.83] [151] [325.14] [454.95] [572.44] [580.183] (1965 [206.68]) (Wintersteen bought it from Chevrolet [106.6])
March 26
  • In Sebring, Florida, the 12 Hours of Sebring race is held.
    • Finishing 1st in Grand Touring +5000 class, 9th overall, is the Penske Racing #9 1966 Corvette 427-ci L88, driven by George Wintersteen and Ben Moore.
    • Finishing 2nd in Grand Touring +5000 class, 11th overall, is the Harold C. Whims #8 Corvette, driven by Don Yenko, Dave Morgan, and Harold Whims.
    • Richard Thompson and Dick Guldstrand race the Penske Racing #10 Corvette Grand Sport #001 with 427-ci engine in Prototype +5000 class. After 65 laps, the car is out due to an accident; the engine is broken and the frame bent.
    [64.83] [181.32] [106.6] [151.90] [104.151] [140.79] [211.47] [309.22] [337.64] [345.17] [423] [454.94] [518.193] [534.47] [580.201] [585.99] [720.26] (Grand Sport #005 [348])
April
  • Larry Shinoda is promoted to Chief Designer at Chevrolet Studio 3. [242.26]
  • John Penske sells the Sunoco Special 1966 Corvette L88 to Joe Welch. [811.55]
  • The Mako Shark II show car is displayed at the New York Auto Show. [74.73] [104.68,138] [539.65] [580.206]
(month unknown)
  • The next-generation Corvette is delayed from 1967 to 1968 model year so that Engineering and Design departments can complete the Camaro. [454.134]
  • Ozzie Olson of Swedish Crucible Steel sells his 1964 Corvette Styling car to an employee. [576.104]
  • Car and Driver magazine readers vote the Corvette as Best Value for Money. [580.231]
July
  • Production of 1966 model Corvettes ends. [148.46]
July 30
  • Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation releases the film Batman in theaters in the USA. A Nassau Blue 1965-66 Corvette convertible appears very briefly. [798]

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(month unknown)
  • George Wintersteen races his Grand Sport Corvette roadster in the Can-Am Series, unsuccessfully. [106.6]
  • Roger Penske sells Corvette Grand Sport #001 to John Mecom. [151.90] [211] [325.15]
  • Testing of the XP-819 Corvette test car begins. [35.45]
August
  • The A.O. Smith company begins making bodies for 1967 Corvettes. [153.78]
  • At the Bonneville salt flats races, Barry Brock sets the A Grand Touring record of 180.138-MPH in a 427-ci Corvette with Hilborn injection. [337.23] [580.201]
September 1
  • Production of 1967 model Corvettes begins. [148.48] [153.78]
(month unknown)
  • Chevrolet first begins affixing build sheets on top of gas tanks of new Corvettes. [218.14] [219.14] [523.75]
November 27
  • At the Riverside International Raceway in California, the American Road Race of Champions final races of the SCCA Club Racing series are held.
    • Finishing 5th in A Production class and 5th overall is the #61 Corvette Sting Ray driven by Herb Caplan.
    • Finishing 7th in A Production class and 7th overall is the #64 Corvette Sting Ray driven by Gary Gove.
    • Finishing 5th in B Production class and 12th overall is the #604 Corvette Sting Ray driven by Rick Stark.
    • Finishing 8th in B Production class and 17th overall is the #603 Corvette driven by Ken Deckman.
