Corvettes at the 1960 edition of the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
#Chevrolet 265 v8 history manual
To make things even better, a 4-speed manual transmission was made available as well. Duntov’s request was finally heard and in June, 1955, the 265CID V8 Corvette hit the showrooms across the USA. One of the Corvette’s chief engineers, Zora Arkus-Duntov, insisted that the car deserved a second chance but with something more spicy under the hood. The Corvette became a disaster in sales and Chevrolet was ready to axe the car after only 2 years of production. It was equipped with a 150 HP, in-line 6 engine and a two-speed automatic transmission, in other words, the car had the looks of a sports car, but was far from performing like one. The Corvette was released in 1953 and its mission was to compete with the British roadsters that were invading the American market at the time. The company repeated the recipe for the next 2 years, making the Chevys from 1955, 56, and 57 instant classics and propelled the popularity of the Small Block V8 for years to come. One of the best example of early days Muscle Car. The gorgeous 1957 Chevy 2 doors “hardtop”, equipped with the Rochester mechanical Fuel Injection Small Block V8. That year alone, Chevrolet sold 250.000 more cars than Ford. The combination of the sleek design and the power of the V8 made the new Chevy a smashing hit and a turning point for the company. Chevy also made available the “Super Power Pack” V8, with 190HP, for those who wanted a little more punch under the hood. In 1955 Chevrolet unveiled its all-new automobile line up: the Model “150”, the “210” and the top of line, the Bel Air all of them equipped with the optional 265CID “OHV” V8, cranking 160HP. GM quickly transferred the “OHV” technology to its most popular brand: Chevrolet. The idea was to maximize the profits as much as possible, making the V8 even more affordable. The popularity of the Oldsmobile 88 and the “OHV” V8, helped to push General Motors as the number one name in performance in the USA, but that wasn’t enough, GM had broader plans for those engines.