Everything you need to know about the Corvette Blue Flame Six Engine – Jalopnik

The Blue Flame-driven Corvette is a strange chapter from the history of the model, and one that some enthusiasts would probably want to ignore, because it has not been celebrated for decades in the way it is today. However, the Inline Six is ​​very of the utmost importance for the Corvette creative story. Not to mention the way in which the Corvette has evolved over the past 60 years, so it is therefore not simply possible to brush aside.

Although you are only offered for a few years, there is a lot to learn about the Blue Flame Corvette if you really want to know everything, and so we tried to condense as much as possible. From unique tweaks that are needed to turn the inline-Six into a real sports car engine to values ​​today, the engine performance specs and why it was ultimately made superfluous. This piece investigates the creation, production and downfall of the now incredibly sought-after and respected Blue Flame Engine-driven C1 Corvettes.

It may seem strange to think that Chevrolet launched the Corvette with an inline Six when a V8 model would follow so quickly afterwards. However, it makes sense to visit the timeline again. To begin with, the Motorama Corvette had collected so much excitement from the public in 1953 that it was supposed to be better to launch the car immediately instead of waiting for a V8 developed. Moreover, the Jaguar XK120 was the fastest street-legal car that had all over the world at the time, and that also wore a hot six. So why would Chevy think that they had to reinvent the wheel.

Many other popular sports cars were still with only four cylinders, as can be seen at the MGA and Triumph’s TR2. A six-cylinder engine was not only a ‘make-do’ option for Chevrolet, it was the favorite choice for sports cars at the time. Linking this with a lightweight fiber optic body would have given the Corvette sufficient performance to absorb the very best. So there was really no reason why Chevrolet would have been averted of this option for his sparkling new sports car in the early 50s.

With the launch, the Blue Flame would stand out as the only option available for buyers of completely new Chevy Corvettes in 1953, in combination with a smooth power glide-automatic transmission with two gears. It was powerful, modern and the thing then looked cooler than something else in showrooms. However, things quickly progressed for the shimmering new star of America, since the arrival of a small block V8 the Blue Flam Apple Cart somewhat disturbed for the 1955 model year.

The V8 did not immediately replace the smaller blue flame, but was rather ready as an option next to it. Due to the popularity of the more powerful small block, which produced most of the 700 C1s for the model year ’55, Chevrolet made the decision to drop the Blue Flame Inline Six for the 1956 model. In fact, of those 700, 693 with the small block under the hood were purchased, so it is safe to assume that this V8 was the fixed favorite with buyers of the Corvette.

The blue flame engine of the Corvette was derived from a 235CI engine that was already in use in a large part of the Chevrolet reach at that time. Although with an output of only 115 hp, some tweaks were needed to ensure that it was ready for Corvette. For reference, the above -mentioned XK120 – which was once the fastest car in the world – at the time kicked out 160 hp, and so Chevy had to find a few horses before they were ready to compete.

Changes in the 235CI engine include aluminum cleaners, a higher compression ratio of 8.0: 1, a new camshaft and three horizontally mounted Carter carburetors, which used bullet-shaped air cleaners. Those carbohydrates were mounted on an aluminum intake and fuel was fed via a mechanical double action pump. The result? 150 horses – not much according to today’s standards – but more than enough to do business back in ’53.

A slender body, affordable asking price and a well-developed inline-six engine that could compete with Jaguar-WHO were the Blue Flame-driven Corvette superfluous so quickly? The 265CI Small-Block V8 introduced in 1954 did the trick, because this pride is proudly a much more exciting output of 195 hp Had-Bijna a win of 33% up and otherwise what the blue flame offered.

In the introduction of the aforementioned Small-Block V8, the introduction of a manual three-speed gearbox was also seen. While the Blue Flame models were only offered with the two-speed Powerglide Automatic. The car was not necessarily seen as a bad thing, because automatic transmissions were very advanced at the time and very desirable, but it became clear that driving enthusiasts were still enjoying the option and control of a manual box.

With a smaller output and not an option to row the gears for yourself, writing on the wall for Chevy’s blue flame was very fast. What is more, in retrospect it is clear to see that the Corvette is in a hurry in production, and those early iterations are considered by some to be sitting next to the worst sports cars ever. The assembly of a well -formed V8 has contributed to the straightening of these errors, and the Corvette has not looked back since then.

The Blue Flame Engine is an interesting chapter of the history of the Corvette, and also a unique, as the only six -cylinder engine that has ever characterized one under the hood of one. That is What made the blue flame so special. Of course there have been rumors for a long time that a V6 Corvette can come to the table, and in the current world of electrification and contraction we are perhaps only a generation of a hybridized six cylinder, which appears under the hood.

As it looks now, if you want to find out the wheel of a six -cylinder Corvette, an early C1 is your only choice, and getting one is not that easy. Hagerty pouts an example of a good condition for $ 186,000, which is sufficient to get each C8 Corvette literation, including the 233-MPH ZR1. However, if it is a show winner who takes your imagination, prepare for practically double that budget, where Hagerty suggests a budget of $ 340,000 for such an example.