The Corvette certainly has a special place in American automotive history. As the only enduring American sports car, the Corvette has carried the Stars and Stripes in the road racing world since the 1950s. It has also evolved from an underpowered, misunderstood sports car to a road burning monster with engine options that reach past 600hp. This book chronicles the Corvette’s rise by telling the story with profiles of significant ‘Vettes through the years.
There is great history told in the book. From “Big John” Mazmanian’s gasser to Zora Arkus Duntov’s special creations and the Callaway Sledgehammer, this book does a great job showing both the production and competition sides of the car.
The parts of this book we enjoyed the most are the stunning photos shot by Dave Wendt of each car. The colors are magnificent and so vibrant and vivid they seem ready to run right off the pages when flipping through.
There are a couple of models chosen that were perplexing to us, especially given the vast array of options to showcase the history of the car. The two that made us scratch our heads were the profile on the Corvette Summer monstrosity and the 1978 Indy 500 Pace Car model that packs a brutish 190hp.
We bag on the guys who own base model, automatic, tan topped, convertible ‘Vettes. This book is not about them or directed towards them. If you are a gearhead that is looking to learn more about the cool history behind the Corvette this is one for you!
The book can be had at MotorBooks.com and other booksellers.
