67 years ago on 17th January 1953, Chevrolet introduced the world to what would become one of the most iconic cars of all time – the Corvette. It was an American sports car named after one of the smallest and most agile warships in the world. The unveiling of this legend was done at the Autorama in New York City. The demand for an all-American sports car grew as a result of America not wanting to play second best to European sports cars.

The Corvette was built to go up against motorsport legends like Porsche, Jaguar, and MG. The Corvette was a representation of freedom and adventure. Its popularity saw it dubbed “The ultimate American sports car”

From 1953 to 2019, all Corvettes featured a front-engine. But in 2020, Chevrolet decided to give the Corvette a mid-engine configuration. Nonetheless, Corvettes are still setting records and defining generations one way or another.

10 1955 Corvette V8

Via: Hemmings

The first-generation Corvette is one of the most iconic cars in the world. This was a title that GM couldn’t envision when the C1 was faced with extinction a few years after it hit the market. If the C1 was discontinued, the Corvette nameplate would have gone down the drain with it.

Via: Classic Cars

However, this changed with the 1955 Corvette V8. Chevrolet built the 1955 Corvette V8 at a time when most American car companies were focusing on big family sedans. The Corvette V8 was powered by a 4.3-liter small-block V8 engine that was paired with a three-speed manual transmission. This power unit saw the Corvette V8 accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 8.5 seconds by pushing 195 horsepower to the car’s drivetrain.

9 1962 Corvette Grand Sport

Via: Superformance

The 1962 Corvette Grand Sport was the handy work of Zora Duntov – the same person who worked on the 1955 V8. Unlike the V8, the Grand Sport was very different. It was built to be a racecar. No aspect of this car showed any hint of being tamed to a daily driver. Since Chevrolet was no longer participating in motorsports during the early ’60s, Zora had to look somewhere else for inspiration. He found his inspiration in Ford’s Shelby Cobra, which was dominating the tracks at the time.

RELATED: 12 Corvettes We Wouldn’t Take For Free (And 12 That Are Worth Every Dollar)

Via: Superformance

Without consent from the parent company’s executives (General Motors), Zora went ahead and built five units of the 1962 Corvette Grand Sport before the project was shut down. The story of the 1962 Corvette Grand Sport and its rarity makes this one of the most coveted cars in the world.

8 1961 Corvette Mako Shark

Via: Motorious

Just like the Grand Sport, the 1961 Corvette Mako Shark was a concept car. Lando Shinoda and Bill Mitchell designed the Mako Shark in 1961, as a preview of the second-generation Corvette. As the name suggests, the Mako Shark was inspired by the fastest-swimming shark in the world.

Via: YouTube

The Mako Shark Corvette went on to become a success on the circuit. This Corvette featured a sleek, streamlined body, which was vital for the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. The Mako Shark had side exhaust pipes and its blue and gray paint matched the color of an actual shark. The design and performance aspects of this car have gone on to inspire the design of other Corvettes such as the 1963 Sting Ray.

7 1967 Corvette Sting Ray L88

Via: Mecum Auctions

The 1967 Corvette Sting Ray L88 was the car that marked the end of the C2 generation. This Sting Ray featured a much more aggressive design and powertrain compared to its 1963 predecessor. The L88 badge name came from the 7.0-liter V8 engine that powered this beast. It was a beefed-up version of the L88 engine that Chevrolet had introduced back in 1966. The engine pushed 460 brake horsepower to the Sting Ray’s drive train.

RELATED: 15 Cars We Would Buy Instead Of The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray

The L88 featured a hotter camshaft, aluminum radiator, a single huge Holley four-barrel carburetor, and a stratospheric 12.5:1 compression. This Corvette didn’t come cheap. As a result, only 20 units were sold. Today, the 1967 Corvette Sting Ray L88 is one of the rarest cars in the world.

6 1969 Corvette ZL1

Via: HotCars

With the introduction of the third-generation Corvette in 1968, Chevrolet had decided to follow the trend of bigger and powerful muscle cars that was growing during that time. However, this trend quickly ended in the early 1970s when the new EPA regulations and oil crisis hit the American auto manufacturing industry.

