Why Were Corvettes Made Of Fiberglass? (And Is It Still Used?) — SlashGear
Early Corvette bodies were all fiberglass, but why did GM go with it instead of steel or aluminum? And does it still use fiberglass in modern 'Vettes?
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The C8 Corvette’s multi-layer body structure uses a combination of materials:
• The frame is a welded aluminum spaceframe consisting of stampings, extrusions, castings, and hydroformed tubes, with six large die-cast aluminum assemblies for stiffness and lightness.
• The body structure itself is primarily made of bonded composite materials, including carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) components and glass fiber composites.
• Key composite parts include a curved pultruded rear bumper beam (carbon fiber), and a three-layer glass fiber composite lower tunnel closeout that significantly enhances torsional rigidity and crashworthiness.
• Body panels are made from a mix of fiberglass, sheet molded composite (SMC), carbon fiber, and aluminum.
• The hybrid composite lower tunnel closeout uses layers of continuous/woven and chopped glass fibers combined with carbon fiber preforms in a vinyl ester matrix, produced by liquid compression molding.
This multi-material approach balances lightweight design, strength, stiffness, and manufacturing efficiency in the C8 Corvette’s body structure.
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