C1 Corvette - 1953-1962
In 1953 the Corvette was debuted at the Motorama display at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in New York City. It was conceived by Harley J. Earl. It was a two seat convertible built by GM aimed at capturing the small car market from manufacturers like Jaguar and MG.
All 1953 Corvettes were convertibles with black canvas tops, Polo white
with red interiors, and built by hand.
Power came from an existing Chevrolet 235 cubic inch 6 cylinder engine. Modifications
were done to it such as a three carburetor design and dual exhaust which resulted
in higher horsepower ratings. The 150 hp 'Blue Flame Special' engine was paired
with a a2-speed automatic gearbox. The first twenty-five vehicles used the
standard Chevrolet 'baby moon' passenger car wheel covers due to a shortage
of wheel covers.
During the 1953 production year, 300 Corvettes were produced making it the rarest Corvette. 248 are believed to still be in existence. In 1953 the base price for the Corvette was $3,498 with a heater and AM radio offered as optional equipment. The heater could be purchased for $91.40 and the AM Radio for $145.15.
