conceptcarz.com

1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2

Making its debut at the 1953 GM Motorama Show as a concept car, no one imagined the little Corvette, named after a class of Navy battleships, would enter production or be successful. The Corvette, however, caused such a stir that GM decided to put it into production. Introduced as an American sports car, the first Corvette rolled off the assembly line with only minor changes from its show car design. Given that it was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body, getting production up and running was no small task. There were 300 units sold in its inaugural year, and despite its ups and downs over the years, it has survived and is now recognized around the world as the standard of excellence in the world of performance cars.

1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 photo
Fastback Coupe
The second generation of the Corvette, known as the Stingray (C2), was produced from 1963 to 1967. The design was courtesy of Larry Shinoda under the guidance of the legendary Bill Mitchell. Design inspiration is said to include the Jaguar E-Type, a Mako shark, the 'Q Corvette' concept car of 1957 and the 'Mitchell Sting Ray'. By the autumn of 1959 elements of the two unique Corvettes had been built into XP-720, the design program that led to the production of the Sting Ray.

Compared to the original C1 Corvette generation, the C2 Corvette received a much stiffer chassis with independent rear suspension that offered vast handling improvements over its solid axle predecessor. The engineering of this platform validated itself by the fact that it continued, almost untouched, until the 1983 Corvette model year.

The Corvette of the 1960s had adroit handling, was easy to drive fast, and manageable for everyday use. The list of available V8s grew even larger and the options list grew even hotter, with the Corvette taking on an element of a muscle car.

1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 photo
Fastback Coupe
Chassis #: 194376S110167
View info and history
To test, perfect, and showcase the new Corvette, many enterprising road racers like Dick Guldstrand, Bob Bondurant, Allen Grant, and Davy MacDonald had them on the track before they even appeared in the show rooms of the nation. Doug Hooper, in the new Corvette's maiden voyage, won at the Riverside Times Grand Prix. One of the more colorful drivers was Dave MacDonald, whose spectacular sideways driving style in his X06 Corvette compensated for the car's racing inadequate drum brakes – not upgraded by GM until the 1965 model year. By the mid-'60's Corvettes, powered by the immortal 327 Chevrolet V8, were regular national winners in the Sports Car Club of America's B Production Class.

1966 Chevy Corvette
The 1966 Corvette was powered by an overhead valve V8 engine displacing 327 cubic-inches and offering 300 horsepower and 360 ft-lbs of torque. An optional 327 with an 11.00:1 compression ratio, high-lift camshaft, and a Holley four-barrel carburetor added an additional 50 horsepower. A 427 CID V8 was also available, with 390 - 425 horsepower depending on the configuration. A three-speed manual all-synchromesh transmission was standard. An automatic or four-speed manual was optional.

Changes to the 1966 Corvette were minimal over the prior year. In the front, the grille was slightly updated with a plated, cast-metal grille. There were chrome-plated exhaust bezels, spoke-style wheel covers, ribbed rocker panel moldings, and the removal of roof vents. Corvettes fitted with the 427 CID engine had a power-bulge hood.

1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 photo
Convertible
Chassis #: 194676S118762
View info and history
Auction entries : 1
Bodystyles included the fastback coupe and the convertible. A total of 9,958 examples of the fastback coupe were built and had a base price of nearly $4,300. The convertibles, selling for just over $4,000, saw production reach 17,762 examples.


by Daniel Vaughan | Apr 2019

Related Reading : Chevrolet Corvette C2 History

In 1953 the Corvette was debuted at the Motorama display at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. It was conceived by Harley J. Earl. It was a two seat convertible built by GM aimed at capturing the small car market from manufacturers like Jaguar and MG. All 1953 Corvettes were convertibles with black canvas tops, Polo white with red interiors, and built by hand. Power came from an existing....
Continue Reading >>

Related Reading : Chevrolet Corvette History

Very few vehicles elicit the same kind of satisfaction as the Chevrolet Corvette. The Vette is a symbol of childhood dreams and grown-up triumph. The only true American Sports car, this car stands for excellence and became an icon as a high-performance and dynamic sports vehicle. First introduced in January of 1953, the Corvette has only become more renowned as the years drift by. Undergoing many....
Continue Reading >>

Chevrolet Corvette Roars Into Its 60th Year

On June 30, 1953, the first of a new kind of Chevrolet – indeed, a new kind of American car – rolled off an assembly line in Flint, Mich. The car had only two seats. There were no roll-up windows, or exterior door handles, for that matter. Its body wasnt stamped from steel but, rather, molded from reinforced fiberglass. While the postwar Baby Boom was in full swing, this was definitely not....
Continue Reading >>

