Analysis of the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette
Analysis of the 1968 Chevrolet Corvette
1968 was the first year Chevrolet presented the newly redesigned Corvette, known as the C3. This model started as a dream, a fantasy car, and was never expected to reach production status. Being produced in the late 1960’s it was on the call of demand to produce sufficient power from the engine to compete with the Oldsmobile’s 4-4-2, Pontiac’s GTO, and Dodge’s Charger. "The 1968 Corvette’s redesigned body style combined with its engine options proved to not only look good, but also forge a recognized street performer" (Hodel).
The 1968 Corvette was a combination of several different styling concepts. The First was known as the XP-819, a dream car of Frank Winchell. Head of research and development for Chevy engineering, Winchell developed this rear-engine prototype never in thought of actual production (Licastro 34). Former research and development engineer Paul Van Valkenburg recalls that, ‘"The XP-819 was an extreme styling concept. It wasn’t expected to ever reach production"’ (Licastro 35). Although the XP-819 was never produced, some of it’s design features were to surface on the next prototype created by General Motors stylist Larry Shinoda (Hodel). Code Named XP-830 and later renamed as the Mako Shark II, borrowed features from the XP-819 such as, "the door sections, windshield profile, and a narrowed cockpit with lift-off roof panels…" The Mako Shark II was top-secret at the time and was created by Shinoda and his team in a "private, windowless cubicle in the Styling Staff warehouse, across from the GM Technical Center." (Licastro 34) The design of the Mako Shark II was pushed by GM Vice President of styling, Bill Mitchell. The prototype made it’s first appearance at the New York Auto Show, Peter Licastro notes that,
The Mako II was a radical and expensive exercise. Equipped with countless 007-style features, such as the retractable rear bumper and spoilers, the show car was created at a cost of nearly $3 million. It generated a tremendous public reaction, and many speculated that it offered glimpse of the next Corvette. (34)
In fact the Shark design was already transported to the main Chevrolet studio where David Holls administrated a group of engineers to finalize the concept for production. The tentative debut was scheduled for...