The Origin of the Corvette

Sep 2, 2010
Toby Welch

1953 Corvette - Stephen Foskett

It has been almost 60 years since the first Chevrolet Corvette hit the streets. The 1953 Corvette changed the way we see sports car forever.

In the past almost six decades, interest in the Corvette has been unequalled. Subscriptions of Corvette magazines exceed the number of ‘Vettes ever built. There are Corvette clubs on every continent except Antarctica. The Corvette is considered by many to be America’s only true sports car. Our love affair with the Corvette started in 1953.

The 1953 Corvette

Chevrolet sold 1,342,480 cars in 1953 but only 183 of those were Corvettes. Originally named the Corvair, the first Corvette rolled off the assembly line on June 30, 1953, to mixed reviews. Up until that point, no major American automaker had built a sports car although the public was clamouring for one. Many doubted Chevrolet’s ability to make a sporty two-seater despite the public’s enthusiasm for the Corvette prototype at the January 1953 Motorama.

Some people loved the sporty new car. With a height of 33 inches at the door top, the car seemed to hug the road. Its streamlined body appealed to many. It was 167 inches long with a 102-inch wheelbase. The dual exhausts and triple carburetors were horizontally mounted to allow for a lower hood. The wrap-around windshield was considered extraordinary.

The 1953 Corvette achieved 53/47 front/rear weight distribution, an acceptable percent today and remarkable six decades ago. The “toothy” grille was sexy. And the fibreglass body, which was used to enable a rush production of the first Corvettes, would prove to be one of the most durable features of the car.

Other people criticized the new Chevrolet vehicle. The engine was Chevy’s 235 cu.in. (3.85 litre) straight-six pushrod motor. It had originally been used for trucks before World War II and produced 115bhp at 3600rpm and 204 lb ft of torque at 2000rpm. Ed Cole, a brilliant engineer at Chevy, made some adjustments to the ‘stovebolt six’.

1953 Corvette Engine and Car Modifications

After much modification, the newly named Blue Flame Special (also called Blue Flame Six) engine now had 35 more horsepower and 223 lb. of torque at 2300rpm as well as:

Utilizing an aluminum dual-intake manifold to increase power and mid-range torque
Lowering the improved, higher-efficiency high-volume water pump (27 gallons per minute at 2000 rpm) and flattening the rocker box front to allow for a lower hood
A higher-lift, longer duration metal cam gear replaced the stock fibre piece
Large pancake-shaped air cleaners were replaced with bullet-shaped filters
Changing the hydraulic tappets to mechanical ones with dual-rate valve springs
Increasing hydraulic line pressure to handle the higher engine torque
Increasing the compression ratio from 7.5:1 to 8.0:1
Using free-breathing dual exhaust and three sidedraft twin-choke Carter carburetors; the carbs were mounted on a special aluminum manifold
Exchanging the AC 44-5 spark plug for a colder AC 43-5 COM plug to improve high-speed operation
Shortening the exhaust valve and making it from a stronger alloy steel
The automatic choke was replaced by a cable-operated manual setup
Using an open drive shaft instead of the standard torque tube
Adjusting the shift points to a higher rpm

Unpopular 1953 Corvette Features

Despite the improvements to the engine, the public wasn’t thrilled with the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission on the ’53 ‘Vette. Consumers preferred their sports cars to have a four-speed shift. Other dislikes included:

The cockpits leaked, leaving the car and its passengers dusty and wet.
The gauges were hard to read; the instruments were out of the driver’s natural line of sight, especially the tachometer which was at the bottom of the instrument panel.
The car was awkward to enter. When the convertible top was on and the windows rolled up, a person had to shove their forearm through a vent window to reach the doorknob to open the door.
The knock-on hub, which was only a wheel cover on a regular steel wheel, had few admirers.
The sunlight-yellowing plastic side windows did not roll up or down; they were completely removable.
Recirculating-ball steering instead of rack-and-pinion.
The stubby exhaust tips caused exhaust staining on the rear bodywork.

Despite its many flaws, the 1953 Corvette started a love affair with ‘Vette-ophiles that has grown stronger with every passing decade. Owners love their Corvettes with a passion almost unequalled by owners of other sports cars.

Sources:

The Complete Book of Corvette: Every Model Since 1953 by Mike Mueller
Standard Catalog of Corvette, 1953 - 2005, 2nd Edition by John Gunnell
This Old Corvette: the Ultimate Tribute to America`s Sports Car by Peter Egan
Corvette, 1953 - 1963 by Mike Mueller
Pictures of the 1953 Corvette can be found at http://oldcarandtruckpictures.com/ChevroletCorvette/
More 1953 Corvette info -
TV commercial for the 1953 Corvette - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBm7CbRXoOo