Clean 1975 C3 Chevrolet Corvette

The 1975 Chevy Corvette, along with the automotive industry as a whole, would experience a significant transformation at the onset of the new model year. Because of serious health issues and environmental contamination associated with the use of lead fuel, it was determined that the automotive industry would - and should - phase it out.
Tetraethyllead (also known as TTL, or simply “lead”) was introduced in the 1920’s as an additive to prevent fuel from auto-igniting in high compression, internal combustion engines. While the lead additives allowed engine designers to produce more powerful, higher compression engines, it also produced a dangerous neurotoxin through exhaust emissions, which resulted in many cases of acute, and widespread lead poisoning, especially in children.
Additionally, the lead component was destructive to catalytic converters, which were to become a Federally mandated requirement to aid in the control of damaging exhaust emissions. For Chevrolet in general, and the Corvette in particular, the 1975 model year marked a turning point in the car’s history. Zora Arkus-Duntov, who had been instrumental in breathing life into the Corvette, retired on January 1, 1975 after 21 years and 7 months with General Motors. Duntov’s legacy with Corvette started in 1953 when he saw the original Harley Earl Corvette prototype on GM’s Motorama stage in New York. He had come to work for Chevrolet later that same year after writing to Ed Cole with his insights about the Corvette Prototype.