Sales for the 1977 Corvette Prove to be Banner Yet Again
With the Silver Anniversary only one year away and the Shark being in its tenth year of production the Chevy engineers wanted to put out a very special 1977 Corvette; and they did just that. The Car saw very little changes to the exterior but it did have plenty of changes done on the interior that made for a much more comfortable and convenient ride.
Of course the biggest change that was noticed right away by any Corvette fanatic was the loss of the ‘Stingray’ name over the two front fenders. In 1977 the Chevy Corvette was again sold only as a Corvette and the Stingray name was replaced with the signature crossed-flag insignia that is still famous to this very day.
Also new to the outside of the 1977 Shark was the reworking of the optional luggage carrier so that the t-tops could be carried there as opposed to the truck which was lidless. This represented greater ease for those who wanted to drive with the t-tops off. GM advertised the 1977 Corvette to be able to be purchased with clear glass t-tops but had to recant their statement as they got into a disagreement with the manufacturer over who would retain the rights. Later in the year the manufacturer came out with the clear t-tops and by 1978 Chevy had it own factory set to provide buyers.
Inside the 1977 Corvette there was plenty of changes that took place. Some of these changes included:
- Better Stereo System: For the first time in Corvette history the 1977 Shark featured an optional AM/FM/cassette stereo.
- Better Instruments: All the interior instrument panel instruments on the 1977 Corvette were restyled so that they could be read easier.
- Climate Control: In 1977 the Corvette’s climate control was retooled to be simpler to use.
- Leather: For the 1977 Corvette a leather interior was now the standard and a buyer could even get a leather rim sports steering wheel if they desired.
- Interior Power: Both power brakes and power steering came as standard equipment for the 1977 Corvette.
With the 1977 Corvette representing the tenth year of the Shark many continued to speculate as to when Chevy would come out with their new generation of the Corvette. While many felt that it may happen for the Silver Anniversary, little did they know that the Shark still had plenty of teeth left and would run for a few more years beyond the 25th Anniversary Chevy Corvette.
In the end, the 1977 Corvette proved once again that the Chevy Corvette was the standard when it came to sports cars. The previous year’s model that had smashed the 1969 record in sales only got to enjoy its time at the top for one short year as the 1977 Corvette set yet another sales record moving 49,213 units. Yes once again the Chevy Corvette had silenced the critics that said the generation of the Shark was dragging on, though those critics seemed to get fewer and fewer as the years clicked by.
Tags: 1977 Corvette, 1977 Shark, Chevy Corvette
