Chevrolet Corvette C3 Review - Video

By: Guy Allen, Unique Cars magazine

Date: 30.05.2017

What's it like to live with a Corvette?

Chevrolet Corvette C3

Chevrolet's Corvette series is one of the longest-lasting car names around and they've stayed remarkably true to the whole American sports/grand tourer theme.

This car, an 1970 C3, is one of the last of the chrome bumper series, which tend to be treasured by would-be owners.

The basic formula is a steel chassis with fibreglass bodywork, with a V8 stuffed in the snout. In this case it's a 350hp 350ci powerplant, with a three-speed auto.

Cars of this calibre can easily cost $40,000, though you will find cheaper options if you're prepared to tackle some restoration work.

Corvettes can be fiddly to set up correctly, in part because there's a bit of an art to fine-tuning the alignment and finish of the fibreglass bodywork, but once they're right you have a pretty easy car to live with.

The mechanicals are bulletproof and there's no great complexity involved. You will however strike some quirks in this era, such as vacuum-operated pop-up headlamps.

A good one is a fun drive. Plenty of power, reasonable handling for the time and a fair degree of comfort. Cabin space is limited, as these are a long but surprisingly narrow car.

See our overview of seven generations of Corvette.