1981 Chevrolet Corvette “81C3”

The 1968-1982 Chevrolet Corvette C3 is the longest-running Corvette generation, wearing production bodywork drawn from the Mako Shark II show car over a chassis carried forward from the 1963 C2. It opened at the top of the horsepower era, with the 435 hp L71 427 and the race-intent L88 and all-aluminum ZL1 big blocks, then rode the emissions decline down to a 165 hp (net) base 350 by 1975. Chrome bumpers gave way to body-color urethane in 1973-1974, a fastback glass rear window arrived in 1978, and the generation closed in 1982 with Cross-Fire throttle-body injection and the Collector Edition hatchback.