June 30, 2024 • 28 mins
On this day in automotive history, the first production Corvette was built on June 30, 1953 in Flint, Michigan. Today we discuss the history and evolution "America's Sports Car", and its early relationship and competition with the Ford Thunderbird.
With Special Guest Brian Corey from automotivehistory.org
“Fuel for the Future” is presented by State Farm Insurance, Driven By America’s Automotive Trust, and hosted by Michael May.
https://www.americasautomotivetrust.org/
Produced by Convergent Content, LLC
Theme Music by Matt Glass
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:02):
We're looking at June 30th, 1953,
when the very first production ChevroletCorvette came off the assembly line.
This is an iconic day,obviously, for so many reasons,
leading us to where we are todaywith the Corvette
as this essentiallyan American supercar, right?
But how did we get there?
(00:22):
It's a long story.
We're again joined today by Brian Corey
from Automotive History Dot.
Today we learned about the historyof the Corvette
and its fascinating relationshipwith the Ford Thunderbird.
Fuel forthe future is presented by State Farm
Insurance and driven by America'sAutomotive Trust.
(00:44):
I'm Michael Legge. The.
I'm not saying this just to kind of,like, build you up a little bit, Brian,
but there's been at least 2or 3 conversations
I've had over the last few monthswhere someone's like,
oh, you know,and I go in like, automotive history.
Morgan, I have to read that stuff.
I'm flattered.
Yeah.
(01:04):
Yeah. Yeah, it's very, very true.
I forgot to tell you about that, but.Yeah. So.
So the Corvette to me is America'ssports car.
So tell us about that. Yeah.
So World War Two has essentiallyjust come to an end.
And all these servicemenhad been stationed in Europe,
and they've been driving MGS and triumphsand all these incredible
(01:28):
European sports cars.
And there's nothing like thatcoming out of America at the time.
And so some of these guys are bringingthese cars home with them,
wanting to replicate that feelingor maintain that feeling of,
you know, the open roadroadsters and performance.
You know, this is at a time when mostAmerican cars are big sedans or, or,
(01:49):
you know,
luxury cars and just land yachts upthe air.
right. Yeah.
So Chevrolet,along with a few smaller automakers,
but primarily Chevrolet recognizes
there's this gap in the market.
And so they go to work to to fill it.
And primarily led by Harley Earl,
(02:10):
who was the head of design at the time.
and what they come up withis the Corvette,
it initially debuts at the Waldorf AstoriaHotel
in January 1953as a fiberglass sports car.
It's among a number of other prototypesthat GM has built at the time.
(02:31):
You know, they would do the motor dramasthat these dream vehicles, right?
Yeah.
But the Corvette had suchan incredible response that they decided
to rush it into production.
They thought that they hada big winner on their hands.
They didn't,
which is really interesting.
I think a lot of people just think like,oh, that the Corvette came out
(02:51):
and it was this golden ticketfor Chevy for the next,
you know, 70 years at this pointor whatever it is.
But it was a long, long time coming.
so that brings us to,you know, June 30th, 1953,
Chevy had essentially transformedan old warehouse into a production
line in Flint, and we're hand
(03:12):
building these corvettes one at a time.
Everyone was exactly the same,
featuring a white,
a polo white exterior,
a blue flame six cylinder engine,a black top, and a red interior.
Everyone looked exactly the same.
I think the interesting note here is thatit had just that six cylinder engine.
(03:33):
Chevy didn't have a, a V8, a really power.
That's whatI was about to ask you about. Yeah. Yeah.
So the first one comes up the line,the first few,
of course,they're like gifted to executives. And,
a few of them go back to its,
engineers to work out any kinks.
And interestingly, I just write a story.
I am not super well versed on it,
(03:54):
but it sounds like they've just uncoveredthe very first production one,
which everybody thoughthad been previously crushed,
after being a test mule. So.
Oh, wow.
It'll be interestingto see what comes out of that story.
apparently it'sgoing through authentication
and possibly restoration,but it was sitting in some shop.
Yeah, yeah, that's right up my alley.
(04:15):
I can't believeI haven't come across that yet.
I'm so glad you put me on to that story.
Yeah. Check it out.
It, I think it's just
within the last monthor so that this is all kind of come about.
Anyway, 300 corvettes come off the line.
Yeah, for thatfirst year in total, and only,
I think less than 200 of them are sold.
(04:37):
And the rest of them kind of just siton dealership lots going into 1954.
Chevy still thinking it has a winner
on its hands, hopesto build about 10,000 for 1954.
And they moved productionto a bigger facility.
And I think in Saint Louis.
And they still can'tget these things to sell,
(04:59):
but they are kind of giving a kick
in the rearwhen they find out that Ford is coming up
or is going to be releasing a competitor,so to speak, in the Ford Thunderbird,
the Thunderbird comes out in late
1954 for the 1955 model year.
In that very first year, it has itit has, yeah.
(05:22):
The Ford Thunderbird has a V8which the Chevrolet Corvette has not.
Yeah.
And it's also available
with a manual transmission,which the Chevrolet did not at the time.
And you can get it in
a multitude of colorsin a variety of options.
When the Chevy, you know, was prettylimited on what it could be had.
(05:43):
And, I think in 54 they actuallyhad a few more color options.
I think there's blue, blackand red to go along with the white stuff.
So that was that was all you could.
Yeah.
Select from in terms of optionswith the Corvette.
But really it was 1955.
That'skind of the turning point for Chevy,
because there was talk of thembacking out of the sports car market.
(06:05):
They were not having any sort of success.
They only sold 3500 cars in 54.
so when the Thunderbird comes out,
they know that they needto remain in production
to not let Ford capitalize on the marketas a sole entry, so to speak.
Correct? Yeah.
So what they do is
(06:27):
give it a V8.
Finally,
it seems so simplewhen you're building a sports car, but
right again, with high hopes, ideallyselling 10,000 of these in 1955,
Chevy only builds and sells700 corvettes in 1955,
compared to the Thunderbirdselling more than 16,000.
