It is the third generation of the Corvette sports car. It was produced from 1967 to 1982. The design of this model is new, based on the Mako Shark I prototype, designed by Larry Shinoda, under the direction of Bill Mitchell, but retains the chassis and engines of the previous C2 model.
The market launch was delayed by numerous design changes, and just before the presentation, the final design was leaked by mistake, as the Hot Wheels toy company released a model called ‘Custom Corvette’, a copy not authorised by the brand.
A total of 542,864 units were produced, making the C3 Corvette the brand’s best-selling Corvette to date.
The brand also launched a convertible version, the T-Top, which had a removable roof divided into two symmetrical parts, which could be conveniently stowed in a dedicated area of the boot. The letter T comes from the longitudinal beam they had to have at the top to avoid losing the car’s torsional rigidity when driving without the roof parts.
