Generation question
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Nebraska
Generation question
A friend gave me an old magazine from 1991 by Consumer Reports. It is the story of the Corvette. It is a great book about the Corvette and follows the Corvette through 1991. However...It calls the generation we know as the 3rd gen the 5th gen, and the c4 is the 6th gen. They don't reference the generations but once or twice in the magazine so I can't really put a pattern to it. Can anyone explain why Consumer Reports calls the C3 the 5th generation Corvette?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2011
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From: Southern NH
Only thing I can think of is they are calling '53-'55 gen 1, '56-'62 gen 2, '63-67 gen 3, '68-'72 Gen 4, '73-'82 Gen 5 and '84 up gen 6?
the C1 -C7 thing was never terms used by GM until the C7 I think, so all that talk is just what people like us made up along the way.
the C1 -C7 thing was never terms used by GM until the C7 I think, so all that talk is just what people like us made up along the way.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 31,301
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From: Westminster Maryland
Hi CT,
WAAAAY back in the beginning there was NO mention of generations.
People generally grouped the cars as:
53-55
56-57
58-62
63-67
68+
68+ cars were thus the 5th group.
I believe the "generation" business was marketing "lingo" that came along later.
Regards,
Alan
WAAAAY back in the beginning there was NO mention of generations.
People generally grouped the cars as:
53-55
56-57
58-62
63-67
68+
68+ cars were thus the 5th group.
I believe the "generation" business was marketing "lingo" that came along later.
Regards,
Alan
Last edited by Alan 71; Dec 30, 2015 at 06:00 PM.
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Mar 2015
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From: Nebraska
Saying that the word "generation" was lingo that came by later makes sense. Thanks guys! It's a cool little magazine, I'll post some pics later.
Last edited by COOLTED; Dec 30, 2015 at 07:34 PM.
Drifting
Joined: Apr 2013
Posts: 1,750
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From: Central Wisconsin
Consider the source.
Consumer reports knows virtually nothing about cars.
I've been noticing this for years.
Just more comedy from a joke of a magazine. (more geared toward toasters and blenders)
Consumer reports knows virtually nothing about cars.
I've been noticing this for years.
Just more comedy from a joke of a magazine. (more geared toward toasters and blenders)
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,687
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From: Shamong, NJ
As Alan said, there was a time when people lumped Corvettes together based on their body styles, not the chassis/body structure. The generations were considered to be 53-55, 56-57, 58-62, 63-67, and 68-82.
Thread Starter
Pro
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From: Nebraska
Very true, but this is different. It's a great read with tons of pics, and even pics of several clay models, and lots of pics of the designs and prototypes that didn't make it. It's actually done quite well.
Team Owner
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From: Crossville TN
Those types of books are all 'interesting reads' and informative. But, you have to realize that each author puts his/her own "spin" on events in the life of the Corvette. And, the author may or may not have had any direct involvement with any of thos events. So, you can read that information, but you have to compare it with similar info from other sources to gain confidence in the "facts".
The old adage that, "if you tell a story long enough, it becomes truth", is definitely a reality. Some accepted stories about Corvette lore likely never happened....and I'm sure that there were a LOT of other real stories that we have never heard.
The old adage that, "if you tell a story long enough, it becomes truth", is definitely a reality. Some accepted stories about Corvette lore likely never happened....and I'm sure that there were a LOT of other real stories that we have never heard.
Last edited by 7T1vette; Dec 30, 2015 at 10:23 PM.
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Team Owner
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At some point after 1967, what we now know as C2 were called "midyears". The middle being between C1 and C3, but they weren't called that then, but the "Sting Rays" were also called midyears.
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From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
Those types of books are all 'interesting reads' and informative. But, you have to realize that each author puts his/her own "spin" on events in the life of the Corvette. And, the author may or may not have had any direct involvement with any of thos events. So, you can read that information, but you have to compare it with similar info from other sources to gain confidence in the "facts".
The old adage that, "if you tell a story long enough, it becomes truth", is definitely a reality. Some accepted stories about Corvette lore likely never happened....and I'm sure that there were a LOT of other real stories that we have never heard.
The old adage that, "if you tell a story long enough, it becomes truth", is definitely a reality. Some accepted stories about Corvette lore likely never happened....and I'm sure that there were a LOT of other real stories that we have never heard.
Last edited by doorgunner; Dec 31, 2015 at 10:37 PM.
Team Owner
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
These days, it have become part of the Corvette vernacular.
Last edited by Easy Mike; Jan 1, 2016 at 07:06 AM.