(06:48):
So wow.
Yeah, it was
tragic,so to speak, for the Corvette team.
But it was also that motivationthat they needed to
improve and enhance their sports car.
So by 1956, the Corvette has its VA.
It's putting out about 210 horsepower.
(07:10):
at the same time, the Thunderbird,it's got a 312 that makes about 215.
So they're really kind of on par
with each otherin terms of horsepower and performance.
But still, the Thunderbird is outsellingthe Corvette, like,
by big numbers.
right.
It's interesting to see the development
(07:30):
kind of happenso quickly as the GM engineers
tried to keep up or triedto, like, reinvent their own,
you know, devices to, reinvent the wheel,so to speak, to, to keep up.
But it really so in 1957,everything kind of changes.
the Thunderbirdgoes on to sell 21,000 units that year.
(07:51):
Chevy breaks the 6000 mark.
Maybe
still like they're there, doesn'tthey can't do it.
But Fordmiraculously pulls out of the game,
deciding that the Thunderbird nameplatecould be used on a bigger, better car.
And for 1958, it becomes this Forsey car.
(08:11):
It gets two extra feet in length,
and they leave Chevy alonein the American sports car market.
which probably saved the brand,or saved the, the model.
It did.
That's amazing, because I,you know, being from the generation
I'm from, and I didn't grow upin this time period, my first image
(08:35):
of someone mentions a Thunderbirdis it's more of that personal luxury car.
It is not a sports car
right now, obviously, I know a little bitabout the history of it, so I,
I know that it hasn't always been viewedand that that manner,
but I never thought about the connectivetissue between the two of these,
between the Thunderbird and the Corvetteand how they played off of each other,
(08:56):
and also how the Corvette may havehave lived in, survived and won the war,
so to speak, when the Thunderbird startedmaking these shifts.
It's an interesting idea to methat I think it was like
Robert McNamara at Ford, who is one of,you know, they call them the Whiz Kids.
All these, like, engineers out of the Armycame to Ford right after the war
to identify problems in manufacturingand design and all of these things.
(09:20):
And McNamara was one of thethe leaders of that group.
He'd actually go on to become the firstpresident of Ford outside the Ford family.
Ford family? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
and anyway, he's the
one that kind of pushedfor the Thunderbird to to grow.
See, believing that the nameplatewas more valuable on a,
(09:40):
you know, family luxury car,so to speak, like you're saying.
And that's what it was marketedat when it came out in 1955, was
it wasn't a sports car.It was a personal luxury car.
That's a great point to me.
But it was also a great move for Fordbecause the Thunderbird did go
at tripled sales between, you know,from 1955 to 1977, that first generation,
(10:01):
that the next generationover the next three years double
I think they're tripled the sales numbers.
So it worked.
Yeah.
And sorry, I'm gonna go on a slighttangent here, but it's just because I,
I love this caror at least a thought behind it.
But the Thunderbird itself.
And please correct meif I'm wrong, if you're even aware of.
But in the development,when they were trying to figure out
some sort of car to come up with,I think they the Ford Vega,
(10:24):
the concept car was somehowtied in the history of the Thunderbird,
and I don't know that storywell enough to fully connect it,
but I think it's somewherein there of like, what are we going to do?
What are the concepts, how are we going?
We want a sports car.
And then it kind of shiftsto personal luxury.
But the Ford Vega isan interesting car to me because I always
thought it looked like a Jaguar XK 120,
(10:46):
or very similar to it in design and style.
So it had this European flair to it,but it's just an interesting sort of side
topic to the history of,Ford at the time when they're,
they're experimenting and playing aroundwith the market as companies do.
I mean, I believe it.
Yeah.
The that era of concept cars is so coolto me, as you know, the GM motor dramas
(11:11):
and all the vehicles thatthey were coming out with at the time,
truly innovative really.
I mean, this is the jet age, but but thoseEuropean lines, I mean, they don't lie.
People are in love with the Mercedes300 SL at the time.
Yeah.
And these Jaguars were coming out andand really that first year that the Chevy
wasn't competingwith the Thunderbird in 1958,
(11:33):
a lot of people saythat the front end of the 1958
Corvette is reminiscent of the 300 SL,and so they they were borrowing lines.
Oh, of course,of course they were from. Yes.
Yeah, 100%.
You can see it in all those models. Yeah.
And by the way, I did just double checkthat it is the Ford Vega
I was thinking about.
I was like,oh no, I hope I didn't come up with the
(11:53):
say the wrong name to the caris the Ford Vega.
Yeah.
It's funny how these names too,like Chevy made the Vega later.
So the Ford came out with. Yeah.
And there was the Chevy Vegaand also the Corvette was Project Opel.
When? Before it was the Corvette.
And then when the Opel GT came out.
A lot of people refer to itas the baby Corvette.
(12:13):
So. Yeah, exactly.
so not too sorry about my tangent there.
I just, I love kind of stuff.
So so the Corvette starts to succeedkind of take on that market.
What kind of what happens from there on.
Right.
So 1958 really is the first yearthat it's on its own.
They've the engineers dialed inwhat it's supposed to be.
(12:34):
It finally can claimthat moniker of America's sports car,
kind of because it's the only one.
So I don't know exactly when that was.
That term was actually coined.
But we start to get that feeling hereand it starts to become the symbol of,
you know, the open road and freedom and,you know, touring and, and knowing
(12:58):
or you see the engineers, buildingoff the success of what this car can be.
You know,a lot of this does have to do with,
with the development of Chevy'ssmall block engine,
you know, 1958, it gets the 327for the first time, I think.
Don't call me on that.
But in that
generation, in that, in that lateC1 generation.
Yeah.
You know, it's it's pushing 300 horsepower
(13:19):
and the design is is
more reminiscentof those European sports cars
that it was originally supposedto replicate.
Right.
Meanwhile,so the Corvette or the Thunderbird
is growing, it's becoming this luxury car.
