Which GM styling chief headed the team that created the original Corvette?

Harley Earl, GM’s styling chief, headed the team that created the original Corvette.

Earl was General Motors’ influential vice president of styling and one of the most important automotive designers of the twentieth century. After seeing growing American interest in European sports cars, he encouraged the development of a compact, two-seat Chevrolet sports car in the early 1950s.

The project moved quickly. Earl’s styling group produced the design, while Chevrolet engineers developed the chassis, fiberglass body construction, and modified six-cylinder powertrain. The resulting prototype, coded EX-122, was ready for the 1953 Motorama in New York.

The other names in the options played different roles. Zora Arkus-Duntov later became known as the “Father of the Corvette” for advancing its performance, especially through V8 engines and racing development. Larry Shinoda designed the later second-generation Sting Ray, and Bill Mitchell succeeded Earl as GM’s styling leader. Their importance to Corvette history should not be confused with Earl’s role in originating the first-generation design.