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C4 Designer?

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Old Feb 28, 2015 | 06:15 PM
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Default C4 Designer?

Ok, this is probably a very simple question/answer for most but I really dont know myself, Who was responsible for the design of the C4? who came up with the body shape and internal layout? was it down to one person or was it a team effort? whoever it was I'd like to thank them for putting a smile on my face every single day!
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Old Feb 28, 2015 | 06:44 PM
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Find a copy of "Corvette from the Inside - the 50 Year Development History " by Dave McLellan. [Corvette's Chief Engineer 1975-1992]
A great inside look from someone who was there....
The first glimmer of the C4 came from a sketch pad by Jerry Palmer in 1978 (page 111). Further refinement was a team effort.




Corvette from the Inside: The Development History as told by Dave McLellan, Corvette's Chief Engineer 1975-1992: Dave McLellan: 9780837608594: Amazon.com: Books Corvette from the Inside: The Development History as told by Dave McLellan, Corvette's Chief Engineer 1975-1992: Dave McLellan: 9780837608594: Amazon.com: Books

Last edited by Bandit's C4; Feb 28, 2015 at 07:05 PM.
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Old Feb 28, 2015 | 07:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Bandit's C4
Find a copy of "Corvette from the Inside - the 50 Year Development History " by Dave McLellan. [Corvette's Chief Engineer 1975-1992]
A great inside look from someone who was there....
The first glimmer of the C4 came from a sketch pad by Jerry Palmer in 1978 (page 111). Further refinement was a team effort.




Corvette from the Inside: The Development History as told by Dave McLellan, Corvette's Chief Engineer 1975-1992: Dave McLellan: 9780837608594: Amazon.com: Books
Refinement? As much as I love the look of the C4, I like the design on the sketch even more.
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Old Feb 28, 2015 | 08:03 PM
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Dave's book is very good and he has a lot of insight that he shares with regard to the development of the C4. There were some struggles with the GM brass and bean counters, but Dave Hill had similar issues with the C5.

I had a chance to meet Dave McLellan in Monterey CA back in 2002. He was a very nice person to talk with and if he had the chance, he would talk for hours about the C4 in general and the ZR-1 in particular!

Another really good book to get and read is "Zora Arkus-Duntov - The Legend Behind Corvette" by Jerry Burton. This is a tremendous biography of the man who was the force behind the Corvette. Lots of great stories of his life and his love for Corvette.
Zora Arkus-Duntov -The Legend Behind Corvette (Chevrolet): Jerry Burton: 9780837608587: Amazon.com: Books Zora Arkus-Duntov -The Legend Behind Corvette (Chevrolet): Jerry Burton: 9780837608587: Amazon.com: Books
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Old Mar 1, 2015 | 03:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Bandit's C4
The first glimmer of the C4 came from a sketch pad by Jerry Palmer in 1978 (page 111). Further refinement was a team effort.

Now that is some neat stuff there! I wish our cars had more of the "shark" body style indicated in these drawings with the wheel wells more protruding away from the body and the midsection tucking under. Thats way cool!
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Old Mar 3, 2015 | 11:54 PM
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The angle of the back edge of the door glass really gives it a sleek look, but there's no way to make the window go up & down.

I like the vents in the hood. Too bad they never made it into production.
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Old Mar 4, 2015 | 12:51 AM
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Originally Posted by johnnymo63
I like the vents in the hood. Too bad they never made it into production.
So do I especially if they were functional.
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Old Mar 4, 2015 | 10:33 AM
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Larry Shinoda participated in the design. Larry however did not like the belt line molding on the car so when he designed the Rick Mears Special he got rid of that molding.

So, yes the C4 was designed by several men.

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Old Mar 4, 2015 | 10:56 AM
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Originally Posted by tbirdsps
Larry Shinoda participated in the design. Larry however did not like the belt line molding on the car so when he designed the Rick Mears Special he got rid of that molding.

So, yes the C4 was designed by several men.

Attachment 47868467
1989 - http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/...ks-fuel-page-2
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Old Mar 4, 2015 | 10:58 AM
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Jerry Palmer gets most of the credit.
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