Photo by Stan Dzugan

From the moment the first Chevrolet Corvette concept car rolled across the stage at NYC’s Waldorf Astoria in 1953, it captured the imagination. Seven decades and eight iterations later, that has hardly changed.

With the Corvette badge being the only constant, the look-and even engine placement-has changed dramatically through the years. And a lot of those changes were forged by an ongoing series of Corvette concept cars, designed to teased the future to the public, giving hints about the future styling direction for the American icon.

Lime Rock Park will become the center of the Corvette universe for five days this Labor Day weekend, and will host a once in a lifetime gathering of Corvette concept cars as the Historic Festival launches celebrations for the 70th year of the Corvette.

The event, which will also feature on-track competition including the Vintage Trans Am class, will see more than 12 examples of Corvette concept cars that have never before been assembled as a group.

These one-of-one, hand-made Chevrolet Corvette concept cars each represent what the future could have held, and in many cases, what actually became that future.

Spanning the decades, the Historic Festival will host a selection of Corvette concept cars that have never previously assembled, with examples from the GM Heritage Center, Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, and private collections gathering at Lime Rock Park.

“Through now eight generations, Corvette has been a leader in design and engineering,” said Phil Zak, Executive Design Director Global Chevrolet. “This extensive display of Corvette history will highlight the wide variety of ideas and innovations leading up the current mid-engine C8.”

Confirmed examples will include the 1956 Corvette SR-2, designed by the “Fathers of the Corvette” Harley Earl and Zora Arkus-Duntov, the 1957 Corvette SS (XP-84), the first purpose-built Corvette racer, as well as the 1959 Corvette Sting Ray Racer (XP-87), 1961 Corvette Mako Shark, both the CERV I and CERV II, the 1969 Corvette Manta Ray, 1968 Astro II (XP880), 1972 Reynolds Aluminum Corvette, 1986 Corvette Indy, 1990 CERV III, 1992 Stingray III and the 2009 Corvette Sting Ray Concept.