Chevrolet & GM research

Chevrolet history: a timeline from 1911 to the electric era

By CarWhere Research · Updated

Chevrolet was founded in Detroit on November 3, 1911, by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant and joined General Motors in 1918. Its defining milestones include the 1955 small-block V8, the Corvette (1953, now in its eighth, mid-engine generation), the 1967 Camaro, C/K pickups from 1960, the Silverado from 1999 and the electric era.

Chevrolet history timeline

The milestones below link to a full history page for each model, with years and production numbers, key variants, what changed by generation and what to check before you buy one.

  1. 1911

    Chevrolet Motor Car Company founded

    Racing driver Louis Chevrolet and General Motors founder William C. Durant start the company in Detroit on November 3, 1911, to compete with Ford's Model T. Louis Chevrolet sold his stock to Durant within about three years.[1]

  2. 1918

    Chevrolet joins General Motors

    Durant used Chevrolet's success to regain control of GM, and Chevrolet became a General Motors division in 1918. In 1927 it briefly overtook Ford as the industry sales leader.[1],[2]

  3. 1950

    The Bel Air name appears

    Bel Air first appeared on 1950 two-door hardtops and became Chevrolet's top passenger-car series for 1953. The restyled 1955 Chevrolet added a V8 option, and the 1955–1957 'Tri-Five' cars became icons. U.S. Bel Air production ran through 1975.[3]

  4. 1953

    Corvette goes into production

    The Corvette Motorama show car became a production car on June 30, 1953, in Flint, Michigan: about 300 hand-built, Polo White roadsters with a six-cylinder engine.[4],[5]

    Chevrolet Corvette history →

  5. 1955

    The small-block V8

    Chevrolet introduced its small-block V8 in 1955 as a 265 cu in (4.3L) engine rated at up to 195 hp with an optional four-barrel carburetor. GM built the 100-millionth small block on November 29, 2011, 56 years after the first.[6],[7]

  6. 1960

    C/K pickups

    The C/K truck line launched in the fall of 1959 as a 1960 model; C denoted two-wheel drive and K four-wheel drive. Four generations followed through the 1990s, including the C10 half-ton and the full-size K5 Blazer.[8]

    Chevy C10 history →

  7. 1963

    Corvette Sting Ray

    The second-generation Corvette added independent rear suspension and the first Corvette coupe, with its one-year-only split rear window.[9]

    C2 Corvette history →

  8. 1967

    Camaro launches

    Chevrolet's answer to the Ford Mustang went on sale on September 29, 1966, as a 1967 model on GM's F-body platform; the Trans-Am-inspired Z/28 followed. Six generations ran through the 2024 model year.[10],[11]

    Chevrolet Camaro history →

  9. 1981

    Corvette moves to Bowling Green; 17-character VINs

    Corvette production moved from St. Louis to Bowling Green, Kentucky, in mid-1981, where every Corvette has been built since. The same model year, U.S. vehicles adopted the standardized 17-character VIN.[5],[12]

  10. 1997

    C5 Corvette and the LS1

    The fifth-generation Corvette introduced the all-aluminum LS1 V8, the start of the LS engine family that later powered Camaros, trucks and SUVs.[13]

    C5 Corvette history →

  11. 1999

    Silverado becomes its own model

    Silverado had been the top C/K trim since 1975. When GM replaced the C/K with an all-new truck in August 1998, the 1999 model took Silverado as its own name.[14],[15]

    Chevy Silverado history →

  12. 2014

    Chevrolet SS and the C7 Stingray

    The Stingray name returned on the seventh-generation Corvette with the direct-injected LT1 V8, and the Australian-built Chevrolet SS sedan arrived with a 6.2L V8.[16],[17]

    C7 Corvette history →

  13. 2016

    First Bolt EV deliveries

    Chevrolet delivered the first Bolt EVs to customers in December 2016, with an EPA-estimated 238 miles of range — the start of Chevrolet's long-range EV era.[18]

  14. 2020

    Mid-engine C8 Corvette

    After 66 years of front-engine cars, the 2020 Corvette Stingray put its LT2 V8 behind the seats, at a starting price of $59,995. Z06, the hybrid all-wheel-drive E-Ray and a twin-turbo ZR1 followed.[19],[20]

    C8 Corvette history →

  15. 2020

    HUMMER returns as an electric GMC

    GM revealed the GMC HUMMER EV in October 2020 as a model rather than a brand — an electric pickup, later joined by an SUV, on GM's Ultium battery platform.[21],[22]

    GMC HUMMER EV history →

Corvette generations C1–C8 at a glance

Corvette generations C1–C8: years, launch base engine and production (sum of published model-year figures)[5],[9],[13],[19],[23]
GenerationModel yearsLaunch base engineProduction (units)
C11953–1962235 cu in inline-six, 150 hp69,015
C2 Sting Ray1963–1967327 cu in V8117,964
C31968–1982327, then 350 V8542,861
C41984–1996350 V8 (L98 230 hp in 1985)358,180
C51997–2004LS1 5.7L V8, 345 hp248,715
C62005–2013LS2 6.0L V8, 400 hp215,123
C7 Stingray2014–2019LT1 6.2L V8, 455 hp189,507
C82020–todayLT2 6.2L V8, 495 hp (performance exhaust)194,892 through the 2025 model year

Full detail, production numbers and buying advice: Corvette generations and history.