    [394.4] [423]
December
  • John Mecom sells Corvette Grand Sport #001 roadster to Jerry Hanna of Texas for US$4500. [211.47] [317.42] [325.15] [534.45]

1967

  • Ralph Morrison of the Sunray DX Motorsports Program contacts Yenko Chevrolet regarding the purchase of a new Corvette for racing. [237.51]
February 4
  • In Daytona, Florida, the Daytona 24 Hours race is held. Tony Denman and Bob Brown race the Jim White Corvette Grand Sport #004, but do not finish the race. Five other Corvettes enter the race, but none complete it. [263] [423] [518.195] [534.47]
February
  • Due to a production accident in the production of small-block engine hoods, big-block hoods are used for all production Corvettes for several days. [273.81]
March 6
  • At the Corvette plant in St. Louis, a 1967 Corvette with an L-88 engine is built for the Sunray DX Motorsports Program. [237.52]
March 7
  • Yenko Chevrolet takes delivery of a new 1967 Corvette L-88 for the Sunray DX Motorsports Program. [237.52]
March
  • The New York auto show is held. The Astro show car debuts. It is mid-engined, with automatic transmission, and a transaxle rear. [203.19] [542.54]
(month unknown)
  • George Wintersteen places an ad in the April issue of Hot Rod magazine to sell Grand Sport #002 for US$5500. [572.45]
April 1
  • In Sebring, Florida, the 12 Hours of Sebring race is held.
    • Dave Morgan and Don Yenko race the Sunray DX Oil #8 1967 Corvette L-88 in Grand Touring +5000 class. They set a new track record for the class. Forty minutes before the end of the race, brake failure puts the car into a sand bank, where the car still finishes 1st in Grand Touring +5000 class and tenth overall.
    • Finishing 2nd in Grand Touring +5000 class, 26th overall, is the Roger Penske #4 Corvette L-88, driven by Joe Welch and George Wintersteen.
    • Or Costanzo, Gene Guy, and David McClain race Costanzo's #9 Corvette L-88 in Grand Touring +5000 class. After 141 laps, the car is out due to an accident. They place 38th overall.
    • Wilton Jowett and Robert Mouat race Jowett's #69 Corvette L-88 in Grand Touring +5000 class. After 130 laps, the car is out due to engine failure. They place 40th overall.
    [5.100] [175.84] [202.56] [235.53] [263] [337.64] [345.17] [348] [423] [563.100] [580.201] [720.26] (March [155.29] [237.24,52])
April
  • Chevrolet quietly makes the L88 engine option available for the Corvette. The 427 cubic inch engine delivers 560-hp with open exhausts, and features a 12.5:1 compression ratio. [56.54] [90] [104.62] [107.45] [140.71] [155.73] [203.18] [563.100]
May 5
  • The Nebraska Corvette Association is formed. [177.8]
May
  • Frank Winchell of Chevrolet Research and Development sees the Ford Mach 2, a street car version of Mark IV sports car. He assigns engineer Larry Nies to design a simple mid-engined Corvette prototype. The project number is XP-880, later called Astro II. [5] [176.44] [296.65] [580.244]
  • Zora Arkus-Duntov becomes seriously ill, and is hospitalized for almost two months. [90] [229.28] [580.215] [774.35]
(month unknown)
  • The Corvette engineering department is absorbed into Chevrolet Engineering's passenger car program under chief engineer Alex Mair. Zora Arkus-Duntov's position is transferred to special assignments. [90] [229.28] [274.48] [454.137] [774.35]
June 11
  • (to June 12) In Paris, France, the 24 Hours of Le Mans race is held. California car dealer Dana Chevrolet enters the #9 1967 Corvette coupe with 427-ci L-88 engine, driven by Dick Guldstrand, Don Yenko, and Bob Bondurant. The lone Corvette is the heaviest car in the race, and runs at 4th overall briefly. Dick Guldstrand sets a new record speed of 171.5-mph on the Mulsanne straight, 22-mph faster than the GT class-winning Ferrari. In the 17th hour, the engine fails due to weak wrist pins, ending the race for the Corvette. At the time, the car had a 3-4 lap lead in GT class. [5.100] [34] [132.13] [138.38] [202.56] [203.18] [216.52] [260.59] [263] [325.59] [325.93] [328.30] [337.65] [345.17] [400.81] [423] [580.201] [832.45] [884.77]