Chevy goes the opposite directionand it's pushes
(13:39):
the Corvette into a box as this
like powerhouse of a of a vehicle.
And that leads us into the secondgeneration, the C2,
which debuts in 1963with the iconic split window Corvette.
Yeah, yeah.
Right.
And it's a one yearmodel designed by Bill Mitchell,
(14:01):
who also did a number of vehicles for GM.
I think he was really involvedwith like the Tri five Chevy's and the,
oh gosh, the Buick
Riviera, which was kind of similar in 1963to the Corvette,
in terms of looks with that,like kind of long boat tail ish.
Right?
Right.
(14:22):
So we also see, for the first timethey use, pop up headlights,
which becomes an iconic mark for,for the Corvette for the next 50 years.
and then when the C3,the third generation, is introduced
in 1968, it's interestingto see where the Thunderbird has gone.
So in 1968, the C3 Corvette comes out.
(14:42):
We see the use of LT1 0107.
All these variationsthat are still kind of used today.
And meanwhile, or in the fifth generationof the Thunderbird
and it's kind of self competingbecause Ford has recently released
the Mustang and the Cougarand the Thunderbird has morphed,
you know, between being like a four doorluxury sedan and a two door convertible.
(15:06):
And yes, so Ford's trying to figure outhow to not compete with itself.
And so it makes the Thunderbird availablein two options in 1968, either
as a two door hardtop or you can have it
as a four door sedan with rear suicidedoors, which is really interesting.
It's kind of reminiscentof the Lincoln Continental of the air.
Yeah. Okay. Okay.
(15:28):
Seeing what they do with the Thunderbirdthroughout its lifetime is so unique
because they justare locked into this nameplate,
but they use the car for whateverthey need it to be exact.
It feels so many gaps for to line up.
Anyway,
going back to the Corvette,the C3 generation
lasts until 1982,
(15:50):
which is a long runfor any generation of a vehicle.
In 1968 to 1982.
Interestingly, that last year of the C3,
there'sno manual transmission offered, and
they are trying to, you know, re,
retool the factory for the C4,
(16:10):
but they're running into all sortsof quality control issues, so to speak,
and they only produce,I think, around 40 prototypes
for, for the C4 that came out in 1983.
And all of thoseeither end up being crushed or,
reinvented as 1984 models, except for one.
(16:34):
So Chevrolet has been producingthe Corvette continuously
since 1953 until 1983, when it's supposedto be its 30th anniversary.
And they end up with just one Corvettefor that,
the 1983 model model year,which is so interesting to me.
and that car is actually on
(16:54):
display at the National Corvette Museumin Bowling Green.
So the C4 comes out 1983.
And to be honest,
this is the generation of Corvettethat personally I want to own,
primarily because it's the only generationI can probably afford.
Yeah, it remains, the most,
(17:17):
affordable collector or affordableused Corvette option, I think.
Yes, but we are starting to see pricesrise of that generation, too.
And I think that just, you know,speaks to,
you know, my generationbeing in my mid 30s,
having disposableincome for the first time perhaps.
Yeah. Yeah.
And wanting to buy those cars that. Yeah.
(17:37):
You know, grew up with. Yeah.
So also with the C4,it's the first time that they've
completely redesigned the carin more than 20 years.
It's all, you know, up to this.
It's been based off that Stingray coupethat was released in 63, 1984.
It's much more aerodynamic.
And it has this,like kind of ultra modern feel inside.
(18:00):
We're starting to see digital dashesand all these things of the era
that are kind of,you know, iconic to 1980s cards.
You see those green computer screen,
gauges.
It's it's a really interesting look.
And it does Corvette.
Well, for the time,
you know, unfortunately,the 80s are not super exciting for
the automotive marketplace in general dueto emissions and safety regulations.
(18:24):
But in my mind,I think that they did pretty well
with the Corvettefor what it could be, the C4.
It lasts from 1984 to 1996,with that last year
seeing the grand Sport,which was a limited edition,
Corvette,I think they only felt like a thousand,
but it was in videogames like GranTurismo. Yes.
(18:46):
You know, probably you probably seen itblue with the white stripes
and yeah, super high performanceversion of the car.
But so at the end of the C4 run in 1986,
the Ford Thunderbird is now in its 10thgeneration.
It's returned to coupe form
and Ford has slated it to be killed off.
(19:08):
They finally decide we're donewith the Thunderbird after 40 years of.
Yeah, 40 years of production.
and so again, why not that the Corvette
and the Thunderbird were competingat this time, but again, at least Corvette
on its ownin terms of these iconic nameplates,
however,the Thunderbird story is not over there.
(19:30):
The C5 Corvette comes out in 1987
again, all new designnow has a top speed of 176mph.
Features Chevy's brand new LS1 engine.
Yeah, let's swap everything right.
Yeah, well, wow.
the C5 was kind of the birth of that.
In the midst of the C5 run in 2002,
(19:52):
Ford again brings back the Thunderbirdafter a five year hiatus.
and this is that Neo-Classical
retro versionthat, yes, many people are familiar with.
Oh, yeah.It looks just like the first generation,
but it
by no means is designed to competewith the Corvette again at this point.
Yeah,
I think that's
(20:14):
it was almost certainly designedto attract
the original buyersof that first generation.
We're talking about baby boomers,
but these people are in their late60s, 70s, 80s.
At this point. You know,
but it's based on the,
the Lincoln LS and the Jaguar Aztekas Ford at the time owned Jaguar.
And so it has a pretty potentV8 making 252
(20:35):
horsepower, but it's attachedto an automatic transmission,
and it's really returned to its rootsas kind of this personal luxury car.
which is interesting to see.
Yeah.
So of course, it doesn't
sell as well as Ford hopes,and it only lasts
until 2005 with about 30,000 unitsproduced over that time.
(20:57):
And they killed off again.
It's interesting to think,
given that they brought itback, is this neoclassical model.
Where did Ford expectto go with the Thunderbird?
