January 17 in the United States marks the return of the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to New York City 60 years after its launch at the famed Waldorf Astoria Hotel on January 17, 1953.
The occasion will be especially symbolic for the nameplate, with the arrival of the all-new, seventh-generation, 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray coming directly from its debut appearance at the Detroit Motor Show.
The original Corvette saw more than 1.4 million admire its futuristic design at displays around the United States. So popular was the car that Chevrolet was encouraged to speed up production plans. However, only 300 examples were assembled in 1953 – all of them white with red interior.
The base price of a brand new Corvette in 1953 was $3,498 and Chevrolet offered just two options – a heater for $91 and an AM radio for $145.
The 2014 Corvette Stingray stays true to its roots as a proper two-seat sports car powered by a 6.2-litre pushrod V8 and several advanced technologies inline with that of previous Corvettes.
Every Corvette model has used state-of-the-art materials from fibreglass in 1953 to cutting-edge carbon-nano technology and carbonfibre on the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette.
The Stingray name was first used for a prototype racecar that inspired the 1963 second-generation Corvette Sting Ray with its split rear window. It was also the car that would become a celebrated icon in the annals of automotive design as one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
“Stingray is one of the hallowed names in automotive history,” said Ed Wellborn, GM vice president of global design. “We knew we couldn’t use the Stingray name unless the new car truly lived up to the legacy. The end result is a new Corvette Stingray that breaks from tradition, while remaining instantly recognisable as a Corvette the world over.”
The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray will go on sale in the US in the third quarter of 2013, but at this stage, will only be made in left-hand drive.