(month unknown)
  • Chevrolet introduces a stronger Powerglide automatic transmission for hydraulic-lifter 427-ci engines. [28.43]
  • A Chevrolet designer buys the red 1963 Corvette styling car from Semon Knudsen (or Chevrolet Engineering). [219.42]
  • Joel Rosen, founder of Motion Performance, approaches the Baldwin Chevrolet dealership to negotiate an arrangement for the Baldwin dealer to sell Motion-modified cars. (Over the next eight years, they produce many high-performance Corvettes, including ten Phase III GT Corvettes.) [299.47]
July
  • Production of 1967 model Corvettes ends. [148.48]
(month unknown)
  • Zora Arkus-Duntov arranges for the Corvette SS to be transferred from General Motors to the Hall of Fame Museum at the Indianapolis Speedway. [205.56] [271.151] (1975 [113.27])
  • Mike Golas buys Grand Sport Corvette #003. [106.8]
August
  • At the Bonneville races, Bob Hirsch races Bill Scace's 427-ci L88 Corvette with Hilborn fuel-injection to a record 192.879-mph in A Grand Touring class. Mark Dees races a 270-ci Sting Ray to 203.27-MPH. [260.59] [337.23] [345.18] [358.66] [580.201]
  • The 1968 model Corvette is shown to the press for the first time. [90]
September
  • Production of 1968 model Corvettes begins. [148.50]
  • Chevrolet formally introduces the 1968 Corvette. [229.24]
(month unknown)
  • Ralph Morrison, director of Sunray DX Oil Company's motorsports program, takes delivery of first unofficial 1968 L88 Corvette. [327.38]
  • The 198th 1968 Corvette, an International Blue convertible, is delivered to Chevrolet Styling. (The car will later emerge as the Astro-Vette show car.) [323.24]
October 13
  • David Zeigler buys a 1967 Corvette with L88 engine from Curtis Chevrolet in Washington, D.C. (Zeigler and the Corvette soon become known as The Flying Dutchman in races.) [257.24]
October 18
  • United Artists premieres the film Clambake, starring Elvis Presley, in the US. The red sports car driven by Presley's character is the 1959 Sting Ray racer. [584] [609.18] [750]
November
  • James Garner picks up three 1968 L88 Corvettes for his American International Racing team. [327.39]
  • Jerry Thompson makes a sponsorship deal with Sunray DX to race a Corvette at the Daytona 24 and Sebring 12 races. He teams with Tony DeLorenzo in Troy, Michigan, to build a race car from new 1968 L88. [851.25]
  • 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". [90]
November 26
  • At the Daytona International Speedway in Florida, the American Road Race of Champions final races of the SCCA Club Racing series are held.
    • Results of Corvette drivers for A Production class: 2nd Tony DeLorenzo, 5th Rex Ramsey, 6th Dave Morgan, 7th Bob Johnson, 8th Scott Briley, 9th J. Clark Silver.
    • Results of Corvette drivers for B Production class: 4th Kurt Reinold, 6th Phil Warder, 7th Tom Dutton, 10th Carl Simons, 12th Bob Fryer, 13th Bill Petree, 15th Frank Search, 17th Allan Barker.
    [345.18] [394.4]
(month unknown)
  • Car and Driver magazine's Readers' Choice Poll votes the 1968 Corvette "Best All-around Car In The World". [454.137] [580.231]

1968

January 1
  • Effective this day, the 1968 model Corvette with L88 engine is recognized by the FIA as a Group III touring car. [580.219]
January
  • Motor Trend magazine, in the February 1968 issue, names the 1968 Corvette Sports Car of the Year. [366.51]
(month unknown)
  • The Corvette Engineering group is reassembled, and Zora Arkus-Duntov is named Chief Engineer of the Corvette. [5.32,53,114] [90] [113.30] [229.28] [274.48] [454.137] [578.63] [716.68] [773.61] [774.37] (after February 1969 [6])
February 3
  • In Daytona, Florida, the Daytona 24 Hours race is held. James Garner's American International Racing team enters two 1968 L88 LeMans Blue Corvettes. This is the racing debut of the 1968 model Corvette.
