1990
January
The CERV III (No. 3) makes its debut at the International Auto Show in Detroit. The car's mid-engine V-8 is a 5.7-liter 32-valve, dual-overhead cam LT5, with twin turbos and internal modifications, giving it 650 hp and a top speed of 225 MPH.
January
In the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona, a 1953 Corvette in top shape sells for US$125,000.
March 2
At the Firestone Test Center near Fort Stockton, Texas, a team of drivers set a dozen land speed records with a Corvette ZR-1 and a Corvette L-98. Cars were in near stock condition, minus mufflers and catalytic converters. Records include 5000 miles in a time of 28:46:12.462, 5000 km in a time of 17:40:53.748, and 4221.256 miles in 24 hours. Average speed for all record runs were 170-175 MPH. One driver is Corvette Development and Validation Manager John Heinricy.
March
Dennis Amodeo, winner of 36 Corvettes through a 1989 VH-1 contest, sells the collection to artist Peter Max for approximately US$1.5 million.
June 2
Ground-breaking begins on the National Corvette Museum, in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
(month unknown)
Chevrolet manager Jim Perkins successfully argues within General Motors that the Corvette program should not be cut, and that the Corvette should remain within Chevrolet.
(month unknown)
General Motors orders that a new model Corvette introduction be delayed from 1995 to 1998.
October
General Motors president Lloyd Reuss is given a presentation on the Corvette program. He agrees to cancel the proposed 1995 "reskin", and revive the US$250 million program for an all-new Corvette for 1996.
November 2
In a shopping center in Bowling Green, the National Corvette Museum Annex is opened.
1991
January
Reeves Callaway unveils the Twin Turbo Corvette Speedster, a convertible with a 450hp engine. Prices start at US$107,000.
1992
January
At the 1992 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, General Motors debuts a show car called the Stingray III, a styling preview being considered for the next generation Corvette.
March
Ground-breaking ceremony is held next to the Corvette plant for a permanent home for the National Corvette Museum.
March 23
General Motors applies for a registered trademark of "STINGRAY".
April
The new model Corvette is delayed again, from 1996 to 1997.
April 25
Chevrolet General Manager Jim Perkins announces at the Corvette Wind and Thunder meeting that there is a plan for a 1996 Corvette, but with no radical changes.
June 5
Ground-breaking for the National Corvette Museum is completed.
July 2
The 1 millionth Corvette is built. It is a white LT1 roadster, with red interior.
July 31
The Corvette Americana Hall of Fame opens in Cooperstown, New York.
August
The 11th Corvettes at Carlisle is held, at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. Nearly 40,000 attend
September 1
Corvette chief engineer Dave McLellan formally retires, staying on as a consultant until his replacement is named.
October
At an Eckler's show, the Stage II Carroll Supercharged LT1 Corvette debuts.
October
The last (number 10) Callaway Twin Turbo Speedster Corvette is completed.
October 19
Corvette program manager Russ McLean informs his staff that the GM Strategy Board has placed all projects after 1996 on hold or canceled, including the 1997 Corvette.
October
General Motors executives approve the design of the next-generation Corvette, with a target release year of 1997.
November
The date of building 1997 Corvettes is planned to be September 3, 1996.
November
Dave Hill, an engineer in General Motors' Cadillac program, accepts a job offer to become Corvette chief engineer.
December
General Motors' Corvette group secretly contracts with TDM, Inc. to build a test car of the 1997 Corvette. The test car is officially called CERV-4 (Corvette Engineering Research Vehicle). Corvette directs the project, with Chevrolet paying for it. General Motors management is not told about it, for fear that they would cancel it.
1993
January
At the 22nd Annual Awards Banquet of the Society of Plastics Engineers, the Corvette platform team is given the Environmental award for their use of recycled sheet molded compound body panels. Chevrolet is given the Hall of Fame award for the 1953 Corvette.
January
AMT/Ertl releases the 1972 Chevrolet Corvette Street Machine 1/25-scale model kit.
February 2
The term "STINGRAY" is registered as a trademark to General Motors.
February
General Motors Powertrain Division decides to discontinue development of the Gen II engine as a small-block, and create a new medium-displacement V-8 engine.
May 3
Corvette chief engineer Dave Hill unveils the CERV-4 test car at the General Motors Technical Center in Warren. Most of the hundreds of people attending did not even know the test car was being built. It cost Chevrolet about US$1.2 million to build.
June 14
Corvette program manager Russ McLean and chief engineer Dave Hill meet with the General Motors Strategy Board, including General Motors president Jack Smith, to get approval for Concept Initiation of the 1997 Corvette program. The plan is approved.