What was it supposed to be?
You know,it's a it's a really good question.
A very good question that I definitelydon't have an answer to myself.
(21:18):
I have heard rumors that there's
if Ford was to return to the carmarketplace
that the Thunderbird nameplateis is one of those
selections on the table.
And I would believe more than likelyit would end up being some sort of EV.
That is a good theory.
Yeah, it makes sense. yeah. Thunder.
(21:40):
I think there's some electric,there's some electricity in there.
And also with the lightning,the Ford F-150 lightning,
you'd have the Thunderbird.Thunder and lightning.
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah,there's something there. Ford.
If you're listening,Brian is available to, work for you.
Yeah.
But back to our lineage of the Corvette.
(22:01):
So the C6 introduced in 2005,that last year, the Thunderbird.
And this is really moreof an evolution of the C5.
It has a new,
longer wheelbase,a more luxurious interior.
But the biggest note for this generationis that the pop up
headlightsgo away for the first time since 1963.
This, of course, dueto safety regulations, but it's quite
(22:24):
unfortunate in the eyes of many,many Corvette enthusiasts.
so this lasts until 2013when the C7 comes out in the C7.
Of course, being the last of the frontengined rear wheel drive corvettes
and at this time Chevy was already
playing around with the ideaof a rear mid-engine Corvette.
But their biggest problem at the timewas finances.
(22:45):
It was going to be too expensiveto redevelop it into that,
for based on where GM was at the time.
Their other issue was that Corvette by now
had gained this reputationas an old man's car.
Yes. Right.
I think something like 80% of buyerswere over 60 years old.
(23:07):
And this is not what Chevroletever intended for the Corvette.
But here we are. So they tried to do a few
promotions to attract younger buyersat its peak,
including limited editionpaint jobs that were could also be had.
And you know video games like GranTurismo
and things like that.
(23:27):
Didn't work.
I don't know exactly.
I still think that, Corvette at this time
is more of a, retirement present than a,
quarterly bonus.
I mean, it's interesting because I,you know, the used Corvette Marketplace.
I think a lot of people in their 40s, 30s,you know, 20s are much more interested
(23:48):
in buying them because they remainrelatively affordable for what they are.
I mean, these are powerful, funto drive, exciting cars.
they're just a little,
I'll just leave it at that.
Yeah, sure. Perfect.
But then we hit
2020 and the release of the C8 Corvette,which kind of changes everything.
(24:08):
It's been redeveloped as that rearmid-engine car.
Finally, it gets a new,
host of engines and,
powertrain options that kind of make itmore attractive to a wider audience base.
And it's the supercarthat can be had for sub $70,000.
Exactly. Yes.
(24:29):
At least on paper, you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,you can always get a factor in that.
right now.
Now GM is listening.
They're outside your home right nowwith sniper rifles.
or or you know, presence.
It kind of depends on what you say.
But what are your thoughtson the mid-engine?
(24:51):
I applaud them for doing it.
Honestly, I think that it was a long timecoming at it.
You know, I'm not a majorCorvette enthusiast by any means.
I've driven a few different generations.
I think I've been behind the wheelof the C4 and something in the early 2000,
I don't remember exactly.
And I've driven a C8 Corvette,and it's unreal.
(25:13):
It truly is like it'sthis incredible street performer.
You can drive it in traffic,you can drive it on the track.
It's comfortable, it's fun.
It's it looks amazing to me, honestly.
And I know that there's a lot of removedfrom from true Corvette people
about what it is.
But I think it worked because
I see more of these corvettes on the roadthan anything else I do too.
(25:36):
I think it worked for them.
I don't know the stats on salesor anything.
I haven't looked into that.
But it like you just said, I see.
I see a lot of them, right?
I too have driven itand I absolutely loved it.
And yeah, so it's an interesting changeand I do applaud them
for trying to do something differentthat kind of goes against that classic
(25:57):
mold, of the Corvette.
True.
I mean, that's just the evolution of carsin general, right?
You have to you have to try something newif you want to be successful.
And with the Corvette, like,could they have survived?
Could the nameplate survived in its,original form?
I think so, yeah.
(26:18):
would it have been as exciting?
Would it have got the kind of,
you know,
would have had the same reachthat it would have if it didn't transform?
I don't I don't think so.
I think it would have remainedmore of that, you know, successful
old guy Corvette, you know,
but being this mid-engine
(26:38):
variation,it attracts a different kind of buyer.
It competes more. I mean, it's
it's got the same sort of setupas a Lamborghini or Ferrari.
I mean, granted,
it probably doesn't perform quitethe same, but it's along the same lines
and it has the same kind of look,but it's a quarter of the cost, you know.
Right, right.
(26:59):
or less even depending on the model.
And so it really puts performancein the hands of the people.
And I think they did a good job with that.
And I think it's always done that.
That's one of the funaspects of the history of the Corvette is
it does allow the people, quote unquote,
access to a sports car like that.
(27:20):
And that's always been one of the fun, funthings about it in my mind.
well, thank you, Brian.
I never I honestly had never thoughtabout the connective
tissue between the Thunderbirdand the Corvette like this before.
And I think it's really fascinating,especially early on.
And what had happened to the Thunderbird
and how it may have relatedto the success of the Corvette.
(27:41):
I truly think it did.
I truly think that the Corvettewould not exist,
or at least be what it iswithout Ford unveiling the Thunderbird.
That's amazing.
is there anything else?
No. I will only say I.
I have driven a 1955 FordThunderbird, too, and comparing that
to a C8 Corvette, to be honest,I'd still rather have the Thunderbird.
(28:04):
I guess that just speaks to who I am.
Yeah, yeah. Well,thank you so much, Brian.
I really enjoy these, this dayand automotive history.
People can definitely check outautomotive history.org.
Is there anything elseyou want to drive people to?
You can check us out there.
And we also are doing, the Drive
History podcastthat you can find on Spotify,
(28:26):
Apple, all the regular platformsand all the places.