Camaro generations at a glance

Camaro generations and signature V8s (published ratings; gross horsepower before 1972)[10],[24],[25],[26]
GenerationModel yearsSignature performance versions
1st generation1967–1969SS 350/396, Z/28 with 302 cu in V8
2nd generation1970–1981Z28, SS; longest-running generation
3rd generation1982–1992Z28, IROC-Z (L98 350 V8 from 1987)
4th generation1993–2002Z28 LT1 (275 hp), then LS1 (305 hp, 1998)
5th generation2010–2015SS LS3 426 hp, ZL1 580 hp, Z/28 LS7 505 hp
6th generation2016–2024SS LT1 455 hp, ZL1 LT4 650 hp

Engines, changes by generation and buying advice: Camaro generations and history.

Every Chevrolet and GM model history

Corvette

Camaro and Chevy muscle

Chevy trucks and SUVs

GMC, HUMMER and Cadillac

How to check a Chevrolet's factory build

Standardized 17-character VINs began with model year 1981[12]. GM records factory equipment as three-character RPO (Regular Production Option) codes. For a 1981-or-later Chevrolet, CarWhere can check a VIN for licensed build data and, when it exists, decode the ordered RPO codes — trim, paint, interior, engine, axle and packages — into plain English: see the Chevrolet build sheet by VIN or, for a Corvette, the Corvette build sheet by VIN. For earlier cars, the body (trim) tag and engine stampings carry the original factory codes, and the GM Heritage Center publishes vehicle information kits for many past GM models.[27]

Frequently asked questions

When was Chevrolet founded?

Chevrolet was founded in Detroit on November 3, 1911, by Louis Chevrolet and William C. Durant. It became part of General Motors in 1918.

Who founded Chevrolet?

Swiss-born racing driver Louis Chevrolet and William C. "Billy" Durant, who had founded General Motors and been ousted from it. Louis Chevrolet sold his stock to Durant within about three years.

How many Corvette generations are there?

Eight: C1 (1953–1962), C2 (1963–1967), C3 (1968–1982), C4 (1984–1996), C5 (1997–2004), C6 (2005–2013), C7 (2014–2019) and the mid-engine C8 (2020–today). No 1983 Corvettes were sold.

When did the Chevy small-block V8 come out?

In 1955, as a 265 cu in (4.3L) V8 rated at up to 195 hp. GM built the 100-millionth small block in November 2011.

When did Chevy start using the Silverado name?

Silverado was a trim level on C/K pickups before it became a standalone full-size pickup model for the 1999 model year.

How can I see how my Chevrolet was built?

For 1981-and-later vehicles with a 17-character VIN, a build sheet by VIN can decode the ordered RPO option codes when licensed build data exists for that VIN. For older cars, the body tag, engine stampings and GM Heritage Center vehicle information kits are the usual starting points.

More Chevrolet and GM research

Sources

Production figures and dates come from General Motors and Chevrolet press materials, the GM Heritage Center, the National Corvette Museum and reputable automotive press wherever available; auction figures are public results from the auction house. Market medians are CarWhere's own analysis of live US dealer listings from licensed vehicle-data providers.

  1. Chevrolet turns 100 (Nov. 3, 2011) — CBS News
  2. Chevrolet — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  3. Chevrolet Bel Air — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  4. Chevy's Legacy: Iconic Corvette — Chevrolet
  5. Chevrolet Corvette (production figures by model year; generation overview) — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  6. GM builds 100-millionth small-block engine (Dec. 13, 2011) — Old Cars Weekly
  7. Small-Block Engine Timeline — Chevrolet Performance
  8. Chevrolet C/K — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  9. Chevrolet Corvette (C2) — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  10. Chevrolet Camaro — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  11. First-Gen Camaro (1967–69): The one that picked a fight — Hagerty Media
  12. 49 CFR Part 565 — Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) requirements — eCFR (U.S. Government)
  13. General Motors LS-based small-block engine — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  14. The history of the Chevy Silverado, from the perspective of a 40-year GM veteran — GM News (General Motors), June 2026
  15. Chevrolet Silverado — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  16. Chevrolet Corvette (C7) — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  17. Chevrolet SS (sedan) — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  18. Chevrolet delivers first Bolt EVs to customers (Dec. 2016) — Automotive World (Chevrolet release)
  19. Tonawanda-Built Next Gen 6.2L Small Block V-8 to Power All-New 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (July 23, 2019) — General Motors (media.gm.com)
  20. 2020 Mid-Engine Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Starts at $59,995 — Chevrolet (media.chevrolet.com)
  21. Revealed: 2022 Hummer EV packs 1000 hp, Edition 1 will cost $112K — Hagerty Media, October 2020
  22. GMC Hummer EV — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  23. Chevrolet Corvette (C1) — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
  24. Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Now Rated at 580 Horsepower (Chevrolet release, Sept. 2011) — AutoInformed
  25. 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 coverage (SAE rating) — The Detroit Bureau
  26. 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE price, performance official (Aug. 8, 2016) — Autoblog
  27. GM Heritage Archive — Vehicle Information Kits — General Motors (GM Heritage Center)

Independent reference compiled by CarWhere Research — not affiliated with or endorsed by General Motors. Chevrolet, Corvette, Camaro, Silverado, Tahoe, GMC, HUMMER, Cadillac, Blackwing and the other model names are trademarks of their owners.