Corvette History 1953-1962 Corvettes (C1)1957 Chevrolet Corvette
1957 Chevrolet Corvette
Contributed by Mike Antonick, Editor "Corvette Black Book"
One of the great all-time automotive milestones, the 1957 Corvette was the first to combine fuel injection with a four-speed manual transmission. Displacement increased to 283-cid, and the most potent fuel-injected engine developed 283-hp. Sales rose to 6,339, with Onyx Black taking over as best-selling exterior color at 2,189. Included in that quantity was 1957's favorite two-tone combination, Onyx Black with silver cove. There were 909 of those. The rarest color was Inca Silver (65) and the rarest two-tone was Inca Silver combined with an ivory cove. Chevrolet painted just ten 1957s that way.
Driving a 1957 Corvette, Dr. Dick Thompson and Gaston Audrey won the 12-hour Sebring in March 1957. Corvettes won the SCCA Class B-sports national title (J. E. Rose), and Class B-production Sports (Dr. Thompson). Chevrolet aided amateur and professional racers alike with a factory optional Heavy Duty Racing Suspension, the legendary RPO 684. This had special springs, quick steering adaptor, metallic brake linings, finned brake drums, rear brake air ducting and front brake air scoops (elephant ears). While these components were sold at Chevy parts counters, just 51 models in 1957 left the St. Louis assembly plant with RPO 684.
|
|
