i believe one of the breakthrough innovations to the 'vette that year was the 'easy access' option (aka keyless iginition). this allowed the sportscar enthusiast instant access to the horses under the hood of the "nations most beloved 'sports sedan' 8 years running".

the exhaust system invented for use in the 'vette was the industry standard for such gems as the dodge-colt, mitsubishi-rambler, chevy-citation, and the international release of the amc-kremlin (russian import of a gremlin).

truly amazing....