How the C5 Corvette Changed Everything

The C5 Corvette – Transforming the Perception of the Brand

First Impressions

How many of you remember when Chevrolet first introduced the fifth-generation C5 Corvette in 1997?

I was first introduced to it while working for Merrick Chevrolet in Northeast, Ohio.  For years, I had been a fan of the fourth-generation Corvette, especially the 1996 Grand Sport.  In my mind, Chevrolet had achieved perfection with the C4, so when the first of the fifth-generation Corvettes were rolled off the truck and into our service garage for vehicle prep, I was skeptical.

The first 1997 fifth-generation Corvette I ever laid eyes on – in my case, a Fairway Green coupe – looked nothing like its predecessor.  It was a longer, larger car than the outgoing C4, and it didn’t appear to have a straight edge anywhere on its body.

The long rear-end, with its oval taillights and its excessively tall rear fascia, looked completely out of place when parked next to the outgoing fourth-gen ‘Vette.  The front-end looked familiar with its concealed headlights and missing grill, but in my mind (initially), I thought Chevrolet had completed missed the mark with their new design.