Very rarely do automakers lavish much attention on an outgoing model, with most aesthetic changes being limited to trim and perhaps grille patterns. While that may have been the case for the final first generation Corvette (C1), 1962 marked a significant improvement in performance over previous models when Zora Arkus-Duntov and company punched the small-block out to 327 storied cubes, boosted compression and offered it in four flavors ranging from the standard 250-horse variant to the 360-hp fuelie. The new ponies were more than the aging platform could bear, prompting Duntov himself to proclaim "...this is the last time Corvette's power will be increased - within the present chassis, anyway." The complexity of the Rochester fuel injection system stymied many mechanics and hot-rodders, prompting most performance-minded '62 Corvette buyers to select the 340 horsepower version topped by a single Carter AFB - ranked by many as one of the finest versions of the Chevrolet small block ever offered.
Corvette was the preferred mode of transportation for American Astronaut Alan Sheperd, who arrived at NASA training driving a '57 model. Upon successful completion of his first space flight, Sheperd was personally awarded a brand-new '62 Corvette by GM Design VP Bill Mitchell and Chevrolet General Manager Ed Cole. Florida Chevrolet dealer Jim Rathmann took note of the promotional opportunity this created, and made arrangements with GM to supply Corvettes to Sheperd and his fellow star voyagers over the next several years. GM also provided roadsters for use in the TV drama "Route 66" through the early 60's, further boosting Corvette's status as "America's only true sports car". The clever promotions worked - 14,531 1962 Corvettes were sold, a 25% increase over '61.
By Scott A. Scheel
Photography courtesy of Chevrolet