    • Finishing 1st in GT class and 10th overall is the Sunray DX Oil #31 1967 Corvette L88 coupe, driven by Jerry Grant and Dave Morgan. The car reached a speed of 194-MPH, and spent under 60 minutes in the pit area in total.
    • Finishing 3rd in GT class and 22nd overall is the Corvette Racing Associates #28 Corvette, driven by Ed Ross and H. Craige Pelouze.
    • Finishing 4th in GT class and 25th overall is the Sunray DX Oil #29 1968 Corvette L88 convertible, driven by Peter Revson and Don Yenko.
    • Finishing 5th in GT class and 27th overall is the Sunray DX Oil #30 1968 Corvette L88 convertible, driven by Tony DeLorenzo and Jerry Thompson.
    • Finishing 29th overall is the American International Racing #44 1969 Corvette L88, driven by Dick Guldstrand, Ed Leslie, Scooter Patrick, and Dave Jordan.
    • In 35th place, but not finishing the race, is the American International Racing #45 1968 Corvette L88, driven by Scooter Patrick, Dave Jordan, and Herb Caplan. They were leading GT class at lap 260 when a cylinder head bolt killed the engine.
    [5.96] [7] [147.21] [155.30] [213.28] [235.53] [237.52] [260.46] [263] [309.24,31] [345.18] [368.86] [423] [518.195] [563.103] [580.219]
February
  • XP-880 mid-engined test Corvette is completed, with test running beginning. [580.246] [774.101]
March 23
  • In Sebring, Florida, the 12 Hours of Sebring race is held.
    • Finishing 1st in Grand Touring +5000 class, 6th overall, is the Sunray DX Oil #3 1968 Corvette L88, driven by Hap Sharp and Dave Morgan.
    • Finishing 2nd in Grand Touring +5000 class, 19th overall, is the William H. Laughlin #80 Corvette, driven by Dan Torpy and E. Dale Keenan.
    • Finishing 3rd in Grand Touring +5000 class, 27th overall, is the Slaton Chevrolet #7 Corvette, driven by Or Costanzo, William Harris, and Dave Heinz.
    • Jerry Thompson and Tony DeLorenzo race the Sunray DX Oil #4 1968 Corvette L88 in Grand Touring +5000 class. After 48 laps, the car is out due to a broken drive shaft. They place 49th overall.
    • Pedro Rodriguez and Don Yenko race the Sunray DX Oil #2 1968 Corvette L88 in Grand Touring +5000 class. After 43 laps, the car is out due to engine failure. They place 53rd overall.
    [104.151] [147.21] [205.103] [263.273] [309.24] [327.39] [345.18] [348] [423] [518.195] [580.220] [585.99] [832.47]
(month unknown)
  • Zora Arkus-Duntov and designers begin work on project XP-882, a mid-engined sports car prototype. [580.246] [774.101]
April
  • The FireFrost Blue metallic Astro II show car, with mid-mounted V-8 engine, is shown at the New York Auto Show. It was designated project XP-880 during development. [3.94,117] [5.164] [6] [42.86] [181] [196.52] [542.54] [580.246] [774.101]
  • At a meeting of the International Motor Press Association, Zora Arkus-Duntov declares the entire scheduled production of 1968 model Corvettes sold. [90]
(month unknown)
  • Jerry Thompson and Tony DeLorenzo form a new sponsorship arrangement with Owens-Corning Fiberglass. [345.18] [851.29]
May
  • Anti-theft alarm RPO UA6 is made available on the 1968 Corvette model. [338.49]
  • Larry Shinoda leaves General Motors to join Ford. [127.30] [242.26]
(month unknown)
  • The Chevrolet Styling studio completes the transformation of 1968 Corvette #198 to the Astro-Vette show car. The roadster features wrap-around plexiglas wind screen, combination roll-bar / air-foil, long nose and tail, spun aluminum disc wheels, rear wheel skirts, 3-speed automatic, pearlescent white exterior, black interior, narrow wheels, vent flaps to reduce underhood pressure, and 400-hp 427-ci L68 engine. [323.24] [542.54] [580.220]
