1971 CORVETTE
Production: 14,680 coupe, 7,121 convertible, 21,801 total.

• A 350ci, 270hp engine, 4-speed wide-ratio manual transmission, vinyl interior trim, and soft top (conv) or T-tops were included in the base price.
• The ZR1 included the LT1 engine, M22 transmission, heavy-duty power brakes, transistor ignition, special aluminum radiator, and special springs, shocks, and front and rear stabilizer bars (ZRI s have appeared with and without rear stabilizers). ZR1 s also had metal fan shrouds. RPOs A31, C50, C60, N40, P02, UA6, U69 and U79 were not available with ZR1.
• The ZR2 package was similar to ZR1, except ZR2 included RPO LS6, the 454ci, 425hp engine.
• Custom interior included leather seat trim, wood-grain accents and lower carpet trim on interior door panels, wood-grain accents on console, and special cut-pile carpeting.
• M40 was no cost with the base 350ci, 270hp engine, but cost$100.35 with LS5 or LS6. It was not available with LT1, ZR1 or ZR2.

• Suggested interiors shown. Other combinations were possible.


• Exterior color quantity total is 499 short of total production.

• The 1971 Corvette was one of the least-changed in appearance. A labor dispute in May 1969 caused 1969 production to run long, shortening normal l970 productionbyoverfourmonths. Chevrolet then treated l971 Corvette production as an extension of 1970. Plus, GM directed its divisions to reduce octane requirements in 1971 engines, an effort which carried a higher priority than appearance changes.
• With the exception of RPO LS6,1971 engines were detuned variants of 1970 engines. GM's intention in reducing octane requirements to 91 (research) in 1971 was to give oil companies phase-in time for the unleaded fuels needed for catalytic converters still four years away.
• The 454ci LS6 engine with 425hp was designed to operate on low-lead fuel, but a comparable engine was not available in 1970, so it won the horsepower race for the two years despite it's lower octane appetite. It featured aluminum heads and could be combined with an automatic transmission, although not when combined with the ZR2 package.
• One visible clue to a 1971's outward appearancewas amber parking light lenses, although very early production had clear lenses.
• The 1971 Corvette was the last model to feature the fiber-optics light monitoring system. It's thought the cost savings permitted inclusion of the optional anti-theft alarm system as standard equipment the following year.