June 29
Chevrolet general manager Jim Perkins states that a fifth-generation Corvette will be produced for the 1997 model year.
(month unknown)
John Heinricy is promoted to assistant chief engineer of Corvette.
August 10
The 1997 Corvette program begins Concept Alternatives Selection, in which virtually every part, procedure, and design layout is presented, defended, and decided on. The program provisionally passes, pending a two-week review of some components.
September 1
Engine warranty repair conditions for the LT5 change. Mercury Marine now only works on engines with less than 12,000 miles or 12 months use. Chevrolet handles service beyond those ranges.
November
Mercury Marine completes building all LT5 engines destined for Corvette ZR-1 cars for the year.
1994
January 1
Chevrolet begins handling all warranty engine repairs for LT5 engines.
February 19
Reeves Callaway decides to produce a modified Corvette to race at Le Mans, the first time for a Corvette in almost 20 years.
April
General Motors holds a marketing clinic in Los Angeles, to ascertain how well the new 1997 model Corvette might sell. 60% of the clinic attendees say they would buy the Corvette over the competition. No General Motors car has ever earned that high of a response.
May
General Motors' Strategy Board convenes with Corvette group executives for the Concept Approval phase of the Four-Phase process of building new cars. Conditional approval is given to pass from Phase Zero to Phase One, subject to a review in one month regarding production downtime between the 1996 model and the 1997 model.
May 9
Reeves Callaway takes its modified Corvette to the Le Mans race track, for the test day.
May
A Reeves Callaway Corvette qualifies at Le Mans for the pole position in the GT2 class. At the 6-hour mark, the car is leading in its class, and is 8th overall. But at the 9-hour mark, the car runs out of gas, due to a fuel economy miscalculation.
June
General Motors' Strategy Board meets again with the Corvette group, continuing their arguments defending their request to proceed on schedule toward production building of the new 1997 model Corvette. It is agreed that plant conversion would begin in April 1996, with final current model production ending on June 21, 1996.
June
The 22nd annual Bloomington Gold Corvette show is held, in Springfield, Illinois. 32,000 attend.
June 26
The first C5 (1997 model) alpha test car rolls out of the assembly room. Build chief John Fehlberg has the honor of being the first C5 driver.
(month unknown)
The second CERV 4 is delivered to the Corvette group.
July 10
At the four-hour endurance GT Championship race at Vallelunga, Italy, A Callaway SuperNatural Corvette LM driven by Andreas Fuchs and Enrico Bertaggia finishes first in GT-2 class and second overall, behind a Ferrari F40.
July 13
The second C5 test car is completed.
July 29
The last 1994 model Corvette is produced.
(month unknown)
George Swanson is buried in his 1984 white Corvette in the Brush Creek Cemetery in Hempfield Township, Pennsylvania.
(month unknown)
At the Spa/Francorchamps four-hour race, a Callaway SuperNatural Corvette LM driven by Boris Said and Halmut Reis finishes first in GT-2 class, and third overall.
September 2
The National Corvette Museum opens in Bowling Green, Kentucky. 4000 Corvettes attend. Over the three-day weekend, 118,000 people visit the museum. The gift shop does US$1 million in business.
1995
(month unknown)
Greg and Kaija Therell found the Sting Rays Corvette Club, in Florida.
February 9
The first alpha test C5 Corvette enters public roads for the first time.
April 10
General Motors starts building the first C5 beta test car.
April 28
The last ZR-1 Corvette rolls off the assembly line. During its six year lifetime, 6939 ZR-1 Corvettes were built. Chevrolet general manager Jim Perkins and Chief Corvette Engineer Dave McLellan deliver the car to the National Corvette Museum.
May 28
The 79th Indianapolis 500 race opens, with a 1995 Corvette performing the role of Official Pace Car.
June
Three Reeves Callaway SuperNatural Corvettes enter the Le Mans race in Paris, France. One qualifies for the pole position in the GT2 class, and finishes second in class, 10th overall. Another finishes third in class, and 11th overall.
October 19
General Motors names Dave Hill Corvette's vehicle line executive, a new title in General Motors' ongoing restructuring.
1996
March 6
Dave Hill makes the final decision to stop C4 model Corvette production and put all emphasis on C5. June 16 is set as the last day of building C4 Corvettes.
March
General Motors begins preparing the Bowling Green assembly plant for the next generation Corvette.
April 21
Zora Arkus-Duntov dies at age 86, in Grosse Pointe, Michigan.
June 11
General Motors holds a press conference to announce and display the new Gen II engine for the 1997 Corvette. The engine will be known as RPO LS1, a 5.7 litre V-8.