Just follow alongand be sure to drive history every day.
Thank you for listening to fuelfor the future, presented by State Farm
Insurance and driven by America'sAutomotive Trust.
Listen and subscribe to support the show
and visit America's AutomotiveTrust Dawg for more information.
We're looking at June 30th, 1953,
when the very first production ChevroletCorvette came off the assembly line.
This is an iconic day,obviously, for so many reasons,
leading us to where we are todaywith the Corvette
as this essentiallyan American supercar, right?
But how did we get there?
(00:22):
It's a long story.
We're again joined today by Brian Corey
from Automotive History Dot.
Today we learned about the historyof the Corvette
and its fascinating relationshipwith the Ford Thunderbird.
Fuel forthe future is presented by State Farm
Insurance and driven by America'sAutomotive Trust.
(00:44):
I'm Michael Legge. The.
I'm not saying this just to kind of,like, build you up a little bit, Brian,
but there's been at least 2or 3 conversations
I've had over the last few monthswhere someone's like,
oh, you know,and I go in like, automotive history.
Morgan, I have to read that stuff.
I'm flattered.
Yeah.
(01:04):
Yeah. Yeah, it's very, very true.
I forgot to tell you about that, but.Yeah. So.
So the Corvette to me is America'ssports car.
So tell us about that. Yeah.
So World War Two has essentiallyjust come to an end.
And all these servicemenhad been stationed in Europe,
and they've been driving MGS and triumphsand all these incredible
(01:28):
European sports cars.
And there's nothing like thatcoming out of America at the time.
And so some of these guys are bringingthese cars home with them,
wanting to replicate that feelingor maintain that feeling of,
you know, the open roadroadsters and performance.
You know, this is at a time when mostAmerican cars are big sedans or, or,
(01:49):
you know,
luxury cars and just land yachts upthe air.
right. Yeah.
So Chevrolet,along with a few smaller automakers,
but primarily Chevrolet recognizes
there's this gap in the market.
And so they go to work to to fill it.
And primarily led by Harley Earl,
(02:10):
who was the head of design at the time.
and what they come up withis the Corvette,
it initially debuts at the Waldorf AstoriaHotel
in January 1953as a fiberglass sports car.
It's among a number of other prototypesthat GM has built at the time.
(02:31):
You know, they would do the motor dramasthat these dream vehicles, right?
Yeah.
But the Corvette had suchan incredible response that they decided
to rush it into production.
They thought that they hada big winner on their hands.
They didn't,
which is really interesting.
I think a lot of people just think like,oh, that the Corvette came out
(02:51):
and it was this golden ticketfor Chevy for the next,
you know, 70 years at this pointor whatever it is.
But it was a long, long time coming.
so that brings us to,you know, June 30th, 1953,
Chevy had essentially transformedan old warehouse into a production
line in Flint, and we're hand
(03:12):
building these corvettes one at a time.
Everyone was exactly the same,
featuring a white,
a polo white exterior,
a blue flame six cylinder engine,a black top, and a red interior.
Everyone looked exactly the same.
I think the interesting note here is thatit had just that six cylinder engine.
(03:33):
Chevy didn't have a, a V8, a really power.
That's whatI was about to ask you about. Yeah. Yeah.
So the first one comes up the line,the first few,
of course,they're like gifted to executives. And,
a few of them go back to its,
engineers to work out any kinks.
And interestingly, I just write a story.
I am not super well versed on it,
(03:54):
but it sounds like they've just uncoveredthe very first production one,
which everybody thoughthad been previously crushed,
after being a test mule. So.
Oh, wow.
It'll be interestingto see what comes out of that story.
apparently it'sgoing through authentication
and possibly restoration,but it was sitting in some shop.
Yeah, yeah, that's right up my alley.
(04:15):
I can't believeI haven't come across that yet.
I'm so glad you put me on to that story.
Yeah. Check it out.
It, I think it's just
within the last monthor so that this is all kind of come about.
Anyway, 300 corvettes come off the line.
Yeah, for thatfirst year in total, and only,
I think less than 200 of them are sold.
(04:37):
And the rest of them kind of just siton dealership lots going into 1954.
Chevy still thinking it has a winner
on its hands, hopesto build about 10,000 for 1954.
And they moved productionto a bigger facility.
And I think in Saint Louis.
And they still can'tget these things to sell,
(04:59):
but they are kind of giving a kick
in the rearwhen they find out that Ford is coming up
or is going to be releasing a competitor,so to speak, in the Ford Thunderbird,
the Thunderbird comes out in late
1954 for the 1955 model year.
In that very first year, it has itit has, yeah.
(05:22):
The Ford Thunderbird has a V8which the Chevrolet Corvette has not.
Yeah.
And it's also available
with a manual transmission,which the Chevrolet did not at the time.
And you can get it in
a multitude of colorsin a variety of options.
When the Chevy, you know, was prettylimited on what it could be had.
(05:43):
And, I think in 54 they actuallyhad a few more color options.
I think there's blue, blackand red to go along with the white stuff.
So that was that was all you could.
Yeah.
Select from in terms of optionswith the Corvette.
But really it was 1955.
That'skind of the turning point for Chevy,
because there was talk of thembacking out of the sports car market.
(06:05):
They were not having any sort of success.
They only sold 3500 cars in 54.
so when the Thunderbird comes out,
they know that they needto remain in production
to not let Ford capitalize on the marketas a sole entry, so to speak.
Correct? Yeah.
So what they do is
(06:27):
give it a V8.
Finally,
it seems so simplewhen you're building a sports car, but
right again, with high hopes, ideallyselling 10,000 of these in 1955,
Chevy only builds and sells700 corvettes in 1955,
compared to the Thunderbirdselling more than 16,000.
(06:48):
So wow.
Yeah, it was
tragic,so to speak, for the Corvette team.
But it was also that motivationthat they needed to
improve and enhance their sports car.
So by 1956, the Corvette has its VA.
It's putting out about 210 horsepower.
