Introduced in 1953
Chevrolet presented the Corvette at General Motors' Motorama exhibition in New York's Waldorf-Astoria in January 1953. Production began in Flint, Michigan, on June 30. The first year's run comprised just 300 cars, all with white exteriors and red interiors.
The Corvette brought a distinct sports-car identity to Chevrolet's range. Its compact two-seat layout and fiberglass body separated it visually and materially from ordinary family cars. Following the model across generations shows how a recognizable name can accommodate changing technologies, styling, and expectations of performance.
What to look for
- Two-seat sports-car layout
- Fiberglass body in the original model
- A small initial production run
Sources and further reading
Explore more
- Back to Automobiles
- Ford Model T
- The Jeep
- Ford Mustang
- Streamlined Design — related topic