The 1953 Chevrolet Corvette had a 102-inch wheelbase. That distance between the centers of the front and rear axles helped give Chevrolet’s first sports car its compact proportions.
The inaugural Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year and assembled largely by hand in Flint, Michigan. Its chassis used Chevrolet passenger-car components, but the drivetrain and passenger compartment were shifted rearward to produce an approximately 53/47 front-to-rear weight distribution.
The Corvette’s body was made from fiberglass, a major departure from the steel construction used by most American cars. However, it was not a fiberglass monocoque: the body sat on a conventional frame. The first cars used a 235-cubic-inch Blue Flame inline-six and a two-speed Powerglide automatic because Chevrolet lacked a suitable manual gearbox.
Only 300 Corvettes were built for 1953, all Polo White with red interiors. The C1 generation continued through 1962, retaining the 102-inch wheelbase across its production run.