1968 Fun Facts
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,153
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1968 Fun Facts
https://mobile.corvettestory.com/1968-corvette-2.php
I learned a few things!
>A look the options page for the 1968 Corvette and you'll notice that 65% of the 1968s sold were convertibles. This compares with 43% for 1969 and 38% in 1970. This is not because convertibles were super popular for 1968. When the new generation 1968 C3 was introduced in 1967, only convertibles were available. What happened is that originally the coupe was to be a full targa style roof, similar to what was eventually used in the C4 which was introduced as a 1984 model. The body style suffered from torsional stability problems - the roof could not be removed or installed unless the Corvette was on a flat surface. This meant that the first 10,000 1968 Corvettes were all convertibles. A panicked effort resulted in the T-Top design (above) and its' production started in January 1968. The situation was a problem for the convertible top supplier who was initially told that 60 units a day would work but then had to produce twice that. Compounding the situation was that if a customer liked and wanted the new body style of the C3, their only choice was the ragtop.
I learned a few things!
>A look the options page for the 1968 Corvette and you'll notice that 65% of the 1968s sold were convertibles. This compares with 43% for 1969 and 38% in 1970. This is not because convertibles were super popular for 1968. When the new generation 1968 C3 was introduced in 1967, only convertibles were available. What happened is that originally the coupe was to be a full targa style roof, similar to what was eventually used in the C4 which was introduced as a 1984 model. The body style suffered from torsional stability problems - the roof could not be removed or installed unless the Corvette was on a flat surface. This meant that the first 10,000 1968 Corvettes were all convertibles. A panicked effort resulted in the T-Top design (above) and its' production started in January 1968. The situation was a problem for the convertible top supplier who was initially told that 60 units a day would work but then had to produce twice that. Compounding the situation was that if a customer liked and wanted the new body style of the C3, their only choice was the ragtop.
Last edited by wadenelson; Aug 23, 2021 at 10:39 AM.
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2016
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From: Pittsburgh PA
I have always heard this story about first 10k being convertibles, but there have been posts on the forum that there are very early cars that are coupes with t tops. like serials below 1000, maybe even below 100?
Racer
Joined: Aug 2019
Posts: 451
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From: Chicago Burbs
https://mobile.corvettestory.com/1968-corvette-2.php
>A look the options page for the 1968 Corvette and you'll notice that 65% of the 1968s sold were convertibles. This compares with 43% for 1969 and 38% in 1970.
This meant that the first 10,000 1968 Corvettes were all convertibles. .
>A look the options page for the 1968 Corvette and you'll notice that 65% of the 1968s sold were convertibles. This compares with 43% for 1969 and 38% in 1970.
This meant that the first 10,000 1968 Corvettes were all convertibles. .
1967 Corvette production: 63% convertible 37% coupe
Convertible/Coupe production in 1968 continued at near the same ratio as the previous year.
Looking a the first 10,000 1968's in the C3 registry, there are many coupes listed in the first 10,000 VIN's. A total of 42 cars are listed of the first 300 built. Of those 42, 4 are coupes, or 10%.
I would agree that convertible production dominated the first 7,000 or so VIN's listed, however, the first 10,000 '68s were not all coupes as the Corvette Story author stated.
Last edited by '73and'75; Aug 23, 2021 at 12:22 PM. Reason: 'spellin
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 1,153
Likes: 341
Not arguing with you, I wasn't there, but there's one other possibility. False, swapped, or incorrect VIN #'s.
Last edited by wadenelson; Aug 23, 2021 at 01:36 PM.
