The 1950’s Chevrolet Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette is the first All-American sports car manufactured by General Motors (GM). The first generation of these cool cars was born in 1953. There are only 300 hand-built awesome Vettes manufactured by the year it was introduced. The following are images that will surprise you!
The Chevrolet Corvette (1953)
The 1953 Chevrolet Corvette has an exterior Polo white design.
1953 Chevrolet Corvette has an elegant red with white interior theme.
The Blue Flame Six was the first engine of the 1953 Chevy Corvette.
The construction of 1953 Corvette was hand-built.
The public first saw the dream car Chevrolet Corvette in January 17, 1953 when it was introduced at the GM Motorama car show at Walodrf-Astoria in New York. At that event, Corvette was also know as EX-122.
In March 14-22, 1953, the Chevy Corvette made the people of Chicago drool at the Chicago Auto Show.
The Chevrolet Corvette (1954)
In 1954 Chevrolet Corvette added new colors from its Polo white exterior color. These colors are Pennant Blue, Sportsman Red and Black. Not only the color has upgraded (for some that doesn’t like the Polo White), but also the engine which kicked from 150 to 155. The General Motors (GM) began manufacturing the 1954 Corvette on January 1, 1954 at St. Louis, Missouri. And by the end of the year, they only made 3640 Corvettes.
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The Pennant Blue 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible.
The 1954 Chevrolet Corvette Sportsman Red colored.
The Black 1954 Chevrolet Corvette.
The 1954 manufactured Corvette has an optional color. Other than red interior, beige is also available.
The 1955 CHEVROLET CORVETTE
Don’t be deceived by its appearance! The 1955 Chevrolet Corvette may be small but it has greater power than the previous models. Due to public demands, the manufacturer of corvettes enhanced not only the car’s figure, but improved more on the performance. It was equip with V-8 powerglide automatic transmission engine and a horsepower of 195. The car was really designed for racing!
A 1955 Chevrolet Corvette ‘Bubbletop’ Roadster. The Bubbletop is a very unique car accessory for it is only available for Corvette’s model ’53 to ’55.
A photo of Noel Park driving his cool 1955 Chevrolet Corvette.
A road testing a 1955 Chevrolet Corvette.
The V-8 Engine of 1955 Corvette.
The Chevrolet Corvette (1956)
Factory-installed removable hardtops are offered for the first time, and the exterior gets exposed headlamps, sculpted side coves, and roll-up windows. Seatbelts make the scene as a dealer-installed option, and one-hundred and eleven buyers drop $188.30 on a high-lift cam (order code: RPO #449). Head Corvette engineer (and future legend) Zora Arkus-Duntov tells the brass to go racing, but his pleas for a racing program fall on deaf corporate ears. Two four-barrel carbs enhance the 265-cubic-inch (4.3-liter) V-8, and our own Karl Ludvigsen (back when we were known as Sports Cars Illustrated) deems the ’56 credible: “Without qualification, General Motors is now building a sports car.”
Though the 1955 corvette has a compact body, it doesn’t show a great difference from the previous models. But the 1956 Chevrolet Corvette introduced a new body design, compact and plenty of pure muscle, optional removable hardtop, and concave side with two-tone option. And it was equipped with standard three-way manual transmission.
This great engine just confirmed that the 1956 Chevy Corvette was truly made for racing! It has still V8 engine, but the horsepower leveled up which ranges 210-240. horsepower.
Chromed 1956 Corvette.
An ad on the 1956 Corvette. “Bring on the hay bales!”
The Chevrolet Corvette (1957)
Physically, the 1957 Corvette is almost identical to the ’56 model. However, engine performance increased to 283 cu in (4.6 L) and it was geared with optional fuel injection, and a four-way manual transmission. It has a surprising powerful muscle that produce 283 horse power!
Rare options: four-speed manual transmission (664), RPO 579E 283 hp (211 kW) engine with fresh air/tach package (43), 15″ x 5.5″ wheels (51 RPO 684 heavy-duty racing suspension (51), power windows (379).
A Black ’57 Chevy Corvette showing its muscle. Love this vintage car!
The Chevrolet Corvette (1958)
A redesigned hood with louvered vents and 160-mph speedo appear for 1958, while 1960 brings an aluminum radiator option. 1961 marks the Corvette’s first use of four round taillights, and the aluminum radiator becomes standard. That year’s mild styling tweaks mean the exhaust no longer exits through the bodywork. The engine grows to 327 cubic inches (5.4 liters) in 1962, which was also the last year for the solid rear axle and (until the C6) exposed headlamps. We note in our 1962 test that “rear-axle bounce is a problem on standing starts, in spite of the torque arms above the axle.”