GENERATION Z

HOT ROD traces the history of an exclusive high-performance package for America's sports car.

- WALT THURN

The introduction of the 2023 Z06 Corvette celebrates the 60-year legacy of one of the marque's most successful options. This high-performance package was first developed by Zora Duntov and his team when GM ruled that racing was too dangerous for a corporation to support. In June 1957 the company signed a binding AMA (American Manufacturing Association) agreement that forbade corporate racing activities. Zora's solution was to develop a workaround that enabled his team to develop high-performance Corvette packages. GM offered them to customers so they could race their Corvettes. These upgrades could be purchased by ordering a car with the parts installed at the factory or buying and installing them through your local dealer. It was a silly game that only GM engineers had to endure since Ford and Chrysler soon ignored this MA ban completely.