Back when I was a kid in the sixties there wasn't a "C" 1 or 2 Corvette.
My elders called them one of two things:
Coupe or Roadster. Plus you could add Stingray in '63.
And even when I bought mine in '76 it wasn't called a C3. It was just a Stingray Coupe.
Lately I've been trying to remember when it was that I first heard the "C" thing.
I'm going to guess it was with the C4. But was it a corporate thing? Was it us?
Old guys, do you remember the first time you heard it?.......

 

C orvette-1 C orvette -2 rinse and repeat. (So now what's confusing is CAMARO is on C-6 ) C amaro-1 etc.

Back in my day...last millenium! The C-2's were 'Mid-years'....no so anymore.

Even more confusing is some automotive journalists split the C-3 into two 'Cs' Chrome and urethane....thank god that BS died out.

Cheers Unkahal

 

I saw the first C use in the print media when the (now) C4 was under development.

 

Lore has it that the Cx coding was NOT a GM construct. Had it have been GM's doing, C2 would have been for 1961 & 1962, as it was a different body style in the rear.

But, it is what it is...and it is a useful convention.

 

Interesting....glad this was brought up as I never knew and glad there's some light shed on it; I think.....on the same topic, there is such a HUGE disparity between the 68-72 years and the (73 some) 74-77/78-82 years, it appears t that it would be appropriate to separate those into different generations. Just my opinion.

 

Ken...I beg to differ.
So if a C-2 is 70% the same as a C-3
Then from 68-82, they are 80% THE SAME.

This is why I love them and have 3 (more on that at a different time)
I have early and a late....It is remarkable how similar they are, yet FEEL different !

Unkahal

Until recently (2000's Stupid XLR fiasco!) the Corvette was/is the only vehicle/ chassis NOT shared around GM. Remembering the A,- F bodies.

 

I recall first seeing it with the C5. I read it in an interview with John Cafaro. Before that it was "solid axles", "Midyears", "Stingray", "chrome bumper shark" "rubber bumper" shark... etc. I actually find it a bit annoying and redundant when people say things like "I have a 1969 Corvette Stingray C3". Please forgive me if you do this but to me it is like saying "ATM machine", "VIN Number", "RPMs", "sum total", "past history". As soon as one says they have a 1969 on the C3 forum, I think everyone knows what it is.

 

Or would it have been the '56 and '57 because it looks so much different than a '53-'55?

 

If I may add my two cents. Typically 2010 Camaros are referred to as Gen 5 (generation), and the newer years are Gen 6 and etc. The older models starting around the 1990 are referred to as F Body through 2002 when production was stopped. No idea what the years prior to the F Body was called? Don’t have one of those. I have never seen them referred to as “C” on any Camaro web site or Forum.

 

This will be debated forever and everybody has their reasons.
I believe the breaks should have come with the "major" body restyling.

In other words the '53-'55's should be the C1.
Then '56-'62 as the C2 (7T1vette, I understand that you see a big difference with the rear body styling from 1960-'61 but for me the main body remained, much the same as the 1978 rear change up from 1977. The basic body was very similar.)
Then of course '63-'67 would be the C3.
1968-'82 the C4.
Everything from 1984-2019 would be the C5 (yeah, flame away, I'm not listening ).
And finally the 2020 would be the C6.

If you don't agree with me, you can take comfort in the fact that I am not the Corvette Emperor.
Cheers, Greg

 

I know there is a google tool to search things in old printed literature....I just cant remember it...
Don't forget Y-Body.

 

Just so no-one feels left out! WE are the 'Y' body guys. (we knew that!)

Nice Read BTW.

https://blog.1aauto.com/letter-gener...y-styles-mean/


Unkahal

 

Camaros and Trans Ams are referred to by generations. 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th.

Pretty much like Corvettes.

 

Not really that different. The chassis is fundamentally the same. It's the same from 65-82, so it's a good thing we didn't leave it up to GM to come up with the naming convention. There is a LOT of great technical info that is missed by the C3 crowd because it is posted in the C1/C2 forum but would otherwise apply to our cars.

 

Not til I joined this forum Im in my 50s.
They are corvettes to me.

 

The term C4 and C5 came out of GM Engineering, while C1, C2 & C3 grew out of the Corvette hobby in the late 90's.

In 1996 there was a book written by James Schefter called "All Corvettes are Red", about the development of the 97 Corvette. In the book, Schefter revealed how GM had development work going on on both 94-96's and the all new 97 at the same time, and needed a way to differentiate between work being done on the two different generations on Corvettes. To make it easier to identify work being done on 94-96's, verse work on the new 97, Engineering started referring to 94-96's as C4 (Corvette generation 4) and the 97 Corvette as C5 (generation 5). No one outside of GM had ever heard of or used the terms C4 or C5, until All Corvettes are Red came out. It wasn't long after that that people in the Corvette hobby started using C1, C2, and C3, to refer to the earlier generation Corvettes.

I don't mine referring to 84 and newer cars as C4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, because overall those generations didn't change much from year to year. But personally, I can't bring myself to use C1, 2 or 3, because in those generations, the cars often changed each new model year. To me, it's better and more descriptive, to use the model year when describing or asking a question about, 53-82 Corvettes.

 

Ask what color to paint the bicycle rack and everyone will have an opinion...and then some. This is not a competition, it is not rocket science, it is a discussion. I have ideas, you have ideas....no problem. Someone wants to argue about the opinion someone else shared? Go pound some sand.....

 

Exactly! What happened? Everyone called them a mid-year for years. And again, Coupe or Roadster.
I guess it's like "solid axle." Another old Corvette term fading away. Kinda like us?...

Very cool. You'll want to ck this out guys. I had no idea the Corvair was a Z-body....
Personally I've never had an issue with how things lined up in the "C" world.
Except for '61-'62, which should be called the C1.5
This is the great thing about the forum. Lots of info......and opinions....

 

I would modify your separation to make everything after 1983 the “Euro Competitive” generation, or “EC’s”.

ok - I will probably be banned for posting that...