(first posted 7/22/2016) I imagine that the driver of this C3 is doing exactly what I wish I could be doing on many summer days during the workweek – tooling around the Windy City in a classic Corvette with the t-tops off and the a/c and stereo on. After the Chicago winter, and then what feels like maybe three fleeting weeks of spring, we’re thrust into summer without warning. It’s only a matter of time before the Fourth of July passes, and before you know it, you’re halfway through the month and seeing ads for fall clothing and children’s back-to-school sales. The driver of this car was doing things correctly on this July afternoon. He was seizing the day.
Under the Loop tracks at Washington and Wabash, this C3 made its presence known against a sea of imports, taxis and city buses – not with the bold rumble of its exhaust, but with its sensational curves and extravagant length (for a two-seater). Like one of Chicago’s many old, architecturally beautiful buildings dating back to the beginning of the last century, the basic design of this Corvette was also a monument, staying in production for fifteen model years. A child born in inaugural-year 1968 might have been entering high school by the time the ’82 models went on sale.
They’re not to everyone’s taste, nor are they as practical or as efficient as Corvettes that followed, but the C3’s of the mid-70’s remain visually distinctive forty years later. Summer’s not over, yet… not even close. There’s plenty of time to go somewhere, or do, wear or eat something you’ve never tried before until Labor Day rolls around. Take the cover off the car in your garage and take it for a spin this weekend. Take that discretionary day off from work on Friday to go ride roller coasters. You’ll be glad you did when you’re raking leaves in November.
Downtown, The Loop, Chicago, Illinois.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013.
We here in the Great White North (Ottawa, Canada) also have a very short summer period and look: here we are now almost at the end of July. Posts like this one remind me that time is getting shorter and before long, I’ll be looking at my car under a cover through the garage door. Thanks to this post, I’m going to get the old girl out and go for a nice cruise this afternoon… Not quite a Corvette, but you know…point taken…
I keep the wheels turning from April to November, even longer for the Dart. Good reminder to all, Joseph…get out there before the cabin fever sets in again.
Of course, heat indices of 105 in Michigan today aren’t helping much, but I’ve driven both Buicks already.
Before Memorial Day, I started scanning the ads for motorcycles and roadsters thinking I could enjoy the not too warm weather in the fresh air. But way before the 4th of July I realized it’s probably going to be another scorching Florida summer.
If it was a choice of motorcycle or roadster/convertible it will have to be a convertible with a pretty good A/C system.
I don’t exactly know why, but whenever I look at Corvettes, I always find that the current model doesn’t appeal to me. It takes me a few years to “get used to” a new model Corvette but these C3 Corvettes have always appealed to me.
Wish that was me cruising the streets…but if possible somewhere where the temps are cooler than Chicago.
Howard, I was reading in an elevator yesterday that for the first time in recorded history, all 50 of the United States recorded temperatures significantly higher than their respective averages. It has been a warm summer…so far.
Well, everything is relative, I suppose. Here in Florida I’m planning my weekend around household chores and light shopping, all “indoor sports” practiced under the constant hum of central air. Posts like this one remind of how much I miss the exuberance of Northern Summers. The next couple of months here will not exactly be peak season for fun in the sun, unless you’re a glutton for punishment, that is.
As for the C3, this will always the “The Corvette” as far as I (and those of us “of a certain age”) are concerned. This was the ‘Vette that our schoolboy dreams were based on, even if it was all show and no go. I love the late ’70’s C3 with the tunnel back rear window treatment, prior to the bubble back look of the early 80’s. This is a car I’d still love to own, and uncharacteristically for me I’d probably prefer it with an automatic. At this stage I’m far more interested in boulevard cruising than boy racer gear-jammin’. One of these would just feel so right for an evening cruise with the tops off and some good tunes.
Yeah, the exaggerated coke-bottle styling of the C3, plus the very long run before a major restyle, make it ‘the’ Corvette for many of a certain age. Even the slow, late seventies ‘disco’ version qualifies. The prior C2 musclecar era version was great, as well, but the C4, with its much smoother, aerodynamic shape (which certainly helped it to be faster), just wasn’t the same.
I have to agree, but then put me in that age group too, as I was born in 1960.
To me the 1972 was my favorite… Chrome bumpers front and back, with the aforementioned “tunnel back window treatment”. In ’73, when they went to the plastic look up front, but it was still chrome in the back, I was ok with that. So I was 12, and a car crazy kid like the rest of us in the summer of ’72, the perfect impressionable age for the C3 to become “The Corvette” in my eyes.
