The original Chevrolet Corvette was introduced in 1953.
Chevrolet unveiled the two-seat sports car at the 1953 General Motors Motorama in New York. Public interest was strong enough for production to begin on June 30, 1953, at Chevrolet’s Flint, Michigan, facility. The first-year cars were hand-built convertibles with Polo White fiberglass bodies, red interiors, and black tops.
These cars belong to the first-generation Corvette, commonly called the C1 or “solid-axle” Corvette. Only 300 were produced for the 1953 model year, making them exceptionally collectible today. The car used Chevrolet’s Blue Flame inline-six rather than a V8; the small-block V8 arrived as an option in 1955.
A common mix-up is confusing the introduction year with later milestone years. The 1957 Corvette is famous for major engine developments, while 1963 began the C2 generation and introduced the Sting Ray. Neither date marks the Corvette’s original debut.