1954 Chevrolet Corvette Design Study

Chevrolet introduced the Corvette at the General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City in January of 1953. With an enthusiastic reception from the public, Chevrolet general manager Thomas H. Keating announced that the production version would be ready in six months; mass production commenced on June 30, 1953. A total of three hundred hand-built, fiberglass-bodied Corvette convertibles were built during its inaugural year of production, and 3,640 were manufactured in 1954.

The Chevrolet Corvette remains the longest-running and most successful line of sports cars ever produced. Its popularity and success are attributed to its timeless styling and relentless development. Improvements in all disciplines allowed it to evolve into a true sports car capable of besting the world's finest – on and off the racetrack.

Conceived by the head of GM's Styling Section, Harley J. Early, the all-American two-seater convertible built by GM was aimed at capturing the small car sportscar market. From humble beginnings, the Corvette's existence began with a grossly underpowered 'Blue Flame' 235 cubic-inch six-cylinder engine coupled to a two-speed automatic transmission. All 1953 Corvettes wore Polo White exteriors and red interiors and had a black canvas soft top. The cost of the first production model Corvettes in 1953 was $3,490 (approximately $2,000 higher than the Earl's intended price target). The last time Chevrolet offered a 2-door, 2-passenger convertible/roadster body style was in 1938 with the Chevrolet Master.

Getting Corvette production up and running was no small task, given the fact it was the first mass-produced car with a fiberglass body. Despite its complexity, the Corvette was fast-tracked for development and production. Before series Corvette production commenced, Chevrolet built approximately 15 bodies intended for experimental and display purposes. Since they were hand-built show cars, they did not receive standard VIN numbers but were instead referred to by internal codes. The first example was Harley Earl's 1953 Ex-122 (code named 'Project Opel') Corvette prototype that was shown to the public at the 1953 GM Motorama.

The bodies of the show models were made of reinforced plastic to expediete its creation, while the outer body of the production vehicles was made of glass fiber reinforced plastic material. The body engineer for the Corvette was Ellis James Premo. The 55-degree raked windshield was made of safety glass, and the license plate holder - set back in the truck - was covered with a plastic window.

The Corvette 'design studies' were given unique features to both the interior and the exterior, with a few examples receiving custom paint jobs. The purpose of the unique components was to study feasibility, useability, and practicality and gauge visual appeal. Some examples received special upholstery, instrumentation, and steering wheels, while some exteriors were given unique trim pieces, grilles, decorative hood scoops, slanted front-fender vents, and distinctive trunk designs.

Many of these show cars were dismantled, destroyed, or reused for other projects. Some examples were modified, repainted, and repurposed for further promotional duties. Thus, few of these Motorama-era prototypes survive today.

For the production version of the Corvette, GM executive Robert F. McLean mandated that off-the-shelf mechanical components were to be utilized to help keep costs at a minimum. The chassis and suspension were sourced from the 1949 through 1954 Chevrolet passenger vehicles and the engine was the same unit that powered all other Chevrolet car models, albeit with modifications. Since a manual transmission was not available to Chevrolet to cope with the 150-horsepower engine, the two-speed Powerglide automatic was used.

Along with the roadster body style bestowed upon the Corvette, Chevrolet also created a fastback variant for the Corvair and a two-door 'Nomad' station wagon. The Corvair fastback never entered production, but the wagon was eventually built as the Chevy Nomad. The 2-door fastback, 2-passenger Corvair coupe made its debut at the 954 GM Motorama in New York City wearing a ruby red color; when it was subsequently shown at the Los Angeles show, it wore a light seat foam green paint scheme. The Corvair used the Corvette front end, though it sported ribbed air intakes on the hood that routed fresh air to the interior and fender vents that allowed heat to escape the engine compartment. It had a wrap-around windshield, and the roof was aircraft-inspired, sweeping back into the chrome-trimmed license plate housing, which resembled a jet-fighter exhaust port.

Chevrolet's earliest advertisements for the Corvette featured the tagline, 'The first of the dream cars to come true.' The first generation of the Corvette, known as the 'C1' and the 'solid-axle' Corvette, was produced from 1953 to 1962. Despite early mixed receives and lackluster sales, flirting with the possibility of cancellation, the Corvette endured and has become known as 'America's Sports Car.'

by Daniel Vaughan | Dec 2023