2001 C5 Z06 Has 1953 C1 Identity Crisis
If you are deciding between classic car and a more modern one, this Corvette might be for you. It offers the current day conveniences of a 2001 Corvette Z06 in the shape of a Z06 and a Corvette C1. It's hard to imagine without the pictures so click on through to see for yourself.
From the front
The model is called the “1953 Commemorative Corvette” and it was built in about 200 examples by Advanced Automotive Technologies. In front, the car resembles a 1953 Corvette C1. The section in the middle of the car around the door as seen in the picture above, however, brings to mind the Corvette Z06. Another fact is that the 1953 Corvette C1 was a convertible.
Photo courtesy of topspeed.com
From the rear
In back like the front, the Vette mirrors the design of the 1953 Corvette C1. The combination of the 2001 Corvette Z06 and the 1953 Corvette C1 is probably not loved by everyone, but it creates a lot of attention wherever the car is seen and most likely it will be a collector's item among people with a taste for quirky vehicles.
Photo courtesy of topspeed.com
The engine
The engine is the same small-block LS6 V8 that was mounted originally in the 2001 Corvette Z06 when new and is paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. The engine depicted above has however been tuned by Lingenfelter Performance Engineering.
Photo courtesy of topspeed.com
Underneath
Underneath the 1953 Commemorative Corvette, the exhaust looks nice and shiny, but the chassis and suspension remain the same as the stock Corvette Z06. Since the Corvette Z06 is the high-performance version, that still means that the body is already more structurally rigid, and the suspension is upgraded compared to the regular Corvette C5.
Photo courtesy of topspeed.com
The 1953 Corvette C1
In the early 1950s, GM head designer Harley Earl grew interested in developing a two-seat sports car to compete with European automakers who dominated the sports car market. The 1953 Corvette C1, named for a fast type of naval warship, was the answer to his dream. It was presented and very well received at the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto show.
Photo Courtesy of National Corvette Museum.
A Slow Start
Following the debut of the Corvette prototype at the Motorama show in January 1953, the first production Corvette was completed at a Flint, Michigan, plant on June 30, 1953. The car featured an all-fiberglass body, white exterior with red interior, a relatively unremarkable 150-horsepower engine, and a starting price tag of around $3,500 (not including taxes or an optional AM radio and heater). Although sales were low over the first few years, it remained in production, in order to compete with Ford's new entry into the sports car market: the Thunderbird.
The 2001 Corvette Z06
In 1955, a Belgian-born, Russian-raised designer named Zora Arkus-Duntov became Head Engineer for Corvette and put the car on a course that would transform it into a legend. Duntov had applied to work at GM after seeing the Corvette prototype at the 1953 Motorama show. According to The New York Times: “Once hired, he pushed through the decision to turn the Corvette into a high-performance sports car with a succession of more powerful engines. Chevrolet offered a 195-horsepower engine on the 1955 Corvette, a 240-horsepower engine on the 1956 Corvette and a 283-horsepower engine on the 1957 model.” The Corvette Z06 was first introduced in 2001 and used a tuned version of the standard LS1 engine (designated the LS6), with a higher power output which initially produced 385 hp and many improvements including a more structurally rigid body style and lighter materials. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Photo courtesy of corvetteblogger.com
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