After World War II, Britain’s Jaguar XK120 and the MG TD sports car have been entering the United States, Americans for free, uninhibited, this is a new thing, its impact strength than people imagine. Rich, such as movie star Clark Fair cover choice jaguar, while ordinary people will be popular MG sports car.
GM’s legendary design guru Harry Earl (Harley Earl ,1893-1969) to see this new model of the potential market in the United States. Now a large complex with a common management model is different from the 50′s general decision-making is a few people have the final say. Earl is one of them. In 1951, Earl’s son in college, Jerry (Jerry) on the Jaguar sports car is obsession. Earl then spent a considerable effort to study the European machine. After several visits to Europe, the United States also needs to El identify two high-speed car (sports car). In 1951, El Universal Design Organization department produced a large two-seater called the Sabres’ concept car, but Earl soon discovered the need for real sports car and elegant appearance. So he separate from the general separation of a group of design department, responsible for two-seater sports car designs. And this two-seater sports car was named as the Opel plan.
In order to have a beautiful shape, Earl Opel plans to use the glass fiber materials that when in the processing of complex shapes more easily. In 1952, Opel announced the completion of plan, 1953 New York Auto Show GM’s sports car officially on display, it is today a prominent statement Corvette. Corvette’s 17th-century Britain meant a quick escort gunboat, GM deliberately selected this name to emphasize its sports car status, but also to the then popular British sports car challenge.
Common first production Corvette, originally valued customers to meet a handful in 1953 introduced the first Corvette produced only 300 will be discontinued. GM had intended to quit, do not expect Detroit Auto Show 1954, Ford introduced the Thunderbird (Thunderbird) convertible two-seater sports car, GM want to confront it, the Corvette brand and stuck with it, but not a full half-century stand down. With the development of the Corvette brand, and today is owned by GM’s Chevrolet to the Ministry (sports department).
The first generation Corvette has left us with a suspense, the first American sports car history is actually used in automatic transmission. Common sense, the emphasis on sports car should use the manual gearbox son. This phenomenon, showing Americans do not understand the essence of sports car. On the other hand, it may be pure sports car of El estimated that the market is not big enough, you can expand the market with automatic transmission. In any case, the first generation Corvette was successful, it produced 300. Compared with the common Corvette, Ford Thunderbird sports car more “civil” some, sales are better, but in order to win in 1957 after a bigger market, Thunderbird into four cars, which gradually fade out car market. In the ensuing decades, the Corvette and Dodge Viper (DODGE VIPER) against the United States sports car theme.
J Mays as design director of Ford’s office, began the revitalization of the brand. Sporty Mustang and the new Thunderbird is new into the foreground. Pressing harder and harder to face Ford, General Motors is natural to be outdone, the 2003 Corvette 50th anniversary version of 50SE (Special Edition) after the release of the North American Auto Show in 2004, the sixth generation Keer Wei masterpiece out again Special C6.