The 1968 C3 Corvette (Third Generation) C3 Shark model Corvette history starts with the 1968 model year. This generation three Vette lasted from 1968 to 1982, a fifteen-year run. The 1968 to 1972 Corvettes have the chrome-bumpers and are highly sought after. There were more than a half million third-generation Corvettes built from 1968 to