1961 Chevrolet Corvette C1

The Chevrolet Corvette's introduction in 1953 launched the start of a two-seater sports car that was a radical departure from the marque hitherto associated almost exclusively with sensible family transport. It was based on the 1952 EX-122 show car and made use of existing GM running gear and a shortened chassis frame, upon which Harley Earl created elegant coachwork out of fiberglass. Power was sourced from Chevrolet's 235.5 cubic-inch (3.8-liter) overhead-valve straight-six backed by an automatic transmission, features that created much adverse criticism at the time.

Performance and sales were initially sluggish and the model came close to being axles, surviving thanks to Chevrolet's need to compete with Ford's Thunderbird. Its position within the market was solidified in 1955 when it received a V8 engine and a radical restyle for 1956. A facelift followed in 1958 and it gained a quartet of chrome-trimmed headlamps and numerous other minor styling changes. With strong sales, attractive styling, and a host of performance options, changes to the Corvette in the immediately proceeding years were few.

1961 was the penultimate year for the solid-axle Corvette, and corporate literature described them as 'special equipment for sports car meets.' It continued to use the same basic body design introduced for 1958 but now simplified with reduced ornamentation and chrome, as well as a clean blacked-out grille treatment, devoid of the 'teeth' that had been apart of the Corvette since its inception in 1953. It also featured an all-new rear treatment (dubbed the 'duck-tail'), with four round lights foreshadowing the style that would soon be used on the forthcoming second-generation Corvette Sting Ray due to be launched for the 1963 model year.

This was the final year that whitewall tires were offered on the Corvette. It was also the last year for the 'coves' that were painted in contrasting colors. It would not be until 1978 before it was again possible to order a Corvette in two-tone.

General Motors had adopted the controversial and short-lived 1957 AMA (American Manufacturers' Association) ban on corporate racing, however, lead Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov and his development team continued to endow the Corvette with a growing arsenal of high-performance parts and race-proven upgrades. Using their talents and skills, Chevrolet's small-block V-8 engine made quantum leaps in reliability, sophistication, and power output. The 1961 Corvette was offered in a wide range of five available small-block V-8 engines ranging from 230 to 315 horsepower, with transmission choices including the two-speed Powerglide automatic and T-10 four-speed manual units. The copper-core radiators were replaced with aluminum versions, increasing capacity by 10 percent while reducing weight by almost half. The Corvette's handling prowess was further enhanced by new anti-roll bars. The list of performance options included the 24-gallon fuel tank (RPO 1625), of which 25 were installed in the 1961 Corvette. The heavy-duty chassis equipment package (RPO 687) added a fast-ratio steering, heavy-duty shock absorbers, and large sintered-metallic drum brakes with cooling fins, vented backing plates, and air scoops. (A total of 233 Corvettes were fitted with this option in 1961.)

Stock Corvettes were entered into the 12-hour Sebring race by a Dallas Texas Chevrolet dealer named Delmo Johnson. Johnson and his co-driver Dale Morgan finished 11th. This was the best placing for a stock Corvette to date. In 1960, Briggs Cunningham had entered eight Corvettes in that year's Le Mans 24-Hour race, with the car driven by Fitch/Grossman winning the over-4,000cc GT class on its way to 8th overall. Corvette sales improved significantly, ensuring the car's survival and enabling it to go on to become the world's best-selling and longest-lived sports car.

During the 1961 production run, 10,939 Corvettes were produced. The base price was $3,934, with half of the buyers buying the removable top option. 1,462 examples were fitted with the 283 cubic-inch, 315-horsepower engine.