All auto companies that have a rich legacy harbor lots of well-kept secrets from the general public. There are many things you don't get to learn until and unless you dig deeper. For Chevrolet, the company tracing back to the start of the 20th century, one of the phenomenal stories has to be the company logo. Various versions of how it came about exist, making the facts near myths. The "bow-tie" logo has stuck around for nearly a century since 1913, allegedly introduced by the company's co-founder, William C. Durant.
The logo is an important asset for any company. It's a symbol of identity and a representation of a particular philosophy. But a nice logo, regardless of the meaning behind it, would be of little consequence if the company makes no business or no impact. For Chevrolet, the logo has become a true representation of its incredible resilience, success as well as failures recorded over the years.
Louis Chevrolet, a successful Swiss race driver, and automotive engineer combined efforts with the ousted founder of General Motors William C. Durant. The year is 1911, on the 3rd day of November and they chose the automotive capital of Detroit as their place of incubation. They named it the Chevrolet Motor Company. It was the beginning of a great story for the entire world to read.
Chevrolets have made a difference across families, careers, governments as well particular communities. In other words, some Chevrolet models have been more influential than others in ways that are absolutely memorable. In this article, we track down some of the most influential Chevrolets that have shaped the company's brand while making a contribution to life in general.
10 1911 Series C Classic Six
The best place to start is undoubtedly from the top, and this is where the Chevrolet Series C Classic comes in. It was the first car that the company ever built and acquired a few monikers such as the Chevrolet Model C, the Chevrolet Classic Six(Series C), or simply the Chevrolet. After all, no other Chevrolet was confusing the naming.
The six in the name comes from the six-cylinder iron engine measuring 299 cubic-inch. With a 4.8-liter displacement, it was certainly one of the biggest engines at the time. And the HP? It produced 40bhp. The 65mph top speed was record-breaking at the time. The engine is paired with 3-speed cone transmission. Needless to say, it was a huge success, and Chevrolet sold 5,987 of them. It paved the way for the series Series H and Series L introduced the following year.
9 1970 Chevelle SS 454 LS6
Fast forward to 1970, and Chevrolet had gained the prerequisite muscle and iconic status. In this year, the company, now a subsidiary of General Motors, embarked on a marketing campaign, published a book dubbed "The Chevrolet Story, 1911-1970."
Looking back, the company had a vision of a new era as it unleashed some of its memorable cars in this season. One of them is the Chevrolet Chevelle. This name birthed several variants, such as the Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 LS6, a vehicle that received a cult following in its heydays. It catapulted the company into the realm of muscle car and ultimately wrestled for the "King of the Streets" with other giants.
8 1970 El Camino SS
Chevrolet thought that Ford was stealing the show with its Ranchero car. The Ranchero had become a commendable utility car for the farm and family Sundays. To challenge the unfolding situation, Chevrolet introduced the El Camino in 1959.
When the more potent SS engine was stuffed into the El Camino in 1968, it became a sensational muscle car that every gearhead seeking some action wanted to drive. Chevrolet sold. Chevrolet finally dropped it in 1987. By this time, it was soaring high with a huge fan base. It is still a crazily thirsted collectible classic today.
7 1982 Chevrolet Cavalier
For the Cavalier to last a remarkable 23 years in the market, Chevrolet must have been doing something right. Chevrolet dubbed it the "Most Complete New Car We've Ever Introduced."
True enough, the Cavalier was an impressive machine, offered as a coupe, hatchback, and a 3-door wagon. It was competing against the Ford Escort and sold quite well as it projected the upmarket outlook that the American buyer was chasing. The Cavalier was economical, with its Ecotec 140hp DOHC engine in its third and final generation. Chevrolet folded it up in2005.
6 1990 Corvette C4 ZR-1
In the 1989 issue of the Car and Driver magazine, they prophesied that this car was "going to cost some people at General Motors their jobs." They continued to say that, "Nothing this good can come out of a large American corporation without causing some shock waves."
The Corvette C4 ZR-1 was a great car that was heftily priced and meant to show some dust to the Ferraris of the time. It was sophisticated, and Chevrolet called it "King of the Hill." It bowed out in 1995, only five years after it came around.
5 1967 Camaro
In 1967, Chevrolet realized that the Ford Mustang was having the best laugh for nearly three years. Their response was the Chevrolet Camaro, a car that proved to be just the suitable rival for the Mustang. Both cars happened to have a similar path in that both made use of existing platforms.
Like the Mustang, the Camaro had a focus on the youthful generation. Perhaps the best way to measure the success of a nameplate is to check just how long it has lasted. The Camaro is still in production, turning into an impressive gem with every redesign since inception. It still ranks among Chevrolet cars that shape the brand's story to date.
4 1953 Corvette
Regardless of where you live on the globe, as long as you have some interest in automobiles, you certainly have heard of the Chevrolet Corvette. It's among the company's longest-running nameplates, having started life back in 1953 and lived until 2019.
The Vette' as fans fondly call it, has played its significant role in the Chevy family. It has also seen some good days and harsh times in its relatively long season. The first year of production resulted in only 300 units, a factor that has made them incredibly rare and most sought-after Corvettes.
3 1960 to 2002 Chevrolet C/K Pickup
One unique element of the Chevrolet C/K pickup is that it was marketed by both Chevrolet and GMC. It was also different in the naming, as the C denoted 2-wheel rear-drive and the K designated 4-wheel drive.
It was a competitive truck, again meant to take on the leading producer of trucks, Ford. Enthusiasts will tell you that Ford and Chevy's trucks compete hand in hand to this day. The C/K existed from 1960 and veered off production in 2002 when it passed the baton to the Silverado.
2 1966 Chevy II Nova L-79
The Chevy II Nova is yet another Chevy worth anybody's attention. It debuted in 1962 and eventually became a quick choice for the masses. In its first two years, only the available in a 153-cu.in. four-cylinder engine or a 194-cu.inch straight six-cylinder. This engine was spiced up the following year to a 283 V-8, and these improvements continued gradually. With the Corvette's L79 V-8, this car accelerated better.
A well stroked L9 Nova could easily pull 0-60mph in 7.2 secs. The Chevy II Nova Super Sport was a good example of this car's capability.
1 1967 Corvette L71
The L71 engine was among the monumental giants of the brand in 1967. Remember, this had been a season of competent muscle cars, and a massive competition placed one engine against the other. This engine generated an admirable 435 bhp.
The performance of this engine endeared cars such as the 1967 427 Sting Ray to the masses in a big way. So potent was the L71 engine that the actual power is still a debatable matter across the industry. What observers had unanimously agreed, however, is that every car that wore this engine or its variants behaved like one with magical powers.