When they went to the plastic rear bumper in the back in 1974, I wasn’t too sure about it, but then this cool show came on TV called The Magician starring Bill Bixby driving a car much like the featured Vette in all white like that. As soon as he drove that car up into that Boeing 720, I was convinced that the C3 was the only way that the Corvette should ever look. Period. I was 24 years old when the C4 came out and thought, ‘this thing looks a like a watered down Trans Am’. It would take a long time before I dug the Vette again, but truth be told, I kinda like the new one. At least the car is back to looking like a “Sting-Ray”.
The C4 in essence was essentially the template for every corvette made since – Dimestore Ferrari knockoffs – Whereas the C1/2/3 were GM being GM, unapologetically American styling at it’s peak, they had their own identity. Put a C3 next to a Ferrari Daytona and there’s no mistaking the two and there’s no nitpicking them either (unless the monetary values cloud your judgement), whereas every vette generation to follow is cool… until a real supercar pulls up next to it, and suddenly that viagramobile goes limp again.
Until the C7 anyway, I think that thing looks way better than the Italian exotics as of late. There’s a bit of that C3 brashness in that car. I unfortunately can’t afford aaaaany aspect of owning one.
Hell I was born in the middle of the C4 years and I consider the C3 the ultimate Vette, namely the pre-78s with the buttresses. For Federal bumper standards cars this era Corvette fared excellent, I was never a fan of the droopy angle of the back personally( I prefer true kamm tails like the 68-73) but damned if it doesn’t blend seamlessly with the lines of the car. I’ve seen worse looking flush bumper executions on 90s-current cars where that’s the norm.
One reason I love old cars is I love old cities like Chicago, and nothing clashes with the architecture and infrastructure worse than the soft edged aero blobs we see today. As you said the Corvette looks like a monument. Park it in Millenium park for a few years and there’d be as many people taking pictures with it as they do The Bean.
Seriously Joseph, I really like your photography. Your composition, lighting, settings, and of course the cars, are consistently outstanding. I don’t have time to post very often, but you’re a great addition to Paul’s already excellent site.
I can easily see any of these pics on a 70s era album sleeve. Picturing Larry Graham behind the wheel. Modern pics, that capture the period look and feel beyond the car itself. Your city’s architecture helps too, of course. lol
Agreed, on all counts.
Daniel (and Paul), thank you for the kind words. I enjoy contributing to this site very much.
The pre-bumper car C3 Corvettes were every bit as striking and glamorous as anything coming out of Europe.
Yup. Absolutely gorgeous before 1973.
I wanted so much to like these as they were beautiful and not outrageously priced. However, the car’s many deficiencies just wouldn’t let me. These had a whopping 180 HP, a cramped and uncomfortable cabin, and God-awful fit and finish. Had a friend who bought a new 1978 after a tough divorce. Similar styling, but with the fastback rear window. His initial excitement quickly waned after the first rainstorm when the foot wells filled completely with water. Build quality of the C-3 was awful throughout its long run. Never could figure out why Chevy couldn’t get it right.
Speaking of build quality, a couple of first model year Corvettes are widely accepted as some of the worst assembled of the marque (and, consequently, also some of the cheapest to buy). Specifically, run-of-the-mill 1968 and 1984 cars with no rare features or options are the easiest to find at the lowest prices. Of course, they would also be the most difficult to maintain and keep running, as well, without being able to justify the cost later.
It’s quite a difference from, say, a 1963 split-window car, the price of which can command astronomical levels for a truly original, pristine example.
They all had that fastback starting in ’77, I believe.
’78.
Hopefully clad in bell bottoms and gold chains. I had the chance to buy a ’80 C3 in 2000. 350 4 speed. The worst rattletrap I have ever been in. Build quality made ’57 Chryslers look good. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise there is no ’83 Corvettes; they probably had a hard enough time trying to give away the ’82s. 305 and Belch Fire Injection
This car brings back memories. When I was growing up in the 1970s, our neighbor’s very attractive daughter was dating the son of one of our town’s wealthiest families.
He drove a Corvette exactly like this one – down to the chrome luggage rack. She married him in the late 1970s, and, to the best of my knowledge, they are still married today. One wonders if they still have that Corvette.
It seems to me like the Corvette is now an Old Man’s Car, as it’s too expensive for younger sports to buy or insure.
