50 Years of the Chevrolet Corvette

1972

The 1972 Corvette also went largely unchanged cosmetically or mechanically. In fact, this model year, the Corvette lost several features, including the ZR2 option. Only three engines were available, and they all lost power due to emission-lowering regulations that year. GM now conformed to the SAE “net” measure for engine outputs. If you were in California, your choices were even more limited, with Chevrolet omitting certain builds due to state laws, including the LS5. On the plus side, the vehicles came equipped with anti-theft alarm systems, and it was the last year Chevy included chrome bumpers in the front and rear.