The ‘62 Corvette was the first model year to incorporate the 327 cubic inch V-8 engine in place of the smaller 283 cubic inch engine. While the jump to a V-8 in the 1950s had proved pivotal to the Corvette’s ultimate success and sustainability, nobody could have imagined the impact that the introduction of the 327 V-8 would have on the last of the C1 Corvettes.
The larger 327 V-8 produced power and torque that was unparalleled with anything seen prior to its emergence as the primary power plant of the 62 Corvette. This new ‘Vette, when equipped with a four-speed and fuel injection, could regularly run the quarter-mile in under fifteen (15) seconds and achieve speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour while doing so.
In 1962, refinements included the removal of two-tone exterior finishes, giving the cars a more purposeful appearance. Despite being less decorative, these final first-generation Corvettes were highly sought after when new, and today, well-preserved examples are cherished by collectors. The ’62 model offered abundant comfort and convenience options, with a choice of seven distinctive exterior colors.
Despite its origins and its undeniable ties to the very first Corvette, the 1962 was faster, handled better, was more physically appealing, and was the most completely realized and most civilized of any C1 Corvettes, though it continued to retain much of the pioneering imagination that made Harley Earl’s 1953 concept car such a triumph at its unveiling during the 1953 Motorama.
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