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Chevrolet Corvette C1
The introduction of the Chevrolet Corvette was the biggest automotive news for 1953. After all, nobody expected Chevrolet to build and market such an exotic car. Suddenly, there was a new roadster with incredible features from a mid-class manufacturer with no sports car experience. But despite all that, the first Corvette was a well-designed and executed model.
The most interesting thing about the new Corvette was the fiberglass body. Back in the early â50s, plastic was still the material of the future, so they rarely used it in the industry. In fact, the Corvette was the first car with a fully plastic body. Also, Chevrolet was one of the pioneers of fiberglass construction. This incredible innovation gave the Corvette its lightweight construction.
And from that time onward, they made the `Vette body out of fiberglass. Under the hood was an inline six engine they called the “Blue Flame.” It featured a 3.9-liter displacement and a modest 136 HP rating. The engine came from Chevrolet’s standard lineup although they equipped it with three Carter carburetors.
But, the Chevrolet engineers tried to keep the cost down by borrowing mechanical components from other vehicles to use on the Corvette. With a price of $3,490, the 1953 Corvette was expensive, but it was less than a Jaguar XK120 or a Ferrari 166. Despite the big interest from the public during the first year, they only made 300 Corvettes, all in white with red interiors.