June 21
The last Corvette of the fourth-generation "C4" body style (used since 1984) is produced. Over 300,000 cars were produced since 1984. The car is bought by Mike Yager, owner of Mid-America Design, for his museum in Illinois.
June 27
The 24th annual Bloomington Gold three-day event begins. Over 1200 Corvettes attend, at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield, Illinois. About 45,000 people attend.
August
The first pre-pilot 1997 Corvettes roll of the assembly line.
August 29
The 15th annual Corvettes at Carlisle begins, running over the weekend at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. Over 3,500 Corvettes and 46,000 people attend. 400 members of the ZR-1 Registry club show their cars.
At the Corvettes at Carlisle auction, a 1967 Tuxedo Black roadster with 427/435 motor and 16,000 original miles sells for US$75,000.
September 3
Workers at the Bowling Green, Kentucky, Corvette plant begin assembling the first production 1997 Corvette.
September
The first pilot 1997 Corvettes roll of the assembly line.
October 1
The first production 1997 model Corvette is completed.
November
The 1997 model Corvette is unveiled to the press.
1997
January 6
Chevrolet unveils the 1997 Corvette, dubbed "C5". A new small-block V-8 engine is introduced, the LS1, with 345 hp, and 10:1 compression ratio.
January 8
The 1997 model Corvette is introduced in Canada, in Montreal.
March 7
Chevrolet begins selling the 1997 model Corvette.
May
At the Nevada Open Road Challenge, an ex-GTO Corvette is the overall winner, averaging 187.66 MPH on the 90-mile race.
(month unknown)
Maisto releases its 1/24-scale C5 Coupe.
(month unknown)
At the Bonneville salt flats, Ed Van Scoy drives his stock 1985 Corvette to a world record 203.226 MPH.
(month unknown)
Mid American Designs purchases the 1959 CERV I, for display in its "My Garage" collection of rare Corvettes and memorabilia in Illinois.
August 22
The "Corvettes at Carlisle" 1997 show records attendance of 48,500 over three days.
September
9,000 Corvette owners attend a special weekend gathering at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Chevrolet introduces the 1998 convertible Corvette.
November 1
Corvette assistant chief engineer John Heinricy is re-assigned to chief engineer of GM's F-platform engineering group.
November
Ralph Eckler retires from the Corvette aftermarket business.
November 16
Larry Shinoda dies of kidney failure.
December 16
Location of the ABS/Traction Control System brake pressure modulator is moved from the rear of the Corvette to behind the radiator.
(month unknown)
Motor Trend magazine selects the 1998 Corvette as its 1998 Motor Trend Car of the Year.
1998
June
Jim Campbell is named brand manager for Corvette at Chevrolet Motor Division.
August
Dave Hill officially introduces the 1999 hardtop Corvette. Price is US$38,777.
August
Corvettes at Carlisle is held. 53,700 participants attend, with 6,000 Corvettes.
September 4
The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Ed Cole, General Motors President and Chief Engineer of Chevrolet.
The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Bill Mitchell, head of General Motors Design staff.
The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Joe Pike, Corvette promoter and editor of Corvette News and founder of the National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC).
The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Larry Shinoda, designer and member of the 1963 Sting Ray design team.
The Corvette Hall of Fame inducts Zora Arkus-Duntov, first Chief Engineer of Corvette.
September 8
Baseball team St. Louis Cardinals president Mark Lamping presents team member Mark McGwire with a red 1962 Corvette, after McGwire hits his 62 home-run of the season.
1999
January
At the 24 Hours of Daytona race, Chevrolet debuts the GT2 class C5-R Corvette race car. Ron Fellows and Chris Kneifel drive one to third in GTS class.
March 20
At the 12 Hours of Sebring race, Ron Fellows, John Paul Jr., and Chris Kneifel drive C5-R No. 3, finishing 4th in class. Andy Pilgrim, Scott Sharp, and John Heinricy drive C5-R No. 4, but do not finish the race.
June
At the Grand Prix of Sonoma at the Sears Point Raceway in California, Chris Kneifel and Ron Fellows drive a C5-R to second in class.
July 17
At Knebworth House in Essex, England, 120 Corvettes take part in the longest convoy of Corvettes ever in England. 344 cars in total take part in the main event, the 20th Annual Corvette Nationals of the Classic Corvette Club United Kingdom.
July 22
The Merrill Lynch / Crian Rodman International Challenge (BRIC) races take place at Elkhart Lakes Road America. Dozens of Corvettes take part in the various events.
August 7
The 12th Annual Corvette Show & Go is held in Englishtown, New Jersey.
