Corvette Research Paper

The path of advancement from a 1953 Corvette to a 2017 Grand Sport Corvette has progressed immensely. There have been experiments along the way, mechanics trying to invent new ways to keep the Corvette style similar to the original body structure but continue to advance the performance and safety of the vehicle for new generations. The transmission has been upgraded over the years so that it has more horsepower under the hood. The frame has been exchanged from one material to another to increase stability. The technology is steadily progressing in each version of the vehicle since 1953. The radio went from just AM radio to AM/FM to eight track player to cassette player to compact disk player to now listening to a music application on your phone

Even the transmission has been upgraded over the generations. For example, the 1935 Corvette which was only a 2-speed transmission (National Corvette Museum) to the 2017 Grand Sport which has a 7-speed transmission (Chevrolet). The frame of the models has been transformed to make them perform faster yet safer. The steel frames that were used on the models up until 1982 (Thurn) has been replaced by Chevrolet. Now aluminum and fiberglass are being used for the body frame to make the car lighter, therefore more fuel efficient. Because the Corvettes have become more fuel-efficient, Chevrolet changed the type of injections for the fuel tanks. The fuel system in the Corvettes started as fuel injection in 1935, changed to throttle-body injection in 1982, and to sequential fuel injection in 1994 (WILSON, 2013). Another characteristic that has changed over time is the technology in the vehicles. The 1953 Corvette only had AM radio and the 2017 Grand Sport has advanced so much that it has an option to have a digital display on the windshield to show your speed or gps navigation system (Chevrolet). Technology has made it possible to synchronize your phone to your car speakers through Bluetooth. Chevrolet began installing new safety features in all vehicles, one of the biggest being air bags, to decrease fatal injuries in accidents involving

For example, Chevrolet has chosen to keep the standard engine. Every Corvette that has been manufactured has a standard V8 engine. The interior has always had the same number of seats installed over the years. Chevrolet has chosen to install only two seats in the line of Corvettes since the first one was built in 1953. The type of seats that are usually installed in the Corvettes are bucket seats unless specifically request a different type. The exterior has kept to looking smooth, lustrous and feeling sleek. Chevrolet has kept the body frame low to the ground to aid in its aerodynamic efficiency. When the first corvette was made in 1953 it had an 18-gallon gas tank and the 2017 Grand Sport Corvette also has the 18-gallon gas tank (Museum, n.d.). Both the 1953 Corvette and the 2017 Corvette has the option to have a soft top as in a convertible or a hardtop. It was not until 1961 that the Corvette became a very popular sports car in the United States (A&E Television Networks, LLC). Even in this generation the most credit for high performance cars goes to the Corvette