The car that started it all. This is a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette. Only 300 of were produced the first year. All were manufactured in the iconic Polo White exterior with Sportsman Red interior. Where was I when they were selling for just under $3,500?
In 1954, the Corvette came with an addition 5 more horsepower than the original model year (now 155hp) . The second year of production was 3,640.
1955 saw the first Chevy small-block V8 in the Corvette. Only 700 Corvettes rolled off the assembly line.
The 1956 Corvette had exposed headlamps and a removable hard-top. Seatbelts were a dealer installed option at the time. 3,467 Corvettes were produced in 1956.
A 283 cubic inch V8 with optional horsepower ratings from 240hp to 283hp was available in 1957. The same quantity were produced as 1956.
For 1958 the Corvette added a passenger grab bar. I guess that's because the speedometer now went up to 160mph! Production nearly tripled to 9,168.
In 1959, not much changed mechanically from the 1958 Corvette. Production was up slightly to 9,670.
Once again, not many changes for the 1960 model year. It did include a few changes that affected the handling. Another small bump up in production to 10,261.
1961 saw the "teeth" removed from the front grill and the first year of four taillights that would continue up to present models. Production numbers were exactly the same as 1960.
The 1962 Corvette was the last year of the "original" body styling. The standard engine was now 327 cubic inches with 250-360hp options available. The exposed headlights wouldn't been seen again until 2005. 14,531 Corvettes were built in 1962.
