Government mandated safety regulations that made their first appearance in 1968 became more intrusive with the introduction of the 1973 Corvette. New laws required all cars to be able to sustain a five mph impact on the front without damaging lights or other safety gear. The bumper system consisted of a injection molded urethane cover, which, due to the flex agent in the paint, was often a slightly different shade than the rest of the car.
Yikes! This is one of the prototype bumpers that was considered for the 1973 Corvette. This was typical of many cars of the era as designers struggled to come up with acceptable solutions for the federally mandated requirements. Things would get better although at the time it wasn't easy to see it that way.
Also gone was the "ice cube" style grille front fender louver, which was replaced by a rather bland and untrimmed recess which implied brake cooling. The "Stingray" script remained.
Although the front bumper got the urethane cover treatment, for 1973 only the rear bumpers were still chrome.
1973 Corvette Power train details per the brochure.
Some steps were taken to make the Corvette a quieter place to drive and ride in, including the addition of sound deadening material on some inner panels, a hood pad and improved chassis mounts.
Looking Good: 1973 Corvette Convertible in Elkhart Lake Green is auctioned at Barrett-Jackson on October 17, 2008. Hammer price was $29,500.
Although the 2020 C8 Corvette is the first mid-engine Corvette to be available to the public, it is not the first mid-engine Corvette. There actually has been a considerable number of mid-engine Corvette prototypes and possibly the most significant one is the 1973 Aerovette.
A new hood made an appearance in 1973 and the new design eliminated the need for the moveable panel that was raised to allow the windshield wipers to do their thing. The mechanism was troublesome so it probably wasn't missed.
The rear window would no longer be removable. The idea was to give a more open feeling, but excessive wind buffeting meant that it was little used.
