Bill Mitchell Brings a Little Racing Style to the 1961 Corvette
With just two years to go until the new generation of the Corvette would make its presence known, the 1961 Corvette got some restyling of its own and fast became a favorite of enthusiasts everywhere. Bill Mitchell, chief engineer for GM at the time, made changes to both the rear and the front of the car and made more options standard making for a very well equipped base model car.
The biggest change to the outside was in the rear of the car where it appeared that Mitchell had taken the design of his Stingray racecar and transplanted it on the 1961 Vette. Besides the esthetics of the rear other changes to the back end were:
- More Space: Luggage space was improved by an estimated 20 percent for more cargo holding capacity than ever before.
- License Plate Recess: On both sides of the license plate recess the 1961 Corvette had two small and round tail lamps added.
- Exhaust Exit: For the first time in Corvette history the tailpipes exited below the body of the car.
The front end also saw some more modest changes by Mitchell and his gang. Headlight bezels were painted to match the car on the 1961 Corvette and the famous teeth that usually adorned the front end made way for a softer mesh insert. The 1961 Corvette would ultimately prove to be the last year that the bodyside coves would be available in a contrasting hue which most buyer for that year did in fact opt for. With all the improvements many cited the 1961 as the best Corvette of the generation as far as fit and feel go.
The 1961 Corvette also brought many goodies to a standard package rather than making the buyer pay extra for every little thing. Items such as sun visors, windshield washers, thermostat controlled radiator fan, and a warning light for the parking brake all came standard now.
While air conditioning still wasn’t available the buyer could opt to get a heater installed. Also back where favorites such as the Wonderbar radio, whitewall tires, and the Positraction limited slip differential.
Under the hood the 1961 Vette basically just carried over the engines of the 1960 Corvette. The three-speed manual transmission was now the standard and the Powerglide was still an option only this year the Powerglide was not available in three of the five engines as opposed to two out of five from the year prior. Minor changes such as an aluminum radiator fan replacing the copper core units of 1960 also took place underneath the Vette.
The 1961 did not lag in speed and even the most basic of the five engines would scream down the street. Independent testers showed the 1961 Corvette turning 0 to 60 miles per hour times in the range of 6.7 seconds and 7.7 seconds and top speed was anywhere from 109 miles per hour all the way up to 130 miles per hour with the car’s top fuelie.
Even though the Corvette was yet to have an independent rear suspension as many of the European cars of the time had, testers still sang the praises of the handling. By the standards of the time the 1961 Corvette was then considered to be one of the most worthy street legal cars in America and in the world.
Tags: 1961 Corvette, 1961 Vette, Bill Mitchell
