Corvette history 1956-57

Index	1956-57 CORVETTE Page 4

The bizarre story of the Sebring SS could fill volumes. It came about when Harley Earl got his hands on the ex-Sweikert/Ensley D-Type Jaguar that had placed third in the 1956 Sebring race. The Jag arrived minus an engine, which suited Earl because he wanted to put an injected Corvette V-8 in it. He also wanted to disguise the body so he could run it in the '57 Sebring.

Duntov, on vacation at the time, got wind of Earl's plan, flew back to Detroit, and talked Harley into letting Chevrolet build a tube-frame Corvette for him instead of the Jaguar-based car. Earl acquiesced (he might have had Duntov's alternative in mind all along), and the resulting car became known as the Corvette Sebring SS. It looked great, but was dogged by insufficient testing time, lack of driver confidence, and inordinate bad luck. The SS lasted 23 laps into the 1957 race and went out with a crushed suspension bushing.

The Sebring SS misadventure was especially disheartening because, had this car won Sebring, Duntov would have gone on to Le Mans with it, and the SS might have changed the course of racing history vis-a-vis Ford's later efforts with the GT-40, Cobra, and others. General Motors currently owns the Sebring SS, which it trots out from time to time for shows and Corvette club events.

These two special racing cars, while not successful in themselves, did lead to bigger and better things, particularly for production 'Vettes. They proved to be living, fire-breathing improvers of the breed. And as the breed improved and more people became aware of the Corvette's potential, sales increased, going from 700 in 1955 to 3467 in 1956, and to 6339 for 1957. The car still wasn't making money for Chevrolet, but that, too, would come in time. Meanwhile, Chevrolet's 'glass slipper proved an asset whose value, as they say, couldn't be measured in mere money.

1956-57 Corvette: Major Specifications
Body/Chassis
Frame	Box-section, X-braced
Body	Glass-reinforced plastic (fiberglass), 2-seat convertible
Front suspension	Independent; unequal-length A- arms, coil springs, tubular hydraulic shock absorbers
Rear suspension	Live axle on semi-elliptic leaf springs, anti-roll bar, tubular hydraulic shock absorbers
Wheels	15-inch bolt on steel
Tires	6.70 x 15, 4-ply
Dimensions
Wheelbase	102.0"
Overall length	168.0"
Overall height	51.9"
Overall width	70.5"
Track front/rear	57.0/59.0"
Ground clearance	6.0"
Curb weight	2730-2850 lb
Engines
Type	ohv 90-degree V-8, water cooled, cast iron block and heads
Main bearings	5
Bore x stroke	3.75x3.00"	3.875x3.00"
Displacement	265 cid	283 cid
Compression ratio	9.25/9.5:1	9.5/10.5:1
Brake horsepower	210@5600 rpm - 240@5200 rpm	220@4800 rpm - 283@6200 rpm
Induction system	1 or 2 4-barrel Rochester carburetors, Ramjet continuous-flow fuel injection (1957)
Exhaust system	Single or dual
Electrical system	Delco-Remy, 12-volt
Driveline
Transmissions
3-speed manual	4-speed manual (late 1957 only)	2-speed Powerglide automatic
First: 2.20:1	First: 2.20:1	First: 1.82:1
Second: 1.13:1	Second: 1.66:1	Second: 1.00:1
Third: 1.00:1	Third: 1.31:1
	Fourth: 1.00:1
Rear axle type	Hypoid semi-floating
Rear axle ratio	3.70:1 (4.56, 4.11 and 3.55 optional)
Steering	Saginaw worm-and-ball, 16:1 ratio
Turning circle	37'
Brakes	4-wheel hydraulic, internal-expanding drums, 11" diameter, 157 sq. in. effective lining area (121 sq. in. with optional cooled, cast iron sintered-metallic linings)
Performance
283 bhp/3-speed -- depending on axle ratio	0-60 mph	5.9-8.9 sec
	0-1/4-mile	15.8 sec @ 88 mph - 14.2 sec @ 95 mph
	Top speed	121-135 mph
Fuel consumption	10-16 mpg

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October 10, 1998