Sixty years of Corvette history

Chevy unveils the 1953 Corvette at GM's Motorama show

Assembly line for the 1953 Corvette. Photo: GM Media Archive

The Belgian-born American engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov's work on the Chevrolet Corvette earned him the nickname "Father of the Corvette." Photo by ISC Archives via Getty Images

Betty Skelton poses with a Chevrolet Corvette on Daytona Beach circa 1956. ISC Archives Photo via Getty Images

At the 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Corvette entered by the Camoradi team and driven by Ed Lilley and Fred Gamble leads the Ferrari 250TR/60 of Andre Pilette and Ricardo Rodriguez. Photo by Klemantaski Collection/Getty Images

GM chief designer Bill Mitchell with his 1959 Sting Ray, a race car he kept secret from other GM executives.

NASA astronaut Alan Shepherd gets the keys to his Corvette at GM's Design Studios. GM arranged for astronauts to receive free Vettes through the 1960s.

The 1961 Mako Shark concept, the precursor to the second-generation Vette. Photo: GM

Corvette was not a high-performance car until Zora Arkus-Duntov fitted it with a V-8 engine and began campaigning Corvettes in racing in the late 1950s. The late Arkus-Duntov is shown with a 1966 Corvette. Photo: GM

Bill Mitchell's love of all things nautical continued with the 1965 Manta Ray, which showed where GM would take Vette design through the '70s. The Stingray name was dropped from the Vette after Mitchell retired in 1977.

GM stylist Chuck Jordan was asked by Warner Bros. to create a potential Batmobile based off the Corvette for the Adam West TV series of the late '60s. The producers went with the Lincoln Futura-based concept redone by George Barris.

The Beach Boys strike a pose in this undated publicity photo.

A Chevrolet Corvette carrying a NASA “Astronaut” is part of the pre-race festivities at Daytona International Speedway, giving a plug to the Kennedy Space Center attraction. (Photo: ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

John Greenwood co-drove the “Spirit of Sebring” Corvette with Michael Brockman in the 1976 24 Hours of Daytona and finished 34th. Photo:ISC Archives via Getty Images

Dirk Benedict, as Templeton 'Faceman' Peck from TV's "The A-Team," with his 1984 Chevrolet Corvette

A 1999 caravan of Corvettes to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ky., drew 5,000 cars.

The Corvette by Italian designer Giugiaro is displayed at the Geneve 73th International Motor Show on March 6, 2003 in Geneva, Switzerland. Photo: Giuseppe Cacace/Getty Images

Andy Pilgrim pulls his Corvette out of the pit lane during the 2001 Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona at the Daytona International Speedway in Daytona, Fla. Photo: Jonathan Ferrey/ALLSPORT

The Corvette C5-R of Fellows, OConnell and Papis leads the Corvette of Gavin, Berette and Magnussen during final qualifying for the Le Mans 24 Hour race at the Circuit des 24 Hours du Mans on June 10, 2004 in Le Mans, France. The Corvettes would sweep their class that year. Photo:

Playboy's Playmate of the Year 2005 Tiffany Fallon poses with her 2005 Corvette Coupe. Every Playmate of the year receives a car of their choosing. Photo: Getty Images

7 time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong drives the Chevrolet Corvette Pace Car as he leads the cars out prior to the start of the IRL IndyCar Series 90th running of the Indianapolis 500 on May 28, 2006 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis. Getty Images

The #57 Corvette of Marc Bunting an Dominic Cicero II locks up its breaks as it enters a turn during the 2007 Rolex Series GT Challenge at Lime Rock Park. Photo: Brian Cleary/Getty Images

The 2009 concept that hinted at the 2014 Vette's styling.