Which engine powered the first-generation Chevrolet Corvette when it debuted in 1953?

The first-generation Chevrolet Corvette debuted with the Blue Flame Six engine in 1953.

This 235-cubic-inch inline-six was a development of Chevrolet’s long-running overhead-valve six-cylinder family. In Corvette form, it used three side-draft carburetors and produced 150 horsepower, a notable increase over the engine’s output in ordinary Chevrolet passenger cars. The car used a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, since no manual gearbox was initially offered.

The Corvette’s six-cylinder beginning is sometimes overlooked because later generations became strongly associated with Chevrolet V8 engines. Chevrolet introduced a small-block V8 for the Corvette in 1955, and that engine quickly became central to the model’s performance identity. The 1953 launch cars were also distinctive for their fiberglass bodies and Polo White paint, making them unlike other Chevrolet production cars of the period.