(07:10):
at the same time, the Thunderbird,it's got a 312 that makes about 215.
So they're really kind of on par
with each otherin terms of horsepower and performance.
But still, the Thunderbird is outsellingthe Corvette, like,
by big numbers.
right.
It's interesting to see the development
(07:30):
kind of happenso quickly as the GM engineers
tried to keep up or triedto, like, reinvent their own,
you know, devices to, reinvent the wheel,so to speak, to, to keep up.
But it really so in 1957,everything kind of changes.
the Thunderbirdgoes on to sell 21,000 units that year.
(07:51):
Chevy breaks the 6000 mark.
Maybe
still like they're there, doesn'tthey can't do it.
But Fordmiraculously pulls out of the game,
deciding that the Thunderbird nameplatecould be used on a bigger, better car.
And for 1958, it becomes this Forsey car.
(08:11):
It gets two extra feet in length,
and they leave Chevy alonein the American sports car market.
which probably saved the brand,or saved the, the model.
It did.
That's amazing, because I,you know, being from the generation
I'm from, and I didn't grow upin this time period, my first image
(08:35):
of someone mentions a Thunderbirdis it's more of that personal luxury car.
It is not a sports car
right now, obviously, I know a little bitabout the history of it, so I,
I know that it hasn't always been viewedand that that manner,
but I never thought about the connectivetissue between the two of these,
between the Thunderbird and the Corvetteand how they played off of each other,
(08:56):
and also how the Corvette may havehave lived in, survived and won the war,
so to speak, when the Thunderbird startedmaking these shifts.
It's an interesting idea to methat I think it was like
Robert McNamara at Ford, who is one of,you know, they call them the Whiz Kids.
All these, like, engineers out of the Armycame to Ford right after the war
to identify problems in manufacturingand design and all of these things.
(09:20):
And McNamara was one of thethe leaders of that group.
He'd actually go on to become the firstpresident of Ford outside the Ford family.
Ford family? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
and anyway, he's the
one that kind of pushedfor the Thunderbird to to grow.
See, believing that the nameplatewas more valuable on a,
(09:40):
you know, family luxury car,so to speak, like you're saying.
And that's what it was marketedat when it came out in 1955, was
it wasn't a sports car.It was a personal luxury car.
That's a great point to me.
But it was also a great move for Fordbecause the Thunderbird did go
at tripled sales between, you know,from 1955 to 1977, that first generation,
(10:01):
that the next generationover the next three years double
I think they're tripled the sales numbers.
So it worked.
Yeah.
And sorry, I'm gonna go on a slighttangent here, but it's just because I,
I love this caror at least a thought behind it.
But the Thunderbird itself.
And please correct meif I'm wrong, if you're even aware of.
But in the development,when they were trying to figure out
some sort of car to come up with,I think they the Ford Vega,
(10:24):
the concept car was somehowtied in the history of the Thunderbird,
and I don't know that storywell enough to fully connect it,
but I think it's somewherein there of like, what are we going to do?
What are the concepts, how are we going?
We want a sports car.
And then it kind of shiftsto personal luxury.
But the Ford Vega isan interesting car to me because I always
thought it looked like a Jaguar XK 120,
(10:46):
or very similar to it in design and style.
So it had this European flair to it,but it's just an interesting sort of side
topic to the history of,Ford at the time when they're,
they're experimenting and playing aroundwith the market as companies do.
I mean, I believe it.
Yeah.
The that era of concept cars is so coolto me, as you know, the GM motor dramas
(11:11):
and all the vehicles thatthey were coming out with at the time,
truly innovative really.
I mean, this is the jet age, but but thoseEuropean lines, I mean, they don't lie.
People are in love with the Mercedes300 SL at the time.
Yeah.
And these Jaguars were coming out andand really that first year that the Chevy
wasn't competingwith the Thunderbird in 1958,
(11:33):
a lot of people saythat the front end of the 1958
Corvette is reminiscent of the 300 SL,and so they they were borrowing lines.
Oh, of course,of course they were from. Yes.
Yeah, 100%.
You can see it in all those models. Yeah.
And by the way, I did just double checkthat it is the Ford Vega
I was thinking about.
I was like,oh no, I hope I didn't come up with the
(11:53):
say the wrong name to the caris the Ford Vega.
Yeah.
It's funny how these names too,like Chevy made the Vega later.
So the Ford came out with. Yeah.
And there was the Chevy Vegaand also the Corvette was Project Opel.
When? Before it was the Corvette.
And then when the Opel GT came out.
A lot of people refer to itas the baby Corvette.
(12:13):
So. Yeah, exactly.
so not too sorry about my tangent there.
I just, I love kind of stuff.
So so the Corvette starts to succeedkind of take on that market.
What kind of what happens from there on.
Right.
So 1958 really is the first yearthat it's on its own.
They've the engineers dialed inwhat it's supposed to be.
(12:34):
It finally can claimthat moniker of America's sports car,
kind of because it's the only one.
So I don't know exactly when that was.
That term was actually coined.
But we start to get that feeling hereand it starts to become the symbol of,
you know, the open road and freedom and,you know, touring and, and knowing
(12:58):
or you see the engineers, buildingoff the success of what this car can be.
You know,a lot of this does have to do with,
with the development of Chevy'ssmall block engine,
you know, 1958, it gets the 327for the first time, I think.
Don't call me on that.
But in that
generation, in that, in that lateC1 generation.
Yeah.
You know, it's it's pushing 300 horsepower
(13:19):
and the design is is
more reminiscentof those European sports cars
that it was originally supposedto replicate.
Right.
Meanwhile,so the Corvette or the Thunderbird
is growing, it's becoming this luxury car.
Chevy goes the opposite directionand it's pushes
(13:39):
the Corvette into a box as this
like powerhouse of a of a vehicle.
And that leads us into the secondgeneration, the C2,
which debuts in 1963with the iconic split window Corvette.
Yeah, yeah.
Right.
