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Printed in the United States of America
Corvette – America’s Star-Spangled Sports Car: The Complete History, 1953-1982 takes the reader behind the scenes during the early decades of Corvette design, engineering, brand development and racing competition. Award-winning automotive historian Karl Ludvigsen weaves together a technical examination of each model year with the compelling stories of the GM staffers and privateer racers who-through equal parts talent, passion and sheer force of will-kept the Corvette program thriving against heavy odds. Ludvigsen’s up close and personal telling of the Corvette story captures the human drama and fierce rivalries that fueled the American car industry’s golden age-and resulted in some impressive Detroit muscle.
When it was published in 1973, Star-Spangled Sports Car broke new ground as the first book devoted entirely to a single car model. It has since been credited with helping to kick-start the exciting Corvette hobby. Four decades after its original publication Classic and Sports Car declared, “Karl Ludvigsen’s Corvette history remains the bible.”
Now the award-winning author has fully revised, reorganized and expanded his Corvette bible, devoting 784 pages and 989 photos and illustrations to the complete history of the C1, C2 and C3 generation cars. As fast-paced and exciting as the cars it describes, this is a book for anyone who ever drove a Corvette-or wanted to.
From the Publisher
Corvette – America’s Star-Spangled Sports Car
The Complete History – 1953-1982 by Karl Ludvigsen
Some of the exciting pictures you’ll find in Corvette – America’s Star-Spangled Sports Car
From Chapter 41: Sharks With Teeth
The star-spangled C3 of tuner John Greenwood and entertainer Dick Smothers placed seventh overall and first in GT category in 1971. Photo by Pete Biro.
From Chapter 19: Mitchell’s Motors
Tony Lapine airbrushes a rendering of the XP-755 in 1961. Photo courtesy of GM
From Chapter 50: Happy Anniversary!
1980 Production Corvette illustrated by Steven Cavalieri. Photo courtesy of Ludvigsen Partners.
From Chapter 39: Preening the Shark
Mister Muscle among 1968 engines was the aluminum-head L88 Mark IV. With open exhausts, the L88 easily delivered in excess of 500 bhp. Photo courtesy of Ludvigsen Partners.
From Chapter 30: Lightweights Go Racing
1963 Corvette Grand Sport
Frustrated by GM’s adherence to the Automobile Manufacturers Association’s 1957 ban on corporate support for automotive racing, to the detriment of the nascent Grand Sport Corvette, Zora Arkus-Duntov arranged for the five prototypes that had already been built to be made available to carefully selected race teams. Chapter 30: Lightweights Go Racing tells the story of the technical challenges these prototypes faced in their first racing season, with racing and technical illustrations like this cutaway of a 1963 Corvette Grand Sport by legendary automotive artist Yoshihiro Inomoto.
From the back cover
Author Karl Ludvigsen with Corvette creators Zora Arkus-Duntov and Bill Mitchell. Photo courtesy of Ludvigsen Partners.
From Chapter 36: Racing Four by Four
Author Karl Ludvigsen and Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov consult during test drive of CERV II in 1970. Photo courtesy of Ludvigsen Partners.
From Chapter 39: Preening the Shark
1968 Stingray L88 Coupe
Despite struggling with internal divisions within GM, Zora Arkus-Duntov was able to take pride in a clear sign of success when the brand new third generation of the Corvette sold out its 1968 production run. In Chapter 39: Preening the Shark, Ludvigsen writes about the design, development and introduction of this new Corvette, commonly known as the C3 and seen here in this opening illustration by renowned automotive artist Steven Cavalieri of a Safari Yellow 1968 Stingray L88 Coupe.
Publisher : BentleyPubs (July 4, 2014)
Language : English
Hardcover : 784 pages
ISBN-10 : 083761659X
ISBN-13 : 978-0837616599
Item Weight : 6.3 pounds
Dimensions : 10.4 x 2.5 x 11.6 inches
