bill-sj

hopefully not a tired topic: I am mainly curious to hear about the C2 and C3 introductions. I was born in 1969, so the C4 was the first new gen I saw:

C4 - I was about 15, the C3 was an awesome car and I remember thinking that the 1984 was like a spaceship/bullet. I was a big fan of the C4. The C4.5 (rounded edges) was a weak progression to me.

C5 - I hadn't seen many pics of the car, but I was blown away when I first saw one on the street. the interior also seemed to take a huge jump ahead in terms of comfort and not being "sunk" into the seats and staring over a raised dash (i'm only 5'7"). bought one in 2001.

C6 - I thought of it as C5.5 and was a little disappointed. however, when traded my 2001 for a 2007, my teenage daughter thought the C6 was much better looking than the C5. I was like "well, ok!!?"

C7 - surprised at first, but quickly growing on me. for fear of turning this thread into some BS, i will leave it at that.

for any who was around for the C2 and C3, was the C2 seen as a super classic at that time, and how the transition to C3 received if the C2 was such a big hit??

thanks for any replies....

4thC4at60

You're forgetting those of us who remember, drove, and owned C1s.

1's were cool
2's were cool
3's not so much
4's loved 'em
5's only so so
6's -oh, yeah
7 - oh, oh, oh, yes...

I'm 71, soon to be 72.

And, yes, I'm buying a 7...

Turbooo2u

The first generation Vette I liked was the C5. I started paying attention to the C4 but I thought the interior was too gimmicky with the digital dash. I get those same feelings when I look at the C7 dash unfortunately.

Aaron Keating

I wasn't alive when the C4 was launched.
I do remember the first time I saw one, as a kid and I wanted one. The C4 was the first Corvette I ever actually saw in person too. A coworker of my dad had given me a bunch of Corvette mags and I've kinda liked vettes ever since.

C5: the first time I saw one was for a TV ad of a C5 racing through the desert. The second time, was in Gran Turismo 3.

Videogames kind of cemented my love of vettes particular the Gran Turismo series as they were consistently some of the better cars in the game once you learned the quirks of the cars. the 96 GS by the time GT3 came out I probably had over 500 hours in. Such a fun car to drive compared to some of the other cars. I was glad the C5 came out in GT3... because my friends wouldn't let me use the GS against em anymore.

C6 came out, and I was excited but not quite like I was the first time I saw a C4, and C5.

C7: and I feel all giggly about it when I see the pics.

Corvettes and F bodies got me started into cars in the first place really.

It's also one of the few cars that I found to be Better in real life than it was in the sims. As fussy as my C4 gets at times, I wouldn't trade or sell it. It's value to me is priceless.

MYROAD

I had a C3 and loved its looks but it was problematic and handling was mediocre. I was not attracted by the C4 so never owned one. The C5 struck me as an incredible leap to the future. I bought one new in '97 and loved everything about it. Despite being a bit underwhelmed by the C6 (C5 1/2?) I ordered a new 2005 C6 in June of 2004 and took delivery in September. Unlike the C5, which attracted attention everywhere I went, the C6 drew few comments, despite being the first on the road in my area. I reacted to the C7 the way I did with the C5. Wow! I have a new loaded C7 coupe on order and can't wait for delivery. Like my first three corvettes, my 2014 will be Torch Red!! Like my C3 it will also have a red interior.

Robert R1

Found Vette's to be outright ugly esp the C4's.

Then the C5 came out and loved it right away. Thus the C5Z. The C6 is cool but only in Z06 trim. I don't like the base much at all.

The C7 is ofcouse awesome in pics so hoping it translates well inperson.

bill-sj

my apologies!! much respect and thanks for the reply.

RestoRoc89

The C6 was the first car that really caught my attention (I'm young). I enjoyed the clean lines and simple elegance after thinking that the C5 was too busy and plasticky looking with all the complex curves. Needless to say, I bought a C6 brand new as soon as I could afford one. C3s have always appealed to me for similar reasons. C4s and C5s...meh. C1.5s and C2s are badass, but waaay before my time.

robvuk

My take. I fell in love with a 1960 when I was a kid. I was stunned when the 63 came out with its exotic, hideaway headlights and sleek body. So decadent. I was stunned again in college with the C3 like an alien ship. The C4 didn't impress me at first like the others but as soon as I saw one on the street, I immediately purchased a new one and again in 92 when they bumped the HP to 300. The C5 again seemed a bit watered down in the aggressive/exotic department, not such an impressive styling advance but it grew on me and I purchased one a few years later. The C6 again was a disappointment to me. I was looking for something much more aggressive and it just didn't happen. They patched/fixed most of it with the Z06 but I never could get over the fact that it was an inch taller among other things. I think my biggest dislike was the Impala-like dip in the rear deck lid. It grew on me but not enough to make it one of my favorite choices. The C7 again has the dip in the center of the rear deck lid but it seems to fit much better with the new tail lights. It still makes an awkward spoiler fitment but overall, I believe the car has much more of the aggressive/exotic looks I remember being impressed with in my younger years. I'm a buyer at this point. jmho

