The Corvette’s big reveal as the Motorama show car at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. (GM)
Jan. 17, 1953, marked the show-car debut of the first generation of Corvette.
According to Wikipedia, the two-seater was introduced late in the 1953 model year. It first appeared as a show car for the 1953 General Motors Motorama, held Jan. 17-23 at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
“At the time, Chevrolet general manager Thomas H. Keating said it was six months to a year away from production readiness. The car generated enough interest to induce GM to make a production version to sell to the public. First production was on June 30, 1953.
A promotional image from the 1953 GM Motorama. (GM)
“The 1953, 1954, and 1955 model years were the only Corvettes equipped with a 235 cubic-inch (3.9-liter) version of the second- generation Blue Flame inline-six rated at 150 horsepower.
“In 1953, when GM executives were looking to name the new Chevrolet sports car, assistant director for the Public Relations department Myron Scott suggested Corvette after the small maneuverable warship — and the name was approved.”
This PR images show the body-drop of the 1953 Corvette at the Flint, Mich., assembly plant. (GM)