Corvette's Chassis Innovations Refined on the Race Track

Its been said that racing improves the breed, and when it comes to the Chevrolet Corvette, nearly six decades of checkered flags are the proof. As Corvette marks its 60th anniversary in 2013, the design of the chassis, suspension and other drivetrain features are rooted in the rigors of competition. Candidly, Corvette was not a high-performance car until Zora Arkus-Duntov fitted it with a V-8,....
Continue Reading >>

Chevrolet puts a groove into your ride

Hot summer day… roof top down… wind in your hair … smile in your face… and Little Red Corvette cranked up to its loudest setting. Theres nothing like music in the car to make a journey really fly by. But, did you know that, aside from Princes classic hit, more than 600 songs across all genres and multiple generations mention Chevrolet, Chevy or the name of a Chevrolet vehicle in their....
Continue Reading >>

1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Vehicle Profiles

Recent Vehicle Additions

Performance and Specification Comparison

Price Comparison

1966 Corvette C2
$4,290-$31,400
1966 Chevrolet Corvette C2 Price Range: $4,080 - $4,290

Compare: Lower | Higher | Similar

Other 1966 Chevrolet Models
$2,480 - $2,950

Corvette C2

Specification Comparison by Year

Year
Production
Wheelbase
Engine
Prices
21,513
98.00 in.
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 326.72 CID., 304.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 340.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 360.00hp
$4,035 - $4,250
98.00 in.
8 cyl., 377.00 CID., 616.00hp
98.00 in.
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 300.00hp
98.00 in.
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 365.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 375.00hp
$4,040 - $4,250
23,564
98.00 in.
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 250.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 350.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 365.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 375.00hp
8 cyl., 396.00 CID., 425.00hp
$2,947 - $3,210
27,720
98.00 in.
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 350.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 390.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 425.00hp
$4,080 - $4,290
22,940
98.00 in.
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 300.00hp
8 cyl., 327.00 CID., 350.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 390.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 400.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 435.00hp
8 cyl., 427.00 CID., 560.00hp
$4,141 - $4,353

Related Automotive News

Gooding & Company Presents the Best of American Motoring, from Brass Era Legends to Postwar Sports Cars, at Its Pebble Beach Auctions

Gooding & Company Presents the Best of American Motoring, from Brass Era Legends to Postwar Sports Cars, at Its Pebble Beach Auctions

An incredible 1912 Simplex 50 HP Toy Tonneau, offered for sale from 111 years of single family ownership, will come to market for the first time, alongside motoring icons from the greatest eras of American automotive history. The official auction...
Iconic Ex-Briggs Cunningham Corvette Le Mans Headed to Amelia Island Auction

Iconic Ex-Briggs Cunningham Corvette Le Mans Headed to Amelia Island Auction

ICONIC EX-BRIGGS CUNNINGHAM 1960 CHEVROLET CORVETTE LE MANS RACE CAR LEADS A LINEUP OF BANNER SPORTS AND RACING CARS FOR THE AMELIA ISLAND AUCTION MORE THAN 80 OUTSTANDING MOTORS CARS SET FOR THE 22 MAY AUCTION RM Sothebys announces exci...
Corvette Grand Sport's Racing Legacy On and Off the Track

Corvette Grand Sport's Racing Legacy On and Off the Track

1960 – Urged by Zora Arkus-Duntov, Corvettes first chief engineer, racer Briggs Cunningham entered three mostly stock Corvettes in the 24 Hours of Le Mans – each powered by the innovative 283 Fuelie mechanically fuel-injected small block V8...

RRDC VOTES IN 37 NEW MEMBERS FOR 2013

HILLIARD, Ohio (Nov. 7, 2013) - Thirty-seven race-car drivers and motorsports professionals have been voted into the Road Racing Drivers Club in 2013. The group includes 13 Regular Members from the open-wheel and sports-car racing ranks, 20 Associate...
1967 Can-Am Road America: The Beginning of the 'Bruce and Denny Show'

1967 Can-Am Road America: The Beginning of the 'Bruce and Denny Show'

While Formula One will be forever considered the pinnacle of motorsport, from a period between 1966 and 1986 there existed a series that would likely be the closest to anything goes as any motor racing series could truly get. Based upon the FIA Group...