The first generation of Corvettes, C1, was made between 1953 and 1962. In 1963 it was replaced by the C2. The C2 was the first corvette generation to feature a Corvette Sting Ray coupe. This generation was designed by Lawrence Kiyoshi Shinoda - Larry Shinoda - and was styled by Bill Mitchell. This generation of the corvette became an instant classic and the work of Larry Shinoda and Bill Mitchell is responsible for a large part of the popularity of the Sting Ray, the Mako Shark and other classic corvettes.
There are many other reasons that these cars became the classics they are today. There is the fact that they where the first all American made sport car which made them appealing in a patriotic age. There is also the fact that they where truly great sports cars with a lot of power. The 1963 corvette had a 365 hp engine (272 kW), and that's was only the beginning. Each new model grew a little more powerful.
