There's no disguising the telltale whine of an early fuel injected
Corvette winding through the upper rpm range, and there's no doubt
that the '57 fuelie is one of the most historically significant
Corvettes of all time.
With that Rochester Ramjet fuel injection unit parked atop the small-
block engine, the '57 was catapulted to world dominance at racetracks
around the globe. With fuel injection, the Corvette boasted 283
horsepower from the punched-out 283-cube engine - the landmark one
horsepower per cubic inch mark that Chevrolet advertising was quick
to point out. The magic 283 horsepower was reached at 6200 rpm and
was coupled with 290 lb-ft of torque at 4400 rpm.
In all, four fuelies were available in '57. The first, RPO 579A,
delivered 250 horsepower and a manual transmission. Another 250-horse
version, RPO 597C, came with a Powerglide automatic. Then came the red
hot RPO 579B, the motor that hit the magic 283/283 milestone. Topping
the '57 fuelie hit parade was the all-out race 283, RPO 579E, the
famous and rare (just 43 built) air-box Corvette, complete with column
mounted mechanical tach and no heater.
With the advent of fuel injection, Corvettes ruled the roost on
racetracks from coast to coast, and as the victories accumulated, a
legend was launched. By midyear in '57, after wins at Sebring, Daytona
Beach and Nassau, the fuelie was well on its way to becoming a classic.
'57 Fuelie Production
RPO
579A               182
579B               713
579C               102
579E               43
--- Blue Wave/386 v2.20 [NR]
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