I have been in love with Corvettes since I was a child and was given a matchbox model of what turned out to be a Mako Shark II.

This amazing looking (and rather impractical) concept car evolved into the 3rd generation C3 Corvette and I love the early chrome bumper models. Unfortunately, for my taste, the soft bumper covers mandated from 1973 started a slow slide into ever fatter and less performance oriented models. With the fictitious ‘gas crisis’ looming the cars were progressively detuned until they were a little more than an Elvis-bloat facsimile of their former self.

The first ray of hope after this was the introduction of the C4 Corvette in 1984. The safety features that had been pretty much slapped on the burgeoning frame of the C3 were now part of an aesthetic package designed to have them from the start. Power didn’t increase much but the overall weight of the car was lowered and at least that meant some good news.

The real break came in 1990. With the introduction of the model that instantly became my personal favorite Corvette of all time. The awesome King of the Hill ZR-1. With an engine designed by Lotus that was essentially a race engine for the street, the ZR-1 broke record after record for speed and endurance. The redesigned back end ‘soft bumper’ tidied up the rear of the C4′s basically good shape and in 91 when the front end was similarly tidied the car reached perfection in my eyes.

The ZR-1 is sadly no longer in production, though still legendary. Only a few thousand were built in the end because of the production costs of the high tech engine, though one wonders what GM and Chevrolet could have done if they had persevered. Other Vettes of come along but none for me have that sweeping balance and sleek all-round good looks. The C5 looks good from the front, but has a huge arse end. The all new C6 has softened the ‘arse’ but replaced that problem with quite possibly the blandest and ugliest front end so far seen on a Vette.

I haven’t got my ZR-1 yet. But I intend to! After waiting 15 years, I can wait a little while longer.

Update: In February 2007 I bought my long dreamed of ZR-1. In the years since I have enjoyed every minute possible driving it, owning ‘The Dragon’ has brought me new friends, opportunities and helped me through some of the worst moments I’ve had. Go for your dreams!