Remember how carmakers brag that their latest models pay tribute to their predecessors with reinterpreted vintage design cues? Well, sometimes you need a magnifying glass to see those but here’s a visual artist that really found a neat (and distinguishable) way to bake in C1 Corvette styling elements into the 2020 C8 Corvette.

That’s what paying proper respect to your ancestors looks like

Named after a small yet agile warship, the Corvette, aka America’s Sports Car, was introduced to the world initially in the shape of a concept, displayed by GM at the 1953 New York Auto Show. Arguably the most recognizable Vette of them all, the first-generation C1 Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan, on June 30, 1953.

By 1956, the Corvette got its first redesign which featured exposed headlamps, rolled up windows, sculpted side coves, and factory-fitted removable hardtops. In 1958, the C1 was fitted with dual headlights, while two years later, the Vette flaunted taillights integrated into round rear fenders and the famous teeth grille.

Why are we telling you all of this? Because Oscar V, also known as @wb.artist20 on Instagram, took the time to retrofit the C8 Corvette with vintage elements taken from the 1958 C1 Corvette.

In all fairness, the renders look puzzling at first but it doesn’t take long to get used to the side gills or the chrome front bumpers and wheels that now adorn the mid-engine Vette’s body. We’re not so sure about the teeth grille, though.

At the same time, this is obviously not something Chevrolet is planning to produce but if the right (wacky) builder gets to see this and decides to have a stab at turning the render into a real car, the result might actually prove enticing, don’t you think?