'Corvette C3: 1968-1982 C3 Corvette History The “C3” Corvette, a.k.a. third generation Corvette, was produced by General Motors for the 1968 – 1982 model years. The styling of the new C3 was considerably different than its predecessor with a longer, fully redesigned body and interior. However, designers still carried forward the shark like styling cues in the C3 coupe and C3 convertible versions. Though its skin was markedly different the underpinnings of the C3 were carried over from its predecessor including suspension, disc brakes, small-block and big-block V8’s, and manual transmissions. That’s not to say that Chevrolet was letting the C3 corvette stagnate and in fact quite the contrary. Over its 15 years of production the C3 Corvette evolved into a product that became one of the most popular and coveted of all corvette generations – with respect to both styling and performance. From an engine standpoint alone there were almost 2 dozen variants. From a production standpoint over half a million vehicles were delivered. What that means is that we here at Eckler’s Corvette know that there are a lot of C3 Corvettes out there. Maybe you have a barn find? If so then we have all the C3 parts you need to restore your corvette to as new condition. Maybe you have a daily driver? If so then we have all the right C3 parts and C3 accessories to keep your baby well maintained. Maybe you have a fully restored C3? Well, we all know that no Corvette project is ever “done done”. We also have a full line of upgrades, performance add-ons, maintenance, and car care products for your C3 vette. fun facts: The “Stingray” was officially used from 1969 through 1976. 1968 was the first year for the Turbo Hydromantic 3-speed transmission. Prior automatics were the two-speed Powerglides. 1968 was the first year where the battery was not in the engine compartment. It was placed behind the seats for better weight distribution and handling.