In 1962, General Motors was observing the Automobile Manufacturer Association's ban on all forms of competitive activity first imposed in 1957. Corvette chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, always creative, developed the Z06 RPO for the 1963 Corvette, the first year of the "mid-year" Sting Ray design and the first Corvette with four-wheel independent suspension. Zora wanted to provide those who wanted to go racing with Corvette the tools they needed to hit the track.

The Z06 is the ultimate evolution of a concept first put forward by Zora Arkus-Duntov as a regular production option (RPO) offered on the 1963 Corvette Sting Ray coupe. The 1963 Z06 RPO was intended for competition-minded Corvette buyers who could order a race-ready model with just one check of an option box. Almost forty years later, the Corvette Z06 carries on this tradition, offering today's Corvette buyers a race-ready model that has been improved, hardened, and validated under brutal racing conditions to ensure its readiness should the owner desire to take it on the track. At the same time, the Z06 offers levels of refinement, comfort, and convenience unimaginable to its 1963 progenitor.

The coupe, convertible and Z06 Corvette comprise a comprehensive lineup for , meeting the needs and desires of distinctively different yet equally passionate markets. This is the story of how a group of talented individuals — the Corvette Team — achieved its goals.