Chevrolet had several issues with the new, mid-engined, C8-generation Corvette this year, including a factory shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic and a reduced output for the 2021 model year. But production is now back to speed and it seems Chevy is making small enhancements to the mid-engined coupe.

The folks over at Corvette Blogger got their hands on photos of new Corvettes delivered to a dealership in late September with new graphics on the windshield. They pay tribute to Zora Arkus-Duntov, the "father of the Corvette."

There's one depicting a silhouette of Zora Duntov on the lower corner passenger side, while the lower corner on the driver side boasts a set of crossed flags and the words Team Corvette etched into the tint.

The dealership goes on to add that only two of the cars they received had these additions and that both features the highest VIN numbers yet received. So it's safe to say that these graphics were added to the production line sometime during September 2020.

The Father of the Corvette

This new reference to Zora Arkus-Duntov doesn't come as a surprise. Actually, I'm surprised that the C8 Corvette doesn't include more features that remind of the engineer that turned the Corvette from a mundane roadster into a high-performance vehicle.

Duntov joined General Motors in 1953 after seeing the first Corvette on display in New York City. Impressed by its design but disappointed by its underpowered drivetrain, Duntov approached Chevrolet chief engineer Ed Cole, asking to work on the car.

But more importantly, Zora Arkus built the first mid-engined Chevrolets, the CERV I and CERV II experimental cars. His dream was to build a mid-engined Corvette, but Chevy's withdrawal from racing in the 1960s and Duntov's retirement in 1975 kept the Corvette a traditional front-engined car for another 60 years.

Zora died in 1996, but he would definitely be smiling about the mid-engined C8 Corvette that Chevrolet offers today. An upcoming higher performance version of the C8 Corvette is rumored to be called the Zora as a tribute to the Belgian-born American engineer.