This video is the first in a continuing series exploring the history of the legendary Chevrolet Corvette.
Our story begins in 1953. The war in Korean is winding down, and it will be over by the end of July. In Hollywood, California, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences recently awarded Humphrey Bogart the Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of Charlie Allnut in The African Queen.
And if you happen to be listening to a radio anywhere in America, it won’t be long before Jo Stafford’s voice can be heard singing You Belong to Me.
In Washington, D.C. plans are in the works for the televised inauguration ceremony for Dwight D. Eisenhower, who has just been elected the 34th President of the United States. But that celebration won’t receive the viewership that will occur on the prior evening when 71% of American televisions will be tuned in to watch the episode when Lucy gives birth to Little Ricky.
But two days before that event, on January 17th, the big reveal takes place. The executives at General Motors have been waiting a long time for the unveiling of their newest design. The crowd at the GM Motorama Show being held in the Waldorf Astoria in New York City is impressed with the new model known as the Corvette.
It’s touted as fast and maneuverable, like it’s namesake naval escort vessel. No one realizes at the time, but this 1953 Corvette is destined to become the first of seven iterations (so far) that the model will go through as it evolves from a somewhat underpowered debut model to the legendary icon representing the quintessential American Sports Car.
Of course, every new car needs a unique identity, and the Corvette was no exception. However, the emblem that would eventually adorn the hood did not end up as it was originally created. Robert Bartholomew, an interior designer at GM, developed the original logo, which consisted of two crossed flags – a checkered racing flag and a United States Flag.
At some point before it was approved for production, someone, whose name has now been lost to history, discovered Public Law 77-623, also known as the National Flag Code. Unfortunately, this law made it illegal to use the American Flag in any form of advertising, marketing, or branding. Bartholomew made a revision and created the version shown here, which ended up as the final hood emblem. Obviously, this logo has evolved over the years, but Bartholomew’s original concept of the crossed flags has remained.
The Motorama Show was only the beginning. Let’s move forward in time to take a closer look so we can become a little more familiar with some of the details surrounding this first model year Corvette.
Six months after the Motorama Show, on June 30th, 1953, the first of only 300 units rolled off the assembly line at the GM Plant in Flint Michigan. These were the only Corvettes that would ever be built in that plant. The following year, production was transferred to St. Louis and remained there for the next 27 years until 1981, when it was moved to Bowling Green, KY, where it still remains.
(EXTERIOR SHOT)
Unlike today’s models with a multitude of versions and varieties, aside from their unique serial numbers, all 300 of the units were identical. Each was created with the same exterior paint color known as Polo White.
The interiors were identical as well and were all produced with the Sportsman Red vinyl bucket seats. All 300 of them were convertibles.
If you raised the hood, you would find an inline six cylinder engine known as the Blue Flame. This motor was connected to a 2 speed Powerglide transmission controlled by a sporty, floor-mounted shifter. Unlike the more aggressive power plants that would follow as the Corvette evolved, this initial engine only delivered a somewhat wimpy 150 hp.
The options available were equally mediocre and included only an AM radio and a heater, which really didn’t heat anything, but actually only recirculated the air inside the cockpit. Those two options weren’t actually options as we know them today, because each new Corvette had both items installed at the assembly plant, and the customer was charged for them, whether they wanted them or not.
The MSRP with no options was $3,490 (which was $90 more than the annual salary of the average worker in 1953). But, after the addition of the non-optional options, the actual price came in at $3,734.
Of the 300 original units, there are over 200 of them still accounted for today. And, since rarity typically dictates value, these remaining models have become highly desirable.
As shown on the Barrett Jackson flyer, Production Number 3 (Serial number E53F001003) sold at auction in 2006 for $1.1 million dollars.
And that’s how the legend began, on June 30, 1953.
Audiotrack: The Curtain Rises by Kevin MacLeod.
Audiotrack: In Your Arms by Kevin MacLeod.
This presentation contains copyrighted material incorporated under the Fair Use exemption of the U.S. copyright law.
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