The development of the Corvette kicked off in 1951 under the code name 'Project Opel' as Chevrolet sought ingenious ways to arrest a slump in sales. The first-generation Corvette was an American take on British sports cars such as the 1951 Jaguar C-Type.
It started out like a gentleman's cruiser car but has since transformed into a performance icon for the modern American automobile industry; not far behind the legendary Ford Mustang. It is a transformation that has witnessed eight generations of sports cars, and while there are some sterling examples in the mix, inevitably, there have also been a few missteps along the way.
10 Worth A Fortune - 1969 Chevrolet Corvette ZL-1
The 1969 Corvette ZL-1 was one of the most powerful road cars at the time of its debut which is saying quite a lot since this period also represented the peak of the horsepower wars. The car's aluminum engine, developed in partnership with McLaren, was said to have a real-world power output ranging between 560 and 585 hp.
The ZL-1 did not bother with niceties like radio or air conditioning and instead focused on brute performance. Reports vary but the common theme is that only 2 or 3 units were ever produced and unsurprisingly, the cars are worth well over a million dollars today - wherever they are.
9 Wouldn't Pay A Cent For - 1995 Corvette Pace Car Replica
In 1995, the Corvette was selected as the pace car for the popular Indianapolis 500 race and GM wasted no time capitalizing on that opportunity by offering several replica cars to the general public. It was a great marketing strategy but the gaudy paintwork on the cars left potential customers scratching their heads in bemusement.
The car did not boast any mechanical advantage over the standard Corvette. What it did have instead was a patchwork of colors that included purple, white, red, and black. It is not likely to add to the car's value today and you are better off with a regular series 1995 Corvette.
8 Worth A Fortune - 1963 Corvette Grand Sport
It's okay if you have never heard of this one - only 5 units were ever built. The Corvette underwent a complete redesign for the 1963 model year. It had a few performance upgrades over the previous version but then the GM engineers wanted the car to be even more competitive on the racing circuit, leading to the development of the hardcore Corvette Grand Sport.
The initial plan was to have this car debut at the 1963 Le Mans race but the infamous AMA racing ban put paid to that. It, however, did not stop the 5 units that had been built to be passed on to private racers.
7 Wouldn't Pay A Cent For - 1984 Chevrolet Corvette
High expectations surrounded the hotly anticipated 1984 Corvette but the excitement rapidly cooled when the car finally emerged. It received knocks for its lack of defined body lines and curves - something past Corvettes were known for.
It also featured a relatively new Cross-Fire Fuel Injection technology that proved to be quite problematic. Then there was the fact that the car's driving attributes barely scraped average, resulting in an altogether underwhelming car.
6 Worth A Fortune - 1971 Chevrolet Corvette ZR2
This sports car emerged at a time when the looming fuel crisis and stricter emissions regulations spelled the end of the horsepower crazy muscle cars. That did not deter GM though and when the Corvette ZR2 was unveiled, it packed a 454 cubic-inch big-block V8 that was rated at 460 hp.
The car was one of the best-handling Corvettes of the era and that power output meant it was no slouch on the drag strip either. It was offered for the 1971 model year and only 12 units rolled off the production line, making it an exclusive collectible today.
5 Wouldn't Pay A Cent For - 1975 Chevrolet Corvette L48
By the mid-'70s, the horsepower-heavy cars were nothing but a nostalgic memory and this Corvette felt the full bite of the newer regulations. Yes, it did have a V8 under the hood but it was only able to put out a measly 165 hp at 3,800 rpm.
To be fair, it was within the same range as many other cars of that time period but what it also meant was that there was nothing really remarkable about the car's performance. It was the last of the 3rd generation Corvettes offered in both coupe and convertible variants but that's still not tempting enough in this case.
4 Worth A Fortune - 1967 Chevrolet Corvette L88 Coupe
This gem is often described as the ultimate classic Corvette and as you learn more about this vehicle, you quickly begin to realize why. The L88 engine package was perhaps the car's most distinguishing feature.
It came at a cost - a whopping $1,500 back then but what you got was a V8 that was officially rated at 430 hp though real-world figures were said to be more than 500 hp, especially in race trim. According to reports, 1967 was the lowest production year for the L88 Corvette with only 20 units built and that's another reason why they are so desirable today.
3 Wouldn't Pay A Cent For - 1987 Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette
This twin-turbo sports car was the result of a collaboration between Chevrolet and Callaway Cars, an outfit that builds and installs specialty engineering packages for GM cars. They certainly built a monster for this car; a 5.7-liter V8 that put out an impressive 382 hp.
Unfortunately, that engine unit quickly developed a reputation for being notoriously fragile and unreliable. Less than 500 units were ordered during a production run that spanned from 1987 to 1991.
2 Worth A Fortune - 1953 Chevrolet Corvette
This is the C1 Corvette, the one that started it all almost 7 decades ago. It was not big on power with a Blue Flame inline-6 engine that made less than 160 hp.
However, what the car did have was a very stylish design and flair that would come to be a defining characteristic of future Corvettes. The C1 Corvette lasted till the 1962 model year but only 300 units rolled off the production line in 1953, its debut year.
1 Wouldn't Pay A Cent For - 1958 Chevrolet Corvette
It's hard to imagine how the sublime C1 Corvette of 1953 could have morphed into this ugly duckling just a few years down the line. The 1958 Corvette is rightly considered one of the ugliest Corvettes ever and for good reason too.
The car boasted an abundance of chrome accents that completely stripped the car of its elegance. Gone too were the original headlights, replaced by a quad set-up that ruined the car's sleek profile.