1975 Chevrolet Corvette C3

The fiberglass-bodied Corvette got off to a rather slow start, but grew into one of the world's most popular cars and evolved into one of the most well-engineered sports cars in the world. The C1 generation introduced the sporty persona, the C2 refined the concept even further, and the C3 - introduced in 1968 - introduced new levels of comfort and performance. Based on the Mako Shark II concept car, the C3 was sleek, sporty, and an instant hit. Its success led to its long production lifespan lasting until 1982.

1975 was the last year the convertible would be made for the Corvette until 1986. This decision came about due to poor convertible sales the year prior, and new, stricter laws mandating rollover-protection. When the government threatened to enact legislation that would effectively ban fully open cars in the United States after the 1975 model year, Chevrolet dropped the convertible.

1975 was also the year Zora Arkus-Duntov, the chief engineer for the Corvette for nearly 22 years, retired on January first of that year, with David McLellan serving as his replacement.

The only optional engine available for the 1975 Corvette was the L82 350-cubic-inch L82 with a new-for-1975 Efficiency System (early fuel evaporation and outside air carburation) producing 205 horsepower. The base model was increased by $800 to $6,800. The price increase was in part due to meeting and complying with federal clean air and vehicle safety regulations.

High Energy Ignition came standard, eliminating the points and condenser. Mostly carryover from the previous year, the interiors were offered in six different colors of vinyl and five variants of leather, with dual bucket seats, large-face tachometer, and speedometer in the driver-facing binnacle, and auxiliary instruments in the center stack. The Corvette's new soft bumpers were redesigned structurally, with a foam honeycomb core placed behind the front clip, which sprouted small pads. In the back, the two-piece bumper cover of 1974 was replaced with a cleaner one-piece cover, backed by a horizontal aluminum bumper on twin hydraulic shock absorbers.

By Daniel Vaughan | Mar 2005