10 Chevrolet Corvette Models You Probably Forgot About

The Chevrolet Corvette has 66 years of glorious history and legions of fans across North America.

Here are 10 Corvette models you probably forgot about... and for good reason.

1954 Chevrolet Nomad
At the 1954 Motorama, Chevrolet introduced a first version of the Nomad. Notice how it looks very similar to the original Corvette? You could say they were sisters! The Nomad came a year after the Corvette as a wagon variant of the Bel Air.

1961 Chevrolet Corvette Mako Shark Concept
The silhouette of the second-generation Corvette, which hit the market in 1963, was largely inspired by the Corvette Mako Shark Concept. The six-lamp design and glass roof didn't make it to production, however.

1963 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
The use of the "Grand Sport" name with the Corvette dates back to a long time ago. It first appeared in 1963 on a lighter and racier version of the sports car. Only five units were built and they notably starred in motorsports.

1969 Chevrolet Corvette Manta Ray Concept
With "Mako Shark", "Stingray" and "Manta Ray," the Corvette has a long history of names inspired from the marine world. The Manta Ray is essentially a modernized version of the Mako Shark II. This concept still exists as part of the General Motors collection inside the Heritage Center.

1973 Chevrolet Aerovette
The new 2020 Corvette adopts a mid-engine layout for the first time ever. However, Chevrolet has worked on the concept for decades. In the early 1970s, the company launched a bold prototype featuring a pair of rotary engines. The project died as a result of the oil crisis of 1973.

1973 Corvette from the movie Corvette Summer
Released in 1978, the movie Corvette Summer featured, as the name suggests, a Corvette. It was a red 1973 model with right-hand drive, some fibreglass body panels and side pipes below the doors. The flame graphics were super-hot, too!

1983 Chevrolet Corvette
The 1983 model year was marked by production delays that prevented Chevrolet from launching the fourth generation as planned. This is the rarest Corvette of all for that reason. Actually, the only 1983 copy you will find resides at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.

1990 Chevrolet Corvette CERV III
The CERV acronym, which stands for "Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle," was used for a few rear-engine concepts including the CERV III presented at the 1990 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was motivated by a 5.7-litre V8 rated at 650 horsepower.

1998 Chevrolet Corvette Indy 500 Pace Car
The official pace car for the prestigious Indianapolis 500 in 1998 was this purple and yellow Corvette that no spectactor in attendance could miss. Parnelli Jones was the driver. Eddie Cheever won the race.

1998 Chevrolet Corvette from the movie XXX
In addition to Vin Diesel, the 2002 movie XXX starred a red C5 Corvette that helped the main character pull off a spectacular stunt off a tall bridge.