Chevrolet Corvette 1973-1977
Performance-car manufacturers faced tough times in the early Seventies.
Engine compressions had to be reduced to run on unleaded gas, engineers struggled to satisfy emissions and safety regulations, and insurance companies were raising performance-car premiums.
While many car makers gave up on performance models, Chevrolet continued to offer the Corvette, which was slowly evolving from a brutish muscle car to a personal luxury car. Consumers responded favorably, with sales steadily increasing throughout the decade.
1973 Corvette
1973 saw the first major restyle since the 1968 Corvette. With a new federal law requiring all cars to sustain a five-mph front impact without damage, twin chrome bumpers were replaced with an injection-molded urethane cover, painted the same color as the car. Rear bumpers would remain chrome for one more year.
A new hood design allowed cowl air induction, and also eliminated the troublesome cowl-panel that raised and lowered for the hide-away windshield wiper operation.
After several years of testing, including racetrack wins, Corvettes were fitted with radial-ply tires. Additional sound insulation was applied throughout the body. This year's model weighed in at 3,725 pounds - just four years earlier, the 1969 model had weighed 3,260 pounds.
1974 Corvette
A labor dispute closed the Corvette assembly plant on June 28. A settlement was reached on September 3rd.
To comply with the new rear five-mph impact bumper, Chevrolet engineers came up with a new body-color rear section,
replacing the spoiler with a smooth, Kamm-style tail. Because it was unknown whether the new rear section could be made reliably as one piece, it was manufactured in two pieces, resulting in a seam down the middle.
Minor suspension changes were made to compensate for the additional 30 pounds of the new bumper.
Other improvements for 1974 included a redesigned radiator and shroud for better cooling, and a more efficient air-conditioning system. This would be the last year with a true dual-exhaust system, until the 4th-generation Corvette . It was also the last year of the big-block engine. At 8:25 to 1 compression, the 454-cid Turbo-jet motor produced 270 horsepower and 380 lb/ft of torque.
1975 Corvette
Although horsepower ratings bottomed out at 165 horsepower, the 1975 Corvette was still one of the fastest cars available at the time. All engines now ran on unleaded gasoline, and electronic ignition became standard.
Left and right exhaust pipes ran into a single catalytic converter, then split into "fake" dual tailpipes.
Although government rollover standards banning convertibles is often cited, it was declining sales that prompted Chevrolet to drop the Corvette ragtop at the end of 1975.
1976 Corvette
To reduce interior temperature caused by the catalyst exhaust system, fiberglass front floor sections were replaced
by a more rigid steel sub-section.
The style of bumpers is changed, from 6-inch long recessed "Corvette" lettering to 8-inch non-recessed lettering.
Production rose to 46,558 units, due in part to a recovering market, but also
shrinking competition in the Corvette's price and performance class. There were far fewer performance cars of any kind by 1976, which certainly helped renew Corvette sales.
1977 Corvette
Leather seat trim, previously available at additional cost, was now standard, with cloth trim optional. Power steering and power brakes also became standard, and Cruise Control was offered for the first time. Engine paint color is changed from orange to blue. The Corvette was evolving into a refined cruiser. In March of 1977, the 500,000th Corvette rolled off the assembly line. Production rose again to 49,213.
Although the tire-shredding power from a decade ago was gone, mid-Seventies Corvettes still had a lot to offer. It was more efficient and better-handling than ever, with four-wheel independent suspension and four-wheel disc brakes on every model. And they still turned heads.