August 14
Mid America Designs hosts Corvette Fest West, in Pomona, California.
August 27
The Corvettes at Carlisle meet is held, at the Carlisle Fairgrounds in Pennsylvania. About 6000 Corvettes and 50,000 enthusiasts attend. Highlights of the auctions include: 1958 convertible with 3000 miles, US$41,000; 1958 convertible with documented racing history, US$94,000; 1963 coupe, US$40,500; 1967 red roadster with 400/427 engine and side pipes, US$56,500.
(month unknown)
At the West Michigan Grand Prix in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Reese Cox drives his C5-Raqcer Parts Kit Corvette to second place.
September
At the Molson Indy Vancouver Grand Prix, in British Columbia, Canada, Scotty White wins first place driving a 1998 C5 Corvette.
September
The National Corvette Museum receives a 2000 Millennium Yellow 6-speed Corvette Convertible, number 19, to be given away in a raffle next September.
September 2
The National Corvette Museum celebrates its fifth birthday. 6,000 Corvettes and 60,000 enthusiasts attend the five-day event. Dick Guldstrand, Dave McLellan, and Jim Perkins are inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame. Chevrolet officially introduces the 2000 model Corvette.
September 13
The Second Annual Petit Le Mans is held at Road Atlanta, in Atlanta, Georgia. Chevrolet enters two C5-R racer Corvettes. Car #4, a C5-R Corvette race car, driven by Andy Pilgrim, Scott Sharp, and Kelly Collins, places 4th in GTS class, 13th overall. Car #3, a second C5-R Corvette race car, driven by Ron Fellows, Chris Kneifel, and John Paul, places 5th in GTS class, and 14th overall.
September 18
In Effingham, Illinois, Mid America Designs hosts Funfest '99 to celebrate their 25th year in business. 5,000 Corvettes and 30,000 enthusiasts attend. A 1978 Silver Anniversary Indy 500 Pace Car Replica with 1700 miles is given away.
October
At an SCCA race at Mid-Ohio, a Corvette wins SCCA T-1 class, using a Corvette-developed racing suspension package.
(month unknown)
At a race at Pike's Peak, John Heiricy riving a C5 Corvette finishes second.
October 10
The VISA Sports Car Championship Petit Le Mans is held at the Laguna Seca race track in Monterey, California. Nine Corvettes are entered, four are C5, five are C4 models. John Heinricy races his C5 Corvette to first overall. Chris Kneifel and Ron Fellows race the C5-R Corvette Racer to 2nd in GTS class, 12th overall. This is the last World Challenge race of the year.
November 2
Chevrolet announces it will enter a C5-R Corvette race car at the 68th 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 2000.
At the Specialty Equipment Market show in Las Vegas, several C5 variants are displayed.
November 5
At the Arlington International Racecourse in Arlington Heights, Illinois, Dana Mecum holds the annual "Mecum in Chicago - Fall Premier Auction". 45 Corvettes are among the cars auctioned. Hightlights include 1973 convertible owned by Dwight Yoakam: US$32,550; 1953: US$91,875; 1955 "Corvette Copper": US$34,125; 1957 "Aztec Copper" fuel-injected 3-speed: US$50,400; 1966 with 36 gallon tank, 427ci 390hp engine, 4-speed: US$48,300; 1965 L78 3730 miles: US$141,750; 1965 L75 2831 miles: US$120,750; 1965 L84 1577 miles: no sale at US$122,500.
2000
March 4
The Chevy / Vette Fest is held in Chicago. General Motors displays the Corvette Pace Car for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
The National Corvette Museum hosts the 10th anniversary celebration of the World Record Run.
(month unknown)
In Florida, the 48th Annual Superflo 12 Hours at Sebring is held. Corvette C5-R, #4, driven by Ron Fellows, Chris Kneifel, and Justin Bell, places 16th overall. Corvette C5-R, #3, driven by Andy Pilgrim, Kelly Collins, and Frank Freon places 24th overall.
May 4
Speedvision automotive television programming introduces the "Corvette - The American Dream" series.
(month unknown)
At Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, Round One of the Speedvision GT Championship is held. Bill Cooper, driving the Les Stanford / Pirate Racing Corvette C5, wins. In second place is MTI Racing's Corvette C5, driven by Reese Cox.
(month unknown)
A 1969 Corvette coupe with L88 engine sells for US$107,000.
June 8
The Route 66 Corvette Show is held, in Joliet, Illinois.
June 17
The 24 Hours of Le Mans race is run, in Paris, France. The 2000 model Corvette is the pace car.
June 22
The Bloomington Gold Corvettes USA meet is held.