Via: Mecum Auctions

The Corvette ZL1 as a new third-generation Corvette survived all these hurdles and is now recognized as an icon. This Corvette was a sleek ride with a very aggressive design, powered by a 7.0-liter big-block engine that delivered 430 brake horsepower. This ride was capable of running the quarter-mile in 12.1 seconds, but just like the Sting Ray L88, this Vette was too expensive, and only three units were sold.

5 1988 Corvette Callaway Sledgehammer

Via: Supercars

Of all the Corvettes on this list, this one stands out the most. If you are familiar with the history of Corvettes, then you've heard of Callaway Cars. Callaway is one of the best American engine specialty manufacturers. Callaway specializes in the building of high-performance Corvettes (the Shelby of Corvettes).

RELATED: 15 Rarest Chevy Corvettes And Their Value Today

Via: Mecum Auctions

The work done on the 1988 Corvette Sledgehammer by Callaway saw this ride gain notoriety. The Sledgehammer Corvette was a heavily modified and pimped-up Corvette powered by a massive NASCAR-spec engine that pushed 898 horsepower and delivered 772 lb-ft of torque to the car’s drive train.

4 1990 Corvette ZR-1

Via: Motor Authority

While the Sledgehammer was not for sale, the Callaway Twin Turbo package was. This pushed Chevrolet to build their own high-performance Corvette. The ZR-1 was born after General Motors acquired Lotus in the late 1980s. The ZR-1 went on to become the world’s fastest production car. This Corvette was powered by a 5.7-liter V8 engine that pushed 405 brake horsepower and delivered 385 lb-ft to the Corvette’s drivetrain.

Via: Motor1

The ZR-1 accelerated from 0 to 60mph in 4.4 seconds, hitting a top speed of 180 mph. The coupe version of this Corvette went on to set a couple of world records, including running for 5,000 miles at 279.6 mph, 12 Hours Endurance at 175.5 mph, and 24 Hours Endurance at 175.8 mph.

3 2001 Corvette Z06

Via: Mecum Auctions

The Corvette Z06 dates back to 1963 when it was first built as a performance package to circumvent the SCCA race ban. The 2001 Corvette was built to succeed the C4-ZR-1. The Corvette Z06’s body closely resembled its predecessor. However, the powertrain and drivetrain were different.

Via: Mecum Auctions

This Corvette was powered by an LS6 engine that pushed 385 brake horsepower. While this was lower than what the ZR-1 pushed, the Z06’s lightweight body gave it a superior power to weight ratio. In 2002, Chevrolet upgraded the Z06’s LS6 engine, amping up the output to 405 brake horsepower. This upgrade also saw the Z06 accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 3.9 seconds.

2 2009 Corvette ZR-1

Via: Car and Driver

After the Z06 was introduced as the successor of the iconic ZR-1, more cars were built in attempt to replicate the ZR-1. In 2009, Chevrolet announced that they were going to bring back the ZR-1. It had been 19 years since the first ZR-1 was unveiled. The new C6-gen ZR-1 promised to outdo its predecessor.

Via: Top Speed

The 2009 ZR-1 was powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 V-8 engine that pushed 638 horsepower. At the time of its launch, this was the most powerful Corvette ever made at the factory. The 2009 ZR-1 was the quickest Corvette in history. This ride accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, hitting a top speed of 205 mph.

1 2018 Corvette ZR-1.

Via: WhichCar

Last on our list is one of the best new age Corvettes. The 2018 Corvette ZR-1 was first unveiled in 2017. This is the most extreme Corvette ever built. Compared to its predecessors, the 2018 ZR-1 featured the most aerodynamically efficient design. The redesigned front bumper and the huge rear showed the evolution of the Corvette brand.

Via: DriverMag

This beast is powered by a 6.2-liter supercharged LT5 V8 engine that is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine pushes 755 horsepower and delivers an impressive 715 lb-ft of torque to the car’s drivetrain. The ZR-1 sprints from 0 to 60 mph in less than 3 seconds. The 2018 ZR-1 is also the first Corvette to be available only with an automatic transmission.

NEXT: These Are The Most Common Problems With The 2020 Corvette