Benang Gambar Special: 60 tahun dari Corv@ Chevrolet

As the iconic Chevrolet Corvette sports car enters its sixth decade, we look back at the history of the model. The Chevrolet Corvette enters its seventh generation with an all-new model next year. Here's our look at the long and varied career of this most American of performance cars.
Corvette C1 1953
The original, but not much use as a sports car. Its 150bhp straight six didnt give the car much in the way of acceleration and the two-speed auto did a good job of reducing the power further. The fibreglass body was used to cut costs, as was the 52 Chevy saloon underpinnings.
A V8 and manual transmissions sorted the performance and after a couple of years of hopeless sales, the Corvette finally became a performance icon. Engine size and outputs steadily increased with the final 1962 fuel-injected cars making 360bhp, but it was still being fed through a live rear axle suspended by leaf springs.
C2 1963
A much more modern, purpose designed car, with a bespoke chassis and suspension, rather than the C1s saloon-derived mechanicals. So at the rear was an unusual independent set up with a transverse leaf spring and a single link on each side, and the chassis was stiffer than the C1s.
But it was the astonishing styling that really set the C2 apart. Entirely modern and very striking, it earned the car the Stingray nickname, which would be associated with the brand for years.
The Z06 (the name is the option code) arrived in 63, with its uprated brakes, fibreglass fuel tank, limited-slip diff and kicked off generations of high spec, performance-oriented Corvettes.
Power and engine size increased with each yearly revision, culminating in the ultra-rare 560bhp L88 option of 1967 – just 20 C2 L88s were made, and they now command prices of around $600,000 (370,000. )
C3 1968
It started out well – the original 68 C3 was a sharply-styled thing, even if build quality was sliding as the 70s approached. But increasing emissions legislation hit power outputs and engine sizes, and a new method of measuring horsepower meant stated outputs looked even lower. GM failed to develop the technology to keep up, the Corvette became something of a shadow of its former self. In 1975 the entry-level car was rated at 165bhp, just 15bhp more than the 1953 original.
It didnt stop the car from selling well, and it was still competitive in a market where every vehicle suffered from emaciated outputs. For a while. Although GM managed to increase the power and finally reinstated fuel injection in 1982, by that year sales were down to 25,000.
C4 1984
Digital dashboards, a not-quite-powerful enough V8, aluminium suspension and finally, rack and pinion steering made the C4 a mix of much improved and a bit wobbly. Still, it doubled sales from where the C3 left off, the convertible returned in 86 and the car gained some fairly advanced tech – anti-lock brakes, electric variable rate dampers, a six-speed manual box.
The mighty ZR-1 turned the Corvette into a supercar, with a sub 5. 0sec 0-60mph time.
C5 1997
While the transverse leaf springs stayed (at the front and at the rear), the C5 introduced a transaxle to improve weight distribution and a new 345bhp 5. 7-litre V8, although it used pushrods and had just one camshaft. Like its predecessor, it was curious mix of high and old tech, so it came with a head up display from 1999.
ZO6 returned as the range-topper, and continued to offer supercar performance for real-world money, with a titanium exhaust and 405bhp.
C6 2005
Looks similar to the C5 but in fact was almost entirely new, with a new 400bhp, 400lb ft 6. 0-litre V8, new suspension (the rear still used a leaf spring, albeit made from carbonfibre), a much improved interior and plenty of straight-line shove. It was also lighter and smaller than the C5 and combined massive performance with a low price.
The 123,000 ZR-1 (the most expensive Corvette ever) upped power to an AMG-rivalling 638bhp and it could hit 62mph in 3. 9sec.
C7 2013
Due to be launched at the Detroit motor show, the C7 is rumoured to get a twin-turbo V6 (although the V8s stay, too), and it should be lighter than the C6.
Dan Stevens