1953 Corvette

1953 Corvette Pictures

1953 Chevrolet Corvette
RM Auctions
Location: Amelia Island, Florida
 Auction Results March, 2009 $198,000
1953 Corvette Owned by John Wayne 1953 Corvette Owned by John Wayne
Photographed at the National Automobile Museum in Reno, Nevada.
1953 Chevy Corvette 1953 Chevy Corvette
Photographed at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum (AACA) in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

1953 Corvette History

In the early 1950s, a team of General Motors engineers led by Harley Earl set about creating a fiberglass-bodied car that had the popular appeal to compete with the finest sports cars from overseas. Earl had been a leader in forward-thinking design since the 1920s and incorporated aircraft-inspired design elements into the car, including round dials blended into a curved dash. The roofline was less than 47 inches tall and the six-cylinder engine was positioned farther toward the rear, which gave the flat hood a long, sleek appearance. By the time this new sports car was ready for its unveiling, it was reported that GM had spent over $1.5 million on the project.

Dubbed the Corvette "Dream Car", it debuted at the GM Motorama show held at the stylish Waldorf=Astoria Hotel in New York City. The results were astonishing. By the end of the first weekend in New York, over 300,000 people had seen the car and spent $800,000 on GM products. In fact, by the time the Motorama's cross-country tour ended, over four million people had reportedly seen this fantastic automobile.

From the time General Motors announced the Chevrolet Corvette concept car in January 1953 until it was finally made available to the public, it continued to capture the hearts and imaginations of a public ravenous for fast, sporty two-seaters. Thousands of young American men had returned from war in Europe, bringing with them the indelible automotive impressions left by their exposure to small, nimble sporting cars.

Production of GM's two-seat roadster started in June 1953, and by year's end, a total of just 300 Corvettes had rolled off the assembly line. This first year of Corvette production signified an important technical milestone, however; GM was the first American car manufacturer to successfully mass-produce a vehicle whose underpan and bodyshell were made entirely of fiberglass.

The Corvette featured GM's 235 cubic inch "Blue Flame" inline six-cylinder engine, with triple carburetors and dual exhausts. The engine's respectable output of 150 horsepower was transmitted to the road via a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. All 300 cars built in 1953 were visually identical, finished in Polo White with a Sportsman Red interior. They were also fitted with subtle pieces of chrome trim, which ran along either side, as well as wire mesh over the headlights.

Compared to concurrent Jaguar XK120s and MGAs of the day, the Corvette was proportionally smaller, yet more responsive and superior in handling. Even though its initial success was impressive, it is doubtful that management at General Motors could have ever imagined the Corvette would achieve the success it has over its half century of continuous production.

The new 1953 Chevrolet Corvette was the first American-made sports car and was a true roadster with no side windows or outside door handles. The fiberglass body allowed the new design to go into production quickly without the expense or delay of building the equiment necessary to make a steel-bodied vehicle.

The seats, steering wheel, and foot pedals in the new Corvette were fixed and not adjustable. You either fit into the car or you didn't. One of the earliest buyers of this new sports car was the legendary actor, John Wayne. His 6'4" frame didn't. So, he gave his car as a gift to a friend of his.

Limitations like this and less-than-stellar performance caused sales to falter and quite a few of the initial run of 300 cars to remain unsold by year's end.

Today their rarity and historical significance have made these beautiful cars very desirable by savy collectors.

1953 Corvette Specifications