1956 Chevrolet Corvette 4.6L V8 2AT RWD (220 HP)

Vehicle Overview

While the sales of the Corvette picked up after the 1955 refresh when the car got a well-deserved V8 under the hood, Duntov continued to improve the C1 for the 1956 model year.

When Harley Earl penned the Corvette for the 1953 Motorama event, he didn’t realize how successful the little white roadster would be. He also designed it with fin tails and a touch of luxury-oriented details, which wasn’t unusual for a prototype. However, there were a few details that sports car customers didn’t find attractive to such a vehicle, and Duntov spotted them and fixed what had to be fixed. As a result, the Corvette got a second facelift just three years after the model’s introduction, and the results were much appreciated by automotive enthusiasts. In addition, since Ford introduced the Thunderbird as a personal luxury coupe that couldn’t compete in terms of performance with the nimble, lightweight Corvette, GM’s position in the sports car segment was rock solid.

At the front, the C1 had a modified fascia that featured round headlights surrounded by chromed trims. Starting with the 1956 model year, these were no longer in a recessed position as the previous versions. In addition, the turn signals migrated under the headlamps from the lower area of the front fascia where they were for the 1955 model year, and chromed metallic trims underlined them.

While for the 1955 model year changes were very subtle, for the 1956 model, they were much more significant. Besides the reshaped front fenders, the automaker installed new door panels with sculptured areas. To emphasize this change, it even offered the Corvette with two-tone paint. Chevrolet also installed new rear quarter panels, which kept their clean Coke bottle lines uncluttered by the tail fins above the fenders. Finally, at the back, the 1956 Corvette got its taillights mounted above the fenders in narrow clusters. The car also got a new place for the license plate, which was now lower, flanked by bumper elements, not integrated into the trunk’s lid behind a clear plastic as on the previous models.

Inside, the combination of bucket seats wrapped in red leather and the white center section of the dashboard was appreciated by customers. Another important step was the introduction of a center console that housed the gear stick and an ashtray. On the dash panel, the Corvette still featured the same center-located dials and gauges, while the speedometer was right in front of the driver. Behind the cabin, the automaker left a place for the retractable canvas roof. The roll-down windows and the fiberglass removable top were kept and improved.

While the 1955 model year was still available with the Blue Flame inline-six engine, the 1956 version came exclusively with a V8 under the hood. Chevrolet paired it with either a three-speed manual or the Powerglide two-speed automatic. Due to cost reasons, the rear suspension still relied on a rigid axle.