You`re probably right. “Millennials” are not into cars, but us older folks who grew up in the real rock and roll era are .Just about everybody I know who has a collectible car are in their 60s, or older .Still, as Mr. Dennis says, just get in the car, and enjoy where it takes you.
Can we PLEASE, please, please stop spreading this stupid canard taken from whatever 2011 Huffington Post article it was? Lots and lots of younger people are car enthusiasts, just like many of their parents were not.
Why deny the truth?
They may be a large number who are vehicle enthusiasts, but there seems to an ever-shrinking number who are car enthusiasts.
A coworker is about to take possession of his father’s ’76 Corvette. When one of his twin sons turns 16, it may be his to drive. He said it’s not fast in relation to current cars and, more importantly, there isn’t any room inside for the boy and a girlfriend to get too cozy with each other. Smart thinking.
Despite the delicious warmth today (forecast high of 100, although we are currently only at 90 with a heat index of 99) I did take the Galaxie for a spin before seeing your article. Taking it to the auto parts store, I hardly got it out of second gear, but it’s been driven, which is more important.
Dear Jason Shafer: You mentioned your ’63 Galaxie (beloved here as well ’cause my family had one, too); in case you haven’t seen it, there’s an interesting writeup (Owners’ Survey) in PM, March 1963: https://books.google.com/books?id=B-MDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA108&dq=galaxie&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjZoISjgIjOAhVK6IMKHTdHApAQ6AEIHjAA#v=onepage&q=galaxie&f=false
Thank you for this link. It is very accurate and I tend to agree with the statements and observations made.
You’re welcome (and let me thank you for all your CC contributions while I’m here)! It’s interesting to compare PM’s Owner Surveys with reviews in the “buff” magazines (Motor Trend, etc.)–and then contrast both of these with Consumer Reports’s take on things. Here’s hoping there’s lots of life left in your ’63!
And interesting to note that they used a smaller steering wheel on power steering cars.
Glad to know you enjoy your vintage Ford as much as I do mine. They simply rock. Mine is a mere 33 years old.
“……there isn’t any room for the boy and girl to get too cozy with each other.”
Don’t worry. They will find a place that has enough room.
Love your Chicago posts, Joseph. I wish I had more time to get down there these days, especially since I’m only about 60 miles north of the Loop.
I remember a Friday afternoon in late October, probably 1982. I left work early and headed south to meet a friend at Watertower Place. For whatever reason I decided to drive my Jensen Healey. The sound of the Lotus Twincam echoing off the buildings on Michigan Avenue was priceless. If you were around then, it would have made a great post!
A friend had a ’70 C3, which I spent quite a bit of time in. She LOVED it. I…well, not so much. It sounded like someone purposely loosened every fastener on the thing.
Ah, summer. For us in the southwestern deserts, convertible/sunroof/T-top season runs from about mid-October through (maybe) April. May and June? Well, maybe after the sun goes down, but not during the day. The sun beats down fiercely from May through September, and our cars turn into air-conditioned cocoons. Convertibles aren’t quite as popular here as one might think, but they do last a long time.
I had a co-worker back in the late ’70s who had a ’68 Corvette coupe. She loved that car! For me, Chevy nailed it visually so completely with the ’63-’67 Sting Ray that one of those would still be my dream. I’ll take mine with a 327, please.
FWIW, I’m a C4 fan. I’ve driven plenty of C3s (I can borrow my FIL’s 69 L47 4 speed convertible at will, but I do have to drive 360 miles to get it), but I far prefer a C4. OTOH, my 26 year old daughter prefers a C3 and rather likes my FIL’s 69. I’m hoping she can get out of her college loan and purchase my FIL’s ‘Vette before he gets impatient and sells it to someone else.
If you had to press me for a C3 that I really liked, here’s one from my high school graduation year… 1980 was not a great year for Corvettes, but I would gladly drive one of these.
Mid winter here right now the only C3 that lives nearby is in the back of the guys carport with a cover over it, no doubt when the temperature rises it will be out and about, it looks the part, nice V8 rumble, side pipes, white like the featured car.
Despite their flaws, it is always nice to see a clean C3 Corvette driven around!
I can remember when these later C3s were really reasonably priced. If you could get the great-looking and great-performing C2s and early C3s out of your head, these made a nice V8 powered roadster that was not a bad performing car considering its era. I like these a lot better than I did when they were new.
Saw a pristine 74 today. And then an early C4 with a later bumper treatment and wheels swap.
