1997 Corvette – Vette-net

For Corvette enthusiasts all over the world, March 7, 1997, was a date that would be long remembered. After the thirteen-year production run of the C4, Chevrolet had declared this date as the day that the first all-new Corvette would be made available for sale to the public. Given the massive amount of fanfare that surrounded the arrival of the C5 Corvette, it was little wonder that there was such an overwhelming clamor for this amazing new variant of the legendary sports car.

The arrival of the C5 had been announced sometime earlier and there had certainly been plenty of information made available to consumers and enthusiasts alike long before its actual arrival. The new Corvette was celebrated as “bringing a new level of sophistication to the franchise.” Further, it was abundantly clear that this new Corvette was truly going to be unlike anything that had ever come before it. While these types of catch-phrases were synonymous with the introduction of any new car – especially a sports car – there was a great deal of truth behind them, as would soon be discovered by the world over.”

Pricing: $37,495.00

Engine options: LS1 346 C.I., 5.7 Litre V8

Transmission: 4-speed automatic (standard), 6-speed manual (optional)

Units Produced: 9,752

Available Colors: Arctic White, Sebring Silver Metallic, Nassau Blue Metallic, Black, Light Carmine Red Metallic, Torch Red, Fairway Green Metallic

Highlights of the year:

To begin with, the C5 Corvette had a completely new look that was at once elegant, seductive, and a testament to the long lineage of sports cars that proceeded it.

The C5 was longer and wider than its predecessor, but the relocation of the wheels to the corners of the car also aided in giving the C5 Corvette a very modern appearance. The wheelbase had been increased from 96.2 inches to 104.5 inches, the overall length increased from 178.5 inches to 179.6 inches, the width increased from 70.7 inches to 73.6 inches, the height increased from 46.3 inches to 47.8 inches, and the track width had been extended 4.4 inches in the front and 2.9 inches at the rear. These increases produced the aforementioned end result of placing the car’s wheels close to the corner of the Corvette’s chassis, which not only aided in the car’s contemporary appearance but also produced enhanced stability and gave the car a roomier interior. The rounded taillights, another throwback to the earliest Corvettes, gave the car an entire familiar appearance while still being a completely new design

Like the exterior, the C5’s interior was an almost complete departure from all earlier-generation Corvettes. The cockpit was bigger, roomier, and more thoughtfully designed. The four-inch-tall doorsills of the C4 were eliminated, thanks to a newly designed frame. The end result of the elimination of these side rails meant that C5 owners would find ingress and egress to be no problem whatsoever.

But there was more to the Corvette than just the comforts of the cockpit or its ultra-sleek exterior. It was built to perform with automobile contenders from around the world.

To start, the new Corvette was fitted with a newly designed, yet historically traditional pushrod, 16-valve small-block V8. Designated as the LS1, this new engine delivered 345bhp (brake-horsepower) at 5,600rpm and 350 lb-ft of torque at 4,400rpm

Perhaps one of the 1997 Corvette’s most significant achievements is that the C5 was immediately recognized as one of the fastest Corvettes of all time and was one of the fastest cars in the world that year.

Needless to say, the C5 was a success from the moment the first models hit the showroom floor. The automotive press was, for the most part, very enthusiastic about the new car, favorably comparing it to such exotic counterparts as Porsche and Ferrari – and at a cost that was less than half of what its European counterparts, there were few who could criticize the Corvette for being anything less than the perfect blend of “emotion and intelligence.”

Surprisingly, given the demand for pre-sales of these cars, only a total of 9,752 C5 Corvettes were built in its 1997 model year. This was not a critical concern to anybody within General Motors though because future orders were increasing exponentially. Besides, the production constrained 1997 Corvette had another variable working against it – namely that the model year had started late for the C5 Corvette. Still, the Corvette was selling briskly for the first time in more than a decade.

Photos of the 1997 Corvette: