The 1970 Corvette Received More Time To Develop, But Failed To Impress

The 1970 Corvette was delayed due to a strike which ultimately proved costly.

The 1970 Corvette's production was delayed by a couple of months because of a strike from UAW. However, it did give the Chevy engineers extra time to create the first year of the 70's generation and improve the muscle car.

In the end, the delay in production proved costly as the sales dropped when the model year came to a close.

The 1970 Corvette did feature an abundance of changes both outside and inside, though the inside was more noticeable.

The inside of the Vette and outside shell were altered most notably as follows:Flared Wheel Openings: Chevy decided to flare out the wheel openings for the 1970 Corvette, since the body side tuck-under was known for its recurring stone damage. Egg-Crates Galore: Instead of featuring horizontal bars on the grill, the 1970 Corvette featured egg-crate shaped grills and the front fender gills also got swapped to feature the egg-crate shape. Tail Pipes:

The tail pipes of the 1970 Corvette altered their style from the more recognizable round shape to the rectangular shape. Parking Lamps:

The 1970 Corvette featured bigger rectangular parking lamps which are more different than the smaller round ones of the previous year's model.

In addition the parking lamps were a new amber color which was designed to help improve visibility. Upgraded Interior:

The1970 Corvette added a custom trim package that sported a replica wood trim on the doors and the console and also featured cut pile carpeting.

In 1970 it seemed that like many other years of the Corvette, the big news would be the engine.

The LT1 engine was now not so taboo and was made widely available.

The smaller 350s came back to the 1970 Corvette though they were unchanged. Just as with the previous year's model a big block was offered and made to accommodate the ever tightening emissions laws of the time. Depending on the type of engine that was purchased, a Corvette buyer could expect to get from 300 to 460 horsepower and all the engines offered for the 1970 Corvette were given life by a four barrel carburetors. But for all its grace and beauty, the 1970 Corvette fell well short of expectations. Even though the model year was shortened, the 1970 Corvette still sold much less than anybody had anticipated.

The total number of units sold for the model year was a dismal 17,31
6. This was a huge step back for the Corvette and represented the lowest sales figure since 1962.

The biggest damage though came from GM boss and president Ed Cole. His desire to eliminate low-volume options and his decision to make all engines run on 91-octane fuel doomed the once top speed producing machine. This combined with a slumping economy and rising insurance rates opened the door for some dark days that would lay ahead for the Corvette. While it would ultimately return to its thrown, the Vette was taken down a peg or two beginning with the 1970 Corvette. Even though the engineers did get two extra months to perfect the 1970 machine, in the end all the improvements didn't prove to be enough; at least not for that year.
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