1957 Corvette C1 Fuel Injection

Chevrolet pulled something amazing out of the hat for 1957: Fuel Injection. First run in 1956 at the Sebring race, the Rochester Ramjet injection was an answer to Mercedes-Benz which featured fuel injection in the 1954 300SL. The innovation solved a fuel starvation problem caused by fuel sloshing while cornering with carbureted engines under race conditions. The fuel injection system is displayed in a cutaway drawing to the left.

To keep this development in perspective, consider this. Almost all of the high priced supposedly advanced competition -- including Jaguar, Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini -- did not go with fuel injection until the 1970s or later.

The new system was complex and costly however. At $484.20, the one option added over 15% of the price of an entire Corvette. Buyers found it irresistible however, with 1,040 checking the box on the order form. The complexity also resulted in a high maintenance reputation.

Not up for debate is the way the market treats fuel injected Corvettes of the era. Corvette enthusiasts went for it in a big way in 1957 and more so 50 years later as a collectable; the price premium for a "Fuelie" as they are often called is significantly higher than their more mundane carbureted cousins.

Some people will disagree with the high maintenance moniker applied to the fuelie Corvette. The problem they say is that people who are unfamiliar with how the systems work try and think of them as carburetors as that is what they are used to. When properly set up, they are trouble free for many years.

Classic David Kimble cutaway illustration of the Corvette fuel injected motor. It was available in 250 hp and 283 hp configurations. The 283 horsepower version represented a breakthrough; for the first time the 283 cubic inch displacement matched the 283 horsepower rating of the engine.

Above left: Fuel Injection as installed in an early Corvette; Right: Later Fuel Injection system on display.

1957 and subsequent Corvettes proudly wore their new technological identities on the front fenders (above) and trunk lids (below).

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