"The birth of a legend. The GM Chevrolet 1st Corvette Muscle Car is released."
C1 Chevrolet Corvettes are Modeling in Motion - Still hot looking today!
1953 Chevrolet C1 Corvette roadster picture
In 1953 the original Corvette was introduced by Chevrolet (GM), but was really only intended to be part of the GM's Motorama exhibit at the New York Auto Show. It was built with parts "off the shelf" though, so, the reality of production would not take much more than a command decision by the Chevrolet management. The public embraced this new Corvette vehicle that they had seen, so production was given the green light, and the first Corvette (Serial Number E53F001001) rolled off the assembly line on June 30 of this year.
What else was happening in 1953? "The Wild One" outlaw biker film with Marlon Brando was out (see video clip at bottom of page). "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes" with Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell hit the theaters. Dean Martin, Perry Como, and Hank Williams all had hit music singles that year. The real news though was the birth of a legend - The 1953 Corvette!
1953 Chevrolet Corvette Dream Car pictures
The 53 Vette basically had the suspension from the 52 sedan, a hopped up 150 hp 235 ci inline 6 (the "Blue Flame") , a two-speed automatic Powerglide transmission to handle the "massive power", and of course the modern fiberglass body. Contrary to the popular belief that fiberglass is a fragile and dangerous material in accidents, GM decided to go with this material because they accidentally rolled a prototype convertible in testing, in 1952, and were impressed how the body survived with little damage. 0-60 times were reported at around 11.5 sec.
This was an expensive vehicle for the times, far more expensive than GM had even anticipated, and it was produced at the Flint, Michigan assembly line which was in its infancy gearing up with this new model.
1954 saw few changes outside of color options, performance was poor on this model, and it was a sad year for sales, with many sitting on the lots begging for buyers. This was the last year for 6 cylinder engines in the Corvette.
Chevy Vette 265 CID V-8 engine image
1955 saw the legendary small-block V8 introduced to the Corvette, with 265 ci and 195 hp This combination brought the 0-60 times down to around 8.5 seconds.
1956 C1 Chevrolet Corvette image
1956 saw the introduction of the removable hard top and optional power windows. Many considered the new body design on the 56 to be the start of the Corvette being viewed as a hot rod as opposed to being country club type car. Chevrolet also began racing the vehicle this year. The only engine now offered was the 265 ci V8, and it was bumped up to 210 hp, so from this point on when an engine is referenced it will be assumed to be a V8 unless otherwise noted. Also, with this model year Chevrolet now offered a 3 speed manual transmission that they deemed sturdy enough to mate with the drivetrain. The 56 Vettes that were raced at the Daytona Speedway, in Florida, were pushing 255 hp, and hit 145.5 mph. The Ford Thunderbirds maxed out at 134.404 mph at this same competition.
The 1957 looked the same as the 56, but now offered the [T-10] 4 speed manual, and the engine was punched out to 283 ci with 220 hp There were also fuel delivery options that were offered which bumped output to 245 or 270 hp with carburetors, and 250 or 283 hp with the new Rochester Ramjet fuel-injection offering. Road & Track magazine clocked one "Fuelie" doing a 5.7 second 0-60 mph sprint. Also, a heavy duty brakes and suspension option also became available on this year's model, as did the limited slip differential.
The 1957 looked the same as the 56, but now offered the [T-10] 4 speed manual, and the engine was punched out to 283 ci with 220 hp There were also fuel delivery options that were offered which bumped output to 245 or 270 hp with carburetors, and 250 or 283 hp with the new Rochester Ramjet fuel-injection offering. Road & Track magazine clocked one "Fuelie" doing a 5.7 second 0-60 mph sprint. Also, a heavy duty brakes and suspension option also became available on this year's model, as did the limited slip differential.
1958 General Motors C1 Corvette pictures
1958 Chevy Corvette Ad images- motortrend.com
1958 saw a major restyling. Dual headlights and lots of chrome were added. Also, 4 optional versions off of the base 230 hp 283 small block were now offered; 2 carbureted versions pushing either 245 or 270 horsepower, and 2 fuel injected versions pushing an optional 250 or 290 horsepower. This also may have been the year that Chevy saw a profit on this vehicle. 1959 was basically a carryover from the previous year. Mainly, the vehicle was stripped, or cleaned up, by removing some of the Chrome pieces. Most agreed this made for a sleeker looking vehicle.
1960 saw the 2 optional fuel injection offerings, and a jump to either 275, or to a full 315 horsepower.
1961 saw a mild styling update adding the "boat tail" rear end with 4 tail lights, and also the option of a new 24-gallon oversize fuel tank.
1962 Chevrolet C1 Corvette pictures
1962 was a banner year for the Vette. The small block V8 now became the 327 ci (5.4 L) and horsepower was 250 with the base, with 300- or 340-horsepower optional on the carbureted models (no dual-quad carb offering this year). The fuel injected option was now rated at 360 hp.
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C1 First generation GM Chevrolet Corvette Videos:
C1 Chevrolet Corvette documentary video
Chevy Corvette C1 Montage videos
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A Movie of The Times:
THE WILD ONE (1953) video
[ref] Wikipedia.com
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