The first Corvette, a convertible concept, made its debut in January 1953. Production began six months later.
The 1965 Corvette came with four-wheel disc brakes and a "big block" engine option. It included what became a common Corvette feature: retractable headlamps.
For the new generation, the Sting Ray became the Stingray. It was unofficially referred to as a "shark" model.
The 1977 Corvette offered few new options, but it did have an eight track tape player with an AM-FM stereo.
Source: How Stuff Works
The film 'Corvette Summer' — starring Mark Hamill — came out in 1978, but did not feature this 1978 Chevrolet Corvette Silver Anniversary Edition.
1979 was the best year ever for the Corvette: The 53,307 units sold are still an annual record for the car.
The fourth-generation Corvette debuted in the mid-1980s. No models were offered for sale in 1983, and only one of the 44 prototypes built remains today. Pictured is the 1984 Corvette.
1997 was the year of the fifth generation Corvette. The C5 weighed less than its predecessor, thanks to a lighter chassis, engine, and body panels.
The C6 rolled off the production line in 2005. It ditched the retractable headlamps to shave weight and improve aerodynamics.
The 2009 ZR1 was powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 that produced 628 horsepower, good for a top speed of 205 mph.
Source: Wired
The 2011 Corvette Grand Sport hinted at the look of the seventh-generation Corvette, and featured Magnetic Ride Control for improved handling.
Source: Autoweek
The last Corvette to roll off the line before the C7 was the 2013 427 Convertible, named for its the 427 cubic inch (7-liter) engine.
Source: Car And Driver
