June 30, 1953 – First production Corvette

Automotive history changed forever when the first production Corvette rolled out of General Motors Flint, Michigan assembly facility on this day in 1953. The Corvette started out as a dream car concept developed by famous auto designer Harley J. Earl. He had been working for GM since 1927 when he was hired to redesign the LaSalle. His immediate success led him into a long career that would introduce the world to a number of memorable vehicles, the Corvette being one of the most iconic.   The Corvette was introduced to the public earlier in 1953 at Chevrolet’s traveling Motorama display. It was at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City that the all fiberglass Corvette was first unleashed. Every production 1953 Corvette was a white convertible with red interior and a black canvas top. The gorgeous exterior hid a relatively mild drive train, as the first Corvettes were outfitted with standard GM parts. This included the Blue Flame six-cylinder, two speed Powerglide transmission and drum brakes. Sales were initially disappointing due to the car’s underperformance. After the introduction of a V8 option in 1955 sales took off for “America’s Sports Car.” Today the Corvette continues to rank highly among its competitors in terms of speed and performance. Photos:The Motorama CorvetteThe first production corvette1954 Corvair Corvette1954 Corvette Nomad Wagon