With so much Corvette related information available to the enthusiast, it is surprising to see the amount of incorrect information one runs across when visiting various Corvette web sites on the Internet. Some gems of misinformation are intriguing; others are humorous, and some are simply ridiculous. The following items have all been found on the Internet and have been stated as being factual. It is time to set the record straight.

There were 3171953 Corvettes produced; of that number, 182 were not sold.
This particular bit of mis-information is too well documented to be believable. From the outset, GM intended to build exactly three hundred 1953 Corvettes and sell them. That is exactly what occurred. At the conclusion of the production run in December, 1953, three hundred had been built and two hundred and ninety-eight were sold. Corvettes 001 and 002 have never appeared in public and are thought to have been kept by GM. Had there been pre-production pilot cars for the 1953 model year, determining the origin of the 317 figure might be more easily understood, but there were no pilot cars. Most sources believe the Motorama cars (2 of those) and possibly two test mules were the only cars completed before 1953 regular production run began. I know of no Corvette reference source which indicates any of the 1953 models were left unsold.

The Corvette coupe was introduced to compete with the Datsun Z-Car.
You may choose to begin counting the new millennium with the year 2000 or you may opt for 2001 (which is correct), but the following dates cannot be refuted: 1963 - introduction of the first Corvette coupe; 1970 - introduction of the Datsun Z-Car in the United States.

Steel-bodied Corvettes exist.
Let us agree anything is possible. Steel-bodied Corvettes might exist. Someone, somewhere, may have actually made one, but if they exist, they were not built by GM. The Corvette body has been made of fiberglass throughout its history. Body panel molds were made of steel, but the panels themselves were fiberglass.

Four door Corvettes were produced by General Motors.
No they weren't. Any and all factory produced Corvettes have had only two doors. The four door examples one may have seen are conversions produced by companies not associated with General Motors.

Corvette station wagons were available from GM.
No. Corvettes have always been coupes, convertibles, or fixed roof hardtops. There has never been a factory station wagon. The station wagon kits were conversions available through aftermarket providers. There was a Corvette "Nomad" station wagon styling exercise based upon the 1953-55 Corvette body, but production was never a serious consideration.

Turbocharged Corvettes were produced by General Motors.
Nope. The Corvette has never had stock turbocharging or stock supercharging. The turbocharged package available on C4s from 1987 through 1991 was an option. Factory Corvettes were completed at Bowling Green and shipped to Calloway Engineering in Connecticut for installation of the equipment. A turbocharged Corvette has never been available from the factory.

There are three factory ZL-1s.
The ZL-1 option available in 1969 was essentially an aluminum block L-88 with the L-89 aluminum heads. GM has confirmed two were ordered and produced. Both of these cars exist and are privately owned. The authenticity of ZL-1 #1 is not questioned; the car is thoroughly documented. It is yellow with black ZL-l stripes. Most Corvette authorities feel ZL-l #2 is an original car although it is not as well documented as #1. This car is white. There is a third car making the Corvette event circuit whose owner claims the car is an original ZL-1. This car currently has an L-88 engine installed in it with the original ZL-l engine said to be in storage. The owner has stated he has the required documentation to authenticate the car, but has never made the documentation available. GM has said two ZL-l s were ordered; two were built, and two were sold. There is no reason to suspect a third ZL-l was ever built. In the event you see this car on the Corvette circuit in the coming season, take a look at it and make you own decision regarding its authenticity.

1970 LT-1 with original factory air conditioning.
This item appeared in a Corvette sale advertisement. The LT-1 engine option was available from 1970 through the 1972 model year. For 1970 and 1971, factory air conditioning was not available with the LT-1 option. 1972 was the only year factory air conditioning could be ordered with the LT-1.

Original factory sidepipes after 1969.
Factory sidepipes were available for the 1969 model year by ordering RPO N14 Side Mount Exhaust System. They were not available on the 1968 models and were not available from the factory on Sharks after the 1969 production run. Any '68 and any Shark after the 1969 model year with sidepipes have had the pipes installed following production.

The old assembly plant at St. Louis is still there.
Not exactly. The large GM facility at St. Louis, of which the Corvette building was a part, is still located on the comer of Natural Bridge and Union Avenues. The actual building which Corvettes were assembled has been razed and no longer exists.

An original 1980 convertible for sale.
This advertisement, along with a picture of the vehicle, appeared on e-bay. (I do not make this stuff up, folks!!) The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) of the Corvette in question was not listed, so we have no clues to its true identity. There are two ways to go here, but we first need to establish the ground rules. Corvette convertibles were discontinued after the 1975 model year and did not reappear until 1986. That, fellow enthusiasts, is fact. There were no factory 1980 convertibles. The easiest way to have a "1980" drop top is to hang 1980-82 body panels on a 1968-76 Corvette convertible body. The more difficult method would be to convert a stock 1980 coupe into a convertible using 1968-76 parts where needed. Either conversion is possible, but neither would amount to an "original" 1980 convertible.

Build sheets are available from the NCM.
Yes and No. The National Corvette Museum has build sheets available for Corvettes produced at Bowling Green. For Shark drivers, that would include part of the 1981 model year and all of 1982. C4 and CS owners are fortunate in that they do not have to be concerned with whether the production records for their vehicles exist. Chevrolet and the National Corvette Restorer's Society recently completed a search of GM facilities in an attempt to determine whether build sheets (all or some) for Corvettes produced at St. Louis might exist. The search turned up no such records.

The Cadillac Evoq will be built at Bowling Green alongside the Corvette.
This one is true, folks. Unless plans change, GM intends to assemble the Evoq at the Bowling Green facility along with the Corvette. Should this occur, it will mark the only time the Corvette has shared a production facility with any other marque.