More than an old car #24: Chevrolet Corvette C3

American classics are even more rare than the usual Ferraris and Lamborghinis here, given that GM did not establish a presence in the Asian market. This 1977 Chevrolet Corvette C3 5.7L is a sight to behold even though it is not native to Singapore.

The Corvette C3 is the 3rd generation of Corvette cars made by Chevrolet from 1968-1982. Its name is derived from the smallest class of warships known as a 'corvette'. Designing started in 1964 with the release of the Mako Shark 2 concept, which was ironically leaked by Hot Wheels when they released a toy car model. It was powered by a 5733cc Chevrolet Small-Block 8-cylinder engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 174km/h with an acceleration of 9.3 seconds (0-100km/h). For the 1977 model, it was 4.7m long and weighed 1605kg.

More than 540,000 C3s were produced, of which almost 50,000 were produced in 1977 alone. However, it is worth noting that all models were left-hand drive. This specimen was imported from Australia, where it underwent a right-hand drive conversion. There are currently 3 C3s in Singapore, one red and one blue in colour. Corvettes have become the icon of Chevrolet and it is heartening to know that there are people who are still passionate about these uncommon classics!