99HRDTP

1. C5 - wow!
2. C6 - meh, at first, then ZO6/ZR - double wow!!
3. C7 - OMG, wowzers!!!

BWF07

Well when the '53 hit the streets I was only 7 years old and with only 300 produced you were lucky if you even saw one, so I cannot answer for it, however I do remember when I saw my first C1 Corvette it was love at first sight. I guess I was around 10 at the time. C2's instant love again. I also liked the C3's when they came out. C4's not so much, but it did not take a long period of time for me to embrace them, although they were around for such a long period in time I did lose interest in them. I love the C5 as soon as it was released, The C6 not a fan at introduction, but that was over in less then 6 months. The C7, I am still not fully embracing it as of yet, but then again I have only see it in pictures and video's so I will reserve my final opinion until they are in the show room. Even if I am not a fan at first, it is still a Corvette and I will own one in a few years.

capevettes

I'm still driving a C1, C2 and C3. I'm not your age but do remember the introductions of every generation except the C1, since I was born in 53. I loved every one of them. IMO the only partial period of any generation that I did not like were the later C3 years, 74-82.

chaase

C1 - meh
C2 - cool
C3 - cool
C4 - holy hell that is fugly
C5 - cool
C6 (base) - pass, C6 GS/Z06 - cool
C7 coupe - meh, vert - pretty cool

Gearhead Jim

For me-

C1: Old fashioned.
C2: Most beautiful car I'd ever seen. Advanced engineering. We bought a 1967.
C3: Bigger, heavier, smaller on the inside, and over-styled. Everything that was wrong with American cars of that era.
C4: Clean and functional.
C5: Pudgy and ugly. We bought a 2001 only because the mechanical stuff was so good.
C6: Even more beautiful than the C2. Great mechanicals, too. We bought a 2006 and traded for a 2009. Still love to look at it.
C7: Have only seen pictures, but my reactions are similar to the C3 on styling. Mechanicals may make it worth buying, waiting to see.

michaelinmech

For me-

C1: First car I saw was a 61 - love at first sight

C2: First car I saw was a 66 - thought it was the most muscular, beautiful and sweet sounding machine in the world. I was 14 and that car together with some GTO's I encountered probably turned me into a car guy for life.

C3: My first NEW Corvette - a 74 - waited 8 months for a white over silver 454. Loved it - regrettably it was a lemon. Don't even get me started - DISASTER

C4: I remember magazines raving about it for months before it came out - when I finally saw one, I was totally disappointed

C5: I was unimpressed - hated the rear end design. I rememebr at the new car show, no one was even looking at the car for the most part. Finally leased one as I could not bring myself to buy

C6: Was back on the Corvette band wagon - thought Chevy had read my mind in the changes they made from the C5. Have owned 3 - Vert, Coupe, ZO6

C7: Think the folks at Corvette deserve tons of credit for a total remake of the car without losing the Corvette distinction. Love 90% - but it's back to C5 for me with the rear end design - just think it's wrong.

Vipor

M take...

C1 - x
C2 - x
C3 - First time I noticed vettes. Someone owned one down the street where we lived and I saw it in the driveway every time the schoolbus drove by there. Baby blue-ish color with wire spoke rims. Loved the car. Was my dream car at that point. But of course too young for a car.
C4 - Always thought they looked blah with the curves gone. When I started my working career (1987), a coworker had one and that was my first time ever on a vette. Was exciting to sit and ride in one.
C5 - After all the years of loving vettes and slowly finding myself in a position to afford one, got me my first C5 in 2001 (age 36) right off the showroom floor. Wooohoooo!!! Got my 2nd one in 2004.
C6 - My initial reaction was " what did you do to the curves again?" After having my '04 for a few years and parting ways with it, I itched for a vette again and went and got a 2009 C6.
C7 - Initial reaction was " what the heck kind of taillights are those? You're ruining the vette again!". But, now that there are lots more pics out, I see some nice looking curves on the front end and some of the side poses look good too. I hope those taillights can grow on me. I'm itchin for a new vette.

63Corvette

Well..............when I first saw THIS picture............I couldn't breathe

Sin City

A a kid, I loved the original Stingray (who didn't). Then, I fell in love with the Mako Shark concept which I thought was super cool.

As I got older, the C5 I though was really interesting but the C6 looked too soft to me.

What turned me off was the late 70's when cars got ugly, ill fitting rubber bumpers and had like 200 HP or less. Luckily, those days are gone.

The C7 looks fresh to me. I think it will burn out in a couple of years though and they'll have to do some major updates to the look. It just doesn't have that "classic" look yet because -- its details are just too fussy.

svtkeith

C2...nice car.

C3...From 68-71 loved it...80-82 IMO still the best looking Vette ever.

C4...disgusting.

C5...liked it a lot.

C6...Loved it as soon as I saw it...first of the newer gen without the pop up headlights was a huge plus in my books.

C7..Is a beautiful car...with the roof painted body color and the rear painted body color down to the exhaust I think will go down in history as the sexiest Vette ever.

Rapid Fred

Kinda funny how much people's tastes can differ. I am guessing I am your age, roughly. I had 100% the opposite take. As a kid, I liked the C3's looks when they came out, but as I got older I began to really dislike them. I felt they were overwrought, oversized and overweight. Perhaps keeping a 14 YO body style on a 20 YO chassis had something to do with it. Anyway, I remember thinking the C4 was a huge upgrade; a seriously competitive sports car, and quite contemporary in styling -- striking but purposeful. Of course, it kinda hung on well past it's expiration date, as well.

Now, I tend to admire all the generations for what they are. For example, I do think the older chrome bumper C3's look great at Vette or general interest shows.

Of course, when you think about generations, don't you feel that we should be up to about the C10 by now, not the C7?!?