3rd Generation | Corvette C3 Generation | 1968-1982

While the Sting Ray was one of the most beloved Corvettes in the history of the lineup, the redesigned C3 Corvette had a record-breaking sales year in 1968. The Sting Ray badge would return, but only for a short while and in a slightly different form.

The Mako Shark

The third-generation Corvette was based on and named after the Mako Shark II concept car created by Larry Shinoda. Both the coupe and convertible featured extremely prominent fenders, pop-up headlights and a sharply down-sloped front hood. The C3 coupe's T-top removable roof panels were another new and noteworthy addition to the car. Chassis, engines and drivetrains were mostly carried over; the same 300-hp small-block V8 was still the standard base engine, with a 350-hp small-block engine and variety of big-block V8s as options, including the L88.

The Legendary Corvette ZL-1 & Return of the Sting Ray

In 1969, the "Stingray" badge returned, but it was spelled as one word with no space; the logo was placed on the Corvette's fender in chrome. It was also this year that the 327-cubic inch small-block V8 was replaced by a 350-cubic inch version. Additionally, the ZL-1 engine was introduced in 1969 and was probably the biggest news for the C3 Corvette so far. Eric Dahlquist, Motor Trend magazine editor, got to test drive one and wrote, "The ZL-1 has Ferrari speed plus handling and Ferrari brakes but without Ferrari fuss and bother so you can enjoy it, the car, more  The ZL-1 doesn't just accelerate because the word 'accelerate' is inadequate for this car. It tears its way through the air and across black pavement like all the modern big-inch racing machines you have ever seen." The 1969 Corvette ZL-1 engine was a variation on the L88, but it was constructed out of aluminum.

A Sudden & Drastic Drop in Horsepower

In 1970, a four-speed manual transmission was made standard and the C3's engines were revised; a new 454-cubic inch big-block V8 replaced the 427 and a new 370-hp 350-cubic inch LT-1 engine was added to the lineup. Just one year after this spike in power output, the 1971 Corvette's entire engine lineup saw a drastic drop in horsepower because of stricter emissions guidelines, which resulted in the lowering of compression ratios for all engines. The base power rating sunk to 270 horsepower. The next year it dropped yet again to only 200 hp, while engines like the big-block LS5 saw power plummet to 270 hp. Over the next few years, the Corvette's power ratings continued to decline and so did the number of available engines and models. Only two engine options were available in 1975 and in 1976 convertible production came to a halt; convertibles wouldn't return until 1986. In the midst of these happenings, the 1973 Corvette became the first model to sport a polyurethane front bumper; its designers kept the chrome bumper that year, but from 1974 on both the front and rear bumper were composed of polyurethane. In 1977, the chrome Stingray logo was removed from the Corvette's fender.

Marking its Quarter Century Anniversary with Special Editions

The Corvette had reached its 25-year anniversary in 1978. A celebratory redesign included the addition of a new wraparound rear window and a significant interior refresh; new lockable gloveboxs and instrumentation were just a few highlights. The Corvette's 25th Anniversary was also marked by the debut of two special-edition C3 models: the Indy 500 Pace Car and the Silver Edition. The latter featured an exclusive silver over charcoal gray paint job; the former had a black and silver paint job, ducktail rear spoiler and other embellishments. The pace cars were a huge hit and many consumers bought them as collectibles. While the 1978 Corvette wasn't the fastest or most powerful 'Vette ever, it was an American favorite and '78 was the first year Chevy sold over 40,000 models. In 1980, the C3 received an extensive redesign that resulted in a substantial weight less and reduction in drag; horsepower was also back on the rise. 1982 saw the return of fuel injection (after a 17-year absence) and the demise of all manual transmissions.

The C3 generation began on an upward sprint with the successful Mako Shark and popular 25th Anniversary editions, but saw a decline in sales near the end of its cycle.

• 1968 - Fastback body coupe replaced by tunneled-roof coupe. Coupe featured a removable rear window and T - top roof section.
• 1969 - After skipping one year, the name "Stingray" was brought back and now spelled as one word vs. two.
• 1973 - Combined a body color front end with chrome rear bumpers.
• 1974 - Restyled sloping rear end and body color rear bumper.
• 1975 - Last year of the convertible C3 Corvette and 454-eid engine.
• 1978 - 25th anniversary, restyled wraparound back window and fastback roof-line. Silver Anniversary and Pace Car Editions.
• 1980 - Front and rear spoilers integrated into bumpers, no longer bolt-on.
• 1981 - About 9000 Corvettes came out of new Bowling Green Plant.
• 1982 - No manual transmissions produced for the first time since 1955. All Corvettes now produced in Kentucky plant. Collector's edition introduced and carried special vin plates to prevent copying/falsifying. Last of the C3 Corvette.
• 1983 - NO CORVETTES PRODUCED.