The pictures are gorgeous. The car too, may be a 74-75. It would benefit immensely if the owner got rid of those mirrors and instead used original GM bullet ones, or the chrome ones that came with it.
Thanks, everyone, for reading this and also for the great discussion and kind words. I’ve been absent from CC this weekend as I actually *did* take a PTO day to go ride roller coasters (at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio) and just got back.
Seeing that I’ve finally moved up to the number six spot for the chance to buy a parking space in my building after 11 years of condo ownership, I may actually have a chance to buy and garage a C3 of my own…in another 7 years or so? Hahaha
Glad to hear some of you were inspired to get outside with your rides this weekend.
6 years later…. where are you presently on the waiting list?
I absolutely enjoy your posts, but miss the music selections you used to provide. I liked listening to songs I hadn’t encountered before.
Thank you, Eric. I finally made it to the top of that parking list. That would still be leased space, though, and still no car, so I’m content with being perched up there until my time comes!
That’s good news for all of us. My guess is you’d lose most of your car spotting opportunities driving the streets of Chicago. I used to post a lot of shots to the cohort when I lived in the center of Seattle and walked a lot. Moving to the suburbs meant more time in my car, and fewer opportunities to make observations.
Wonderful photos as usual of a car that still fits into the “practical classic” category. And a reminder that, despite the loss of purity with the plastic nose and tail, the ‘Vette was still quite a looker in ’76. I think the biggest mistake in the C3 generation was the bubble rear window in ’78–just wasn’t the same afterward. Of course, if I could pick any Corvette of any year, make mine a ’69 427. Lots of folks consider the ’67 to be the apex, but I like the early C3 even better.
One quibble. What the heck is with the luggage rack? Yes, there’s not much luggage space and it’s hard to get to with no trunk lid. But the chrome luggage rack just looks all wrong!
This is one of the prettiest car pictures I have ever seen. The ’68-’73 and to a lesser extent, the ’74-’77 models will always be “the” ultimate Corvettes to me. What a fantastic little break from reality. Thanks.
You’ve beautifully captured this car in words and images. It looks so good in white against the frenetic city backdrop. This Vette has sensational lines, combining strength and a fragility seen best in the first image.
Thank you so much. Seeing that this post got rerun yesterday, it occurred to me how much has changed in the nine years since I originally took these pictures. And how much has stayed the same. Time flies!
Yes I was born in 1968. And yes I was entering High School as the C3 survived.
But that tunneled rear window is why I own a Miata RF.
There are two of this style Miata’s here in my neighborhood. They look like they’d be pretty nifty to drive.
Seems funny to read about summer with the rain pounding on the iron roof, and the garden awash. Still, it makes the ducks happy! But I’ve been hearing from other countries too that you’ve had a hot summer Up Top there. Down here we had a wet ’21-’22 summer, and are having a wetter than usual winter so far. I suspect it’s a bit colder too; we’ve had more frosts and a few days when we haven’t reached double figures – Celsius, of course. that’s cold for here.
As a teenager I was disappointed with the Vettes after ’72 – lost the Look, lost the Power – but as I’ve aged I’ve grown to appreciate all the C3 Vettes. They have a certain indefinable something that later ones lost. While not a car I would own, I can admire the style. Not a fan of white on a Vette though, my ’75 is yellow. 🙂
I just went through images of all the Corvette generations (easy: C1, C2 etc.) The first C1s in particular are very nice, although living without real side windows would be a pain. Later C1s are OK for their time. The C2 Sting Ray is of course awesome in coupe or convertible form. After that every single one seems like some boy racer fantasy and are mostly a foot or two longer than they should be. The current mid engine one no doubt does everything a serious European supercar does at half or less the price, and also manages to be awful where many of them aren’t. I’ve seen a couple on the street including a parked one I could check out more carefully. Still embarrassing level awful.
OK, not that I’m gonna buy something like that anyway, so GM needn’t worry.
What’s the deal with rear luggage racks on C3 Vettes? Yes I know its to store the T-tops on the go, but in over 30 years I have never seen one in use. Is it simply because the C3 has no trunk making it a royal PITA to remove? Personally I would remove the rack and fill in the remaining holes with some custom chromed CNC bolts with rubber or silicone washers.
Here’s a more appropriate roof rack that looks great and can come and go with ease.
“Leader pic” could be a commercial for Starbuck’s. I’m still partial too the original Vette and/ or the “62”.
Reminds me of the C3 Jim Belushi drove in the 1981 movie “Thief”, which incidentally was filmed in Chicago.
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