For 2008 the Texas Corvette Association continued their lucky streak. Their annual open car show in Boerne, TX again enjoyed perfect autumn weather and a great turnout of classic cars of all sorts. Throughout the year and at the event they raise money for St Judes Children's Hospital.
For the 2008 event I thought I would use some of the photos to illustrate the evolution of America's first sports car. Included are a series of photos of just the fronts of Corvettes showing the year it was made. You can travel through the years and see the sometimes subtle changes that distinguish one year from the next.
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Far from being a Corvette, this 1940 Willys still has a classic style all it's own. Making the TCA annual show an open event allows everyone to see not only hundreds of Vettes, but a variety of cool rides. |
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| The Studebakers of the mid 1950's have become favorites for hot rodders due to their stylish body designs and compatibility with modern drive trains. This 1953 model uses graphics on the side to accent the body lines. | |
| This 1953 model uses graphics on the side to accent the body lines. | |
| For 1954 the basic shape remained the same. | |
| Another nice feature of the cars of the 1950's is the spacious trunks. | |
| For people who need a little more cargo area, the 1950's saw roomy family station wagons, the predecessor to today's SUV's. This beautiful '57 Chevy Nomad has been updated with modern equipment. | |
| Most cars from the '50s were know for having roomy interiors. This 1958 Plymouth Fury sports the classic big fins of the era and what came to be called a bubble top due to the lack of a support pillar behind the front passenger windows and the slender roof line at the rear. | |
| Continuing in the 1960's, automobiles featured large comfortable interiors and powerful engines to move all that steel around. This 1961 Pontiac Catalina convertible is a fine example of sport luxury. | |
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Convertibles are great for the kind of cruising that became popular with young drivers. With cheap gas prices, family vacations went to America's national parks and other far away destinations. |
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| Personal luxury cars like this 1966 Ford Thunderbird became status symbols for the growing middle class. | |
| The 1960's also saw the rise of the muscle cars. Until the advent of the Federal Emission Standards and the oil embargo of the 1970's, models like this 1968 Chevelle were available with ever increasing horsepower. | |
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And now, the stars of the
annual Texas Corvette Association's annual car show.. the classic Corvettes! |
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| The 1954 Corvette was basically unchanged from the original introduced the previous year. | |
| By 1957 subtle changes began to emerge. The fenders project the headlights further forward. Also, notice the bottom of the body has more curves added and the turn signal placement is different. | |
| 1958 saw a dramatic change in the front end with the change to double headlights. | |
| A 1960 Corvette looks virtually the same as the '58 and '59 models. | |
| For 1961 the "teeth" in the grille that were present from the original introduction of the car disappeared in favor of a louvered look. | |
| The "ducktail" design of the 1961 and '62, with the body coming to a point in the rear, would be known as "transitional" years. The exhaust now exited below the body and not through the bumper as in previous years. | |
| The 1963 Corvette front end was dramatically different from all the previous years, featuring hideaway headlights. The split window fastback model was made more rare by owners modifying them by removing the fiberglass between the 2 rear windows and replacing it with the full glass of the 1964. | |
| Although the appearance remained the same in 1966, what was under the hood changed with the introduction of big block engine power. | |
| By 1972 the original Stingray design had evolved considerably. This would be the last year for chrome bumpers. | |
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With each generation of Corvettes an evolution takes place. The styling, features and performance may have changed but the American love affair with them never does. From the introduction of independent rear suspension to greater horsepower, today's Vettes are still the pinnacle of American sports cars. Hats off to The Texas Corvette Association for celebrating the cars of the past and present and always doing a great job organizing this annual event. You can also view photos from the 2006 show at The Memories Mall and the 2007 show here at Automotive Memories. |
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