-
1953 Chevrolet Corvette
Despite the fact Corvette was never a muscle car per se, the Chevrolet Corvette was the biggest automotive news for 1953. It was also a big boost for the American performance scene since nobody expected Chevrolet to build such an exotic car. The most interesting thing about the new Corvette was the fiberglass body. Back in the early 50’s, plastic was still the material of the future, so they rarely used in the car industry.
The Corvette was the first car with a fully plastic body, making Chevrolet a pioneer of fiberglass construction. Under the hood was an inline six engine they called the Blue Flame. It featured 3.9-liters of displacement and a modest 136 HP rating. The engine came from Chevrolet’s standard lineup, although they equipped it with three Carter carburetors.
Chevrolet engineers tried to keep the costs down by borrowing mechanical components from other vehicles to use on the Corvette. With a price of $3,490, the 1953 Corvette wasn’t affordable. But, it was cheaper than a Jaguar XK120 or a Ferrari 166. However, despite the interest from the public the first year, they only made 300 Corvettes, all white with red interiors.