CHEVROLETCorvette C1 Roadster 1953 - 1955

　　GM unveiled at the 1953 Motorama event held in New York the concept of a two-seat roadster that became America’s sports car: the Corvette.

　　Harley Earl was leading GM’s styling department and had a few ideas about how a sports car should look. The British MGs and Jaguars inspired him, so he thought Chevrolet could create such a vehicle. Moreover, he convinced the top management to fund the concept, and the result was stunning. Everyone praised it, so the American automaker dared to launch the concept into production. Robert F. McLean, GM executive, had only one objection: to use off-the-shelf parts to keep the costs down. Later that year, Zora Arkus-Duntov joined Chevrolet. He was a race car driver and an engineer, so he knew what the Corvette needed to be a successful sports car and convinced GM’s management to hire him.

　　Production started just six months after the model’s unveiling. The automaker used fiberglass-reinforced plastic materials for the bodywork, which was different from the steel panels used by Chevrolet for the rest of its vehicle range back then. Its round headlights were fitted inside scoops. Its grille sported thirteen chromed vertical slats and one horizontal that united them behind the flimsy so-called bumper in front of it. That was merely protection against a crash.

　　From its profile, the 1953 Corvette was different from anything else Chevrolet produced at that time. The low stance, raked windshield, and open-top design made it fit for those looking for a sporty, hot-looking vehicle. Still, the car didn’t even have door handles. Passengers could step inside by using the levers installed on the door cards. That was easy to do since there were no side windows. At the back, the era of fin-tails was on the rise, so Harley Earl added them when he penned the car. At the back, the tiny round taillights and the sloped-down trunk lid were a mix between U.S. and British styling. At least, there was some sort of a bumper in the back, in the shape of a chromed horizontal element. All 300 cars produced in 1953 were white, so Mr. McLean could be happy with the cost-cutting measures.

　　All 1953 Corvettes had red interiors featuring bucket seats separated by the transmission tunnel. Later, the car became available with other color combinations, which made more customers happy. The dashboard sported most of the gauges and dials in the mid-section, while in front of the driver was only the speedometer. A radio and a heater were also offered. Since the car was a roadster, Chevrolet mounted the rearview mirror on the dash, not on the windshield’s rim.

　　Under the hood, Earl installed the Blue-Flame inline-six engine that was carried over from GM’s parts bin. The 150 hp (152 PS) 3.9-liter engine sent its power to the rear axle via a two-speed automatic transmission. This combination was not convincing for those looking for a sports car.