The inline-six engine used in early C1 Corvettes was nicknamed the Blue Flame.
The 1953 Corvette used a 235.5-cubic-inch overhead-valve straight-six derived from Chevrolet’s established six-cylinder family. Chevrolet gave the Corvette version the “Blue Flame” name, reflecting its higher-output tune and its place as the car’s original engine before the small-block V8 arrived.
For Corvette duty, the engine received three single-barrel carburetors, increased compression, a more aggressive camshaft, solid lifters, and other performance changes. It produced about 150 horsepower—substantial for Chevrolet’s first production sports car, though modest by later Corvette standards.
The name is sometimes confused with “Stovebolt,” a broader nickname for Chevrolet’s inline-six family, or with “Powerglide,” which was the transmission rather than the engine. The Blue Flame remained central to the earliest cars, but Corvette’s identity soon shifted toward V8 power. Chevrolet introduced its small-block V8 for the 1955 Corvette, beginning the engine tradition most associated with the model.