1953 Chevrolet Corvette Roadster

Inspired by the early 1950s European sports cars, GM aimed to build a world-class sports car of their own - a trim, responsive machine crafted in the spirit of contemporary Jaguars, Porsches, and Triumphs.  After months of feverish work, the prototype was ready in time for the 1953 Motorama.  When show visitors caught their first glimpses of the car, on January 17, they went wild.  It could have been another low-slung European bullet.  But it wasn't.  This sexy, dream machine was from Chevrolet with nose lettering "Corvette."

Not only was this stunning roadster American, it wasn't made of steel.  Instead, the elegant, flowing bodywork was sculpted in fiberglass.  The outbreak of the Korean War, and the resulting need to manufacture arms and military equipment, had sharply curtailed the availability of steel.  Not only was fiberglass readily obtainable, but it offered the additional advantages of being lightweight (a huge aid to performance) and dramatically lower cost.  To a gadget-hungry 1950s public, fiberglass was also new and "cool."  Production of the two-seat roadster started in June 1953, and by year's end, a total of only 300 Corvettes rolled off the assembly line.  This first year of Corvette production signified an important technical milestone; GM was the first American car manufacturer to successfully mass-produce a vehicle whose underpan and bodyshell was made entirely of fiberglass.

The Corvette featured GM's 'Blue Flame' inline six 235 cubic inch engine, with triple carburetors and dual exhaust.  The engine's respectable 150hp was transmitted to the road via a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission.  All 300 cars built in 1953 were visually identical, finished in Polo White with a Sportsman Red interior.  The car was fitted with subtle pieces of chrome trim, which ran along either side, as well as wire meshing covering the headlights.  Compared to the Jaguar XK 120 and the MGA of the time, the Corvette was proportionally smaller, yet more responsive and superior in handling.  Unable to resist its magnetism, virtually every auto enthusiast felt compelled to get behind the wheel of the new Corvette.  Even though its initial success was impressive, it is doubtful that even those at GM could have thought the Corvette would achieve the success it has over the six decades it has been in production.

The stunning example presented here is finished in traditional 1953 Corvette colors and is number 157 of the 300 cars originally produced.  It was acquired by Mr. McMullen, at that time it was still fresh from a complete concours quality restoration and had just returned from the prestigious Bloomington Gold Corvette show  ...  Notably, Mr. McMullen's 1953 Corvette is the unofficial fourth member of the 'Grand Slam" assemblage of cars.This stunning restoration has,mellowed only slightly from its Bloomington experience, this is undoubtedly one of the greatest 1953 Corvettes in existence today.