Corvette through the years

When the Corvette was introduced at the 1953 Motorama, GM rushed to get it into production. It set up a temporary factory in Flint, Mich., and built 300 for the 1953 model year. The cars were put in the hands of celebrities and executives to build word-of-mouth enthusiasm.

The 1957 Corvette

The 1960 Corvette. Styling evolved significantly during the Corvette's first generation, but many design cues that would become synonymous with the car were established, including the long dash-to-axle proportion, dual round taillamps and a dual-cockpit-style interior. All first-generation Corvettes were convertibles.

The 1963 Chevrolet Corvette. The second-generation Corvette – dubbed Sting Ray, after a concept race car that influenced its design – represented a revolution in design, engineering technology and performance. Where the first-generation Corvettes were based on a modified passenger sedan platform, the second-generation was a clean-sheet redesign based on a dedicated architecture. It enabled a lower center of gravity and lower, sportier seating position, while supporting an all-new independent rear suspension that dramatically transformed the car's road-holding performance.

The 1965 Corvette

The third-generation Corvette -- beginning with the 1968 model, pictured -- was its longest and the car evolved significantly during an upheaval in the auto industry. It was introduced for 1968 as the Stingray -- one word vs. two words with the second generation. Aficionados generally call these cars “shark” models, for their aggressive styling. From a performance standpoint, the C3 generation was transitional. Big-block engines rated at 435 horsepower were initially popular, but the industry shift to unleaded fuel, tighter emissions standards and changing consumer attitudes affected output over time. In 1975, the standard 350 small-block was rated at only 165 horsepower – about 20 percent less than the original 195-hp small-block from 1955.

The 1979 Corvette: The sports car set an annual U.S. sales record of 58,307 sales in 1979 that stands today.

Retired General Chuck Yeager poses with the 1986 C4 Corvette Indy pace car he drove for that year's 500-mile race.

The 1990 Chevrolet Corvette

The 2003 50th Anniversary Chevrolet Corvette C5 was featured as the official pace car of the Indy 500.

The 2005 Corvette featured a return to fixed headlamps.

The 2011 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport.

GM has standardized its information technology architecture at all of its plants worldwide, including the Chevrolet Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Ky.

The 2014 Corvette