And it's a one yearmodel designed by Bill Mitchell,
(14:01):
who also did a number of vehicles for GM.
I think he was really involvedwith like the Tri five Chevy's and the,
oh gosh, the Buick
Riviera, which was kind of similar in 1963to the Corvette,
in terms of looks with that,like kind of long boat tail ish.
Right?
Right.
(14:22):
So we also see, for the first timethey use, pop up headlights,
which becomes an iconic mark for,for the Corvette for the next 50 years.
and then when the C3,the third generation, is introduced
in 1968, it's interestingto see where the Thunderbird has gone.
So in 1968, the C3 Corvette comes out.
(14:42):
We see the use of LT1 0107.
All these variationsthat are still kind of used today.
And meanwhile, or in the fifth generationof the Thunderbird
and it's kind of self competingbecause Ford has recently released
the Mustang and the Cougarand the Thunderbird has morphed,
you know, between being like a four doorluxury sedan and a two door convertible.
(15:06):
And yes, so Ford's trying to figure outhow to not compete with itself.
And so it makes the Thunderbird availablein two options in 1968, either
as a two door hardtop or you can have it
as a four door sedan with rear suicidedoors, which is really interesting.
It's kind of reminiscentof the Lincoln Continental of the air.
Yeah. Okay. Okay.
(15:28):
Seeing what they do with the Thunderbirdthroughout its lifetime is so unique
because they justare locked into this nameplate,
but they use the car for whateverthey need it to be exact.
It feels so many gaps for to line up.
Anyway,
going back to the Corvette,the C3 generation
lasts until 1982,
(15:50):
which is a long runfor any generation of a vehicle.
In 1968 to 1982.
Interestingly, that last year of the C3,
there'sno manual transmission offered, and
they are trying to, you know, re,
retool the factory for the C4,
(16:10):
but they're running into all sortsof quality control issues, so to speak,
and they only produce,I think, around 40 prototypes
for, for the C4 that came out in 1983.
And all of thoseeither end up being crushed or,
reinvented as 1984 models, except for one.
(16:34):
So Chevrolet has been producingthe Corvette continuously
since 1953 until 1983, when it's supposedto be its 30th anniversary.
And they end up with just one Corvettefor that,
the 1983 model model year,which is so interesting to me.
and that car is actually on
(16:54):
display at the National Corvette Museumin Bowling Green.
So the C4 comes out 1983.
And to be honest,
this is the generation of Corvettethat personally I want to own,
primarily because it's the only generationI can probably afford.
Yeah, it remains, the most,
(17:17):
affordable collector or affordableused Corvette option, I think.
Yes, but we are starting to see pricesrise of that generation, too.
And I think that just, you know,speaks to,
you know, my generationbeing in my mid 30s,
having disposableincome for the first time perhaps.
Yeah. Yeah.
And wanting to buy those cars that. Yeah.
(17:37):
You know, grew up with. Yeah.
So also with the C4,it's the first time that they've
completely redesigned the carin more than 20 years.
It's all, you know, up to this.
It's been based off that Stingray coupethat was released in 63, 1984.
It's much more aerodynamic.
And it has this,like kind of ultra modern feel inside.
(18:00):
We're starting to see digital dashesand all these things of the era
that are kind of,you know, iconic to 1980s cards.
You see those green computer screen,
gauges.
It's it's a really interesting look.
And it does Corvette.
Well, for the time,
you know, unfortunately,the 80s are not super exciting for
the automotive marketplace in general dueto emissions and safety regulations.
(18:24):
But in my mind,I think that they did pretty well
with the Corvettefor what it could be, the C4.
It lasts from 1984 to 1996,with that last year
seeing the grand Sport,which was a limited edition,
Corvette,I think they only felt like a thousand,
but it was in videogames like GranTurismo. Yes.
(18:46):
You know, probably you probably seen itblue with the white stripes
and yeah, super high performanceversion of the car.
But so at the end of the C4 run in 1986,
the Ford Thunderbird is now in its 10thgeneration.
It's returned to coupe form
and Ford has slated it to be killed off.
(19:08):
They finally decide we're donewith the Thunderbird after 40 years of.
Yeah, 40 years of production.
and so again, why not that the Corvette
and the Thunderbird were competingat this time, but again, at least Corvette
on its ownin terms of these iconic nameplates,
however,the Thunderbird story is not over there.
(19:30):
The C5 Corvette comes out in 1987
again, all new designnow has a top speed of 176mph.
Features Chevy's brand new LS1 engine.
Yeah, let's swap everything right.
Yeah, well, wow.
the C5 was kind of the birth of that.
In the midst of the C5 run in 2002,
(19:52):
Ford again brings back the Thunderbirdafter a five year hiatus.
and this is that Neo-Classical
retro versionthat, yes, many people are familiar with.
Oh, yeah.It looks just like the first generation,
but it
by no means is designed to competewith the Corvette again at this point.
Yeah,
I think that's
(20:14):
it was almost certainly designedto attract
the original buyersof that first generation.
We're talking about baby boomers,
but these people are in their late60s, 70s, 80s.
At this point. You know,
but it's based on the,
the Lincoln LS and the Jaguar Aztekas Ford at the time owned Jaguar.
And so it has a pretty potentV8 making 252
(20:35):
horsepower, but it's attachedto an automatic transmission,
and it's really returned to its rootsas kind of this personal luxury car.
which is interesting to see.
Yeah.
So of course, it doesn't
sell as well as Ford hopes,and it only lasts
until 2005 with about 30,000 unitsproduced over that time.
(20:57):
And they killed off again.
It's interesting to think,
given that they brought itback, is this neoclassical model.
Where did Ford expectto go with the Thunderbird?
What was it supposed to be?
You know,it's a it's a really good question.
A very good question that I definitelydon't have an answer to myself.
(21:18):
I have heard rumors that there's
if Ford was to return to the carmarketplace
that the Thunderbird nameplateis is one of those
selections on the table.
And I would believe more than likelyit would end up being some sort of EV.
That is a good theory.
Yeah, it makes sense. yeah. Thunder.
(21:40):
I think there's some electric,there's some electricity in there.
And also with the lightning,the Ford F-150 lightning,
you'd have the Thunderbird.Thunder and lightning.
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah,there's something there. Ford.
If you're listening,Brian is available to, work for you.
Yeah.
But back to our lineage of the Corvette.
(22:01):
So the C6 introduced in 2005,that last year, the Thunderbird.
And this is really moreof an evolution of the C5.
It has a new,
longer wheelbase,a more luxurious interior.
But the biggest note for this generationis that the pop up
headlightsgo away for the first time since 1963.
This, of course, dueto safety regulations, but it's quite
(22:24):
unfortunate in the eyes of many,many Corvette enthusiasts.
so this lasts until 2013when the C7 comes out in the C7.
Of course, being the last of the frontengined rear wheel drive corvettes
and at this time Chevy was already
playing around with the ideaof a rear mid-engine Corvette.
But their biggest problem at the timewas finances.
(22:45):
It was going to be too expensiveto redevelop it into that,
for based on where GM was at the time.
Their other issue was that Corvette by now
had gained this reputationas an old man's car.
Yes. Right.
I think something like 80% of buyerswere over 60 years old.
(23:07):
And this is not what Chevroletever intended for the Corvette.
But here we are. So they tried to do a few
promotions to attract younger buyersat its peak,
including limited editionpaint jobs that were could also be had.
And you know video games like GranTurismo
and things like that.
(23:27):
Didn't work.
I don't know exactly.
I still think that, Corvette at this time
is more of a, retirement present than a,
quarterly bonus.
I mean, it's interesting because I,you know, the used Corvette Marketplace.
I think a lot of people in their 40s, 30s,you know, 20s are much more interested
(23:48):
in buying them because they remainrelatively affordable for what they are.
I mean, these are powerful, funto drive, exciting cars.
they're just a little,
I'll just leave it at that.
Yeah, sure. Perfect.
But then we hit
2020 and the release of the C8 Corvette,which kind of changes everything.
(24:08):
It's been redeveloped as that rearmid-engine car.
Finally, it gets a new,
host of engines and,
powertrain options that kind of make itmore attractive to a wider audience base.
And it's the supercarthat can be had for sub $70,000.
Exactly. Yes.
(24:29):
At least on paper, you know.
Yeah, yeah, yeah,you can always get a factor in that.
right now.
Now GM is listening.
They're outside your home right nowwith sniper rifles.
or or you know, presence.
It kind of depends on what you say.
But what are your thoughtson the mid-engine?
(24:51):
I applaud them for doing it.
Honestly, I think that it was a long timecoming at it.
You know, I'm not a majorCorvette enthusiast by any means.
I've driven a few different generations.
I think I've been behind the wheelof the C4 and something in the early 2000,
I don't remember exactly.
And I've driven a C8 Corvette,and it's unreal.
(25:13):
It truly is like it'sthis incredible street performer.
You can drive it in traffic,you can drive it on the track.
It's comfortable, it's fun.
It's it looks amazing to me, honestly.
And I know that there's a lot of removedfrom from true Corvette people
about what it is.
But I think it worked because
I see more of these corvettes on the roadthan anything else I do too.
(25:36):
I think it worked for them.
I don't know the stats on salesor anything.
I haven't looked into that.
But it like you just said, I see.
I see a lot of them, right?
I too have driven itand I absolutely loved it.
And yeah, so it's an interesting changeand I do applaud them
for trying to do something differentthat kind of goes against that classic
(25:57):
mold, of the Corvette.
True.
I mean, that's just the evolution of carsin general, right?
You have to you have to try something newif you want to be successful.
And with the Corvette, like,could they have survived?
Could the nameplate survived in its,original form?
I think so, yeah.
(26:18):
would it have been as exciting?
Would it have got the kind of,
you know,
would have had the same reachthat it would have if it didn't transform?
I don't I don't think so.
I think it would have remainedmore of that, you know, successful
old guy Corvette, you know,
but being this mid-engine
(26:38):
variation,it attracts a different kind of buyer.
It competes more. I mean, it's
it's got the same sort of setupas a Lamborghini or Ferrari.
I mean, granted,
it probably doesn't perform quitethe same, but it's along the same lines
and it has the same kind of look,but it's a quarter of the cost, you know.
Right, right.
(26:59):
or less even depending on the model.
And so it really puts performancein the hands of the people.
And I think they did a good job with that.
And I think it's always done that.
That's one of the funaspects of the history of the Corvette is
it does allow the people, quote unquote,
access to a sports car like that.
(27:20):
And that's always been one of the fun, funthings about it in my mind.
well, thank you, Brian.
I never I honestly had never thoughtabout the connective
tissue between the Thunderbirdand the Corvette like this before.
And I think it's really fascinating,especially early on.
And what had happened to the Thunderbird
and how it may have relatedto the success of the Corvette.
(27:41):
I truly think it did.
I truly think that the Corvettewould not exist,
or at least be what it iswithout Ford unveiling the Thunderbird.
That's amazing.
is there anything else?
No. I will only say I.
I have driven a 1955 FordThunderbird, too, and comparing that
to a C8 Corvette, to be honest,I'd still rather have the Thunderbird.
(28:04):
I guess that just speaks to who I am.
Yeah, yeah. Well,thank you so much, Brian.
I really enjoy these, this dayand automotive history.
People can definitely check outautomotive history.org.
Is there anything elseyou want to drive people to?
You can check us out there.
And we also are doing, the Drive
History podcastthat you can find on Spotify,
(28:26):
Apple, all the regular platformsand all the places.
Just follow alongand be sure to drive history every day.
Thank you for listening to fuelfor the future, presented by State Farm
Insurance and driven by America'sAutomotive Trust.
Listen and subscribe to support the show
and visit America's AutomotiveTrust Dawg for more information.
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