  • Mike Golas sells his Grand Sport Corvette #003 to Allen Foster of California. [106.8] (before 1968 [322.40])
  • Gene Marquis and Wayne Wiley buy a Corvette SR-2 from an auto wrecking yard in Terre Haute, Indiana. The car was originally built for Jerry Earl in 1956. [231.32] [325.38]
  • Bob Adams and Dick Boo race Grand Sport #004 for the last time. [310.14]
  • George Wintersteen sells Grand Sport #002 to Jon Thorne for about US$5000. The engine with the car is a non-original Traco Engineering 427-ci. [310.56] [320.45] (US$6700 [534.47] [572.45]) (1967 early [580.183]) (January 1967 Roger Penske sells car to John Thorne [534.47])
  • AMT releases model kit #809 Kar-Plak of 1968 Corvette T-Top, chrome-plated. [336.20]
  • MPC releases the 1/20-scale model kit #2000 1968 Corvette T-Top, in red plastic. [335.39]
  • MPC releases model kit #568 1968 Corvette T-Top, in white plastic. [336.20]
  • MPC releases model kit #668 1968 Corvette convertible, in white plastic. [336.20]
July 14
  • In Watkins Glen, New York, the Watkins Glen Six Hour Enduro race is held. Finishing 1st in GT class and 7th overall is the Owens-Corning Fiberglass Corvette, driven by Jerry Thompson and Tony DeLorenzo. [263] [345.18] [371.101] (Robert Johnson is 1st in GT, 11th overall [423])
August
  • Production of 1968 model Corvettes ends. [148.50]
(month unknown)
  • At the long lead press preview, Zora Arkus-Duntov debuts a 1969 white Corvette convertible with ZL-1 427 engine, with an aluminum block, giving 585-hp. Price for the engine alone is US$4160. [155.73]
September
  • Production of 1969 model Corvettes begins. [148.52] [721.23]
September 28
  • In France, the 24 Hours of Le Mans race is held (postponed from June due to domestic disturbance). The Swiss racing team of Georges Filipinetti enters two 1968 Corvette L-88s.
    • The Scuderia Filipinetti #3 1968 Corvette L-88 driven by Henri Greder and Umberto Maglioli leads the GT class until blowing a head gasket around 6-7 hours into the race.
    • The #4 Corvette driven by Sylvain Garant and Jean-Michel Giorgi then leads, until crashing in the rain at around 13 hours.
    [309.24] [325.60] [423] [720.28]
(month unknown)
  • Sunray DX Oil merges with Sunoco, ending the Sunray DX Motorsports Program. [563.103]
November
  • Tony DeLorenzo orders a specially-equipped 1969 Corvette for competition racing. It is paid for by Owens Corning Fiberglas, which had hired DeLorenzo's company, Troy Promotions Inc. to race Corvettes. The car bears the code: T.P.I. 003-69. [22.28] [35.39]
November 24
  • At the Riverside International Raceway in California, the American Road Race of Champions final races of the SCCA Club Racing series are held.
    • Finishing 2nd in A Production class and 2nd overall is the #4 Corvette driven by Tony DeLorenzo.
    • Finishing 2nd in B Production class and 10th overall is the #25 Corvette driven by Jerry Thompson.
    • Finishing 3rd in B Production class and 14th overall is the #34 Corvette driven by Dick Simon.
    • Finishing 3rd in A Production class is the #3 Corvette driven by Michael Summers.
    [175.85] [345.18] [394.4]
(month unknown)
  • MPC releases the 1/20-scale model kit #3002 1968 Spitfire Corvette funny car, in white plastic. [335.39]
  • AMT releases model kit #6928 1968 Corvette T-Top, in white plastic. [336.20]
  • Car and Driver magazine readers vote the Corvette as Best All-Around Car. [580.231]

End of 1966-1968. Next: 1969.

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Last updated: 2023 December 20.
Copyright © 1995-2024 Ken Polsson (email: ken@kpolsson.com).
URL: http://kpolsson.com/vettehis/
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