1958 Corvette
Few changes were made to the now-successful Corvette. More chrome was added to the body. 9,168 were sold. It had 5 different horse power choices, but depending on which one it had, the cars preformance remained about the same from last year. the top speed of the Vette was now 140 mph.
In this year of 1958, two Corvettes entered the Sebring Grand Prix of Endurance. Also, Bill Mitchell assembled the XP-700, a highly modified Corvette. Harley Earl retired from GM, and Bill Mitchell became GM's chief of styling. Later that year, Bill Mitchell began working on the Q-car, or Q-Corvette, which had a rear-mounted transaxle and fully indepedent suspension. Finally, Zora Arkus-Duntov managed to do 183 mph in a Corvette SS on the GM Proving Grounds in Phoenix, Arizona.
Factory Price: $3631
Overall Length: 177.2"
Wheelbase: 102"
Width: 72.8"
Hight: 51.0"
Weight: 2781 lbs
Engine: 283 cid V-8
Compression: 9.5:1
Carburator: Single 4 barrel
Dual 4 barrel (optional)
Fuel injection (optional)
Horsepower: 230 @ 5000 rpm
245 @ ???? rpm (optional)
250 @ ???? rpm (optional fuel injection)
270 @ ???? rpm (optional)
290 @ ???? rpm (optional fuel injection)
Transmission: 3 Speed stick
4 Speed stick (optional)
2 Speed automatic (optional)