Chevrolet introduces the Corvette, the first production car with a body made entirely of a new wonder material called fiberglass.
The Corvette was born of the boom years following World War II and was a response to the growing popularity of the small, nimble two-seat sports cars American GIs brought home from Europe. Legendary GM designer Harley Earl designed the car, and GM adman Myron Scott named it (after a class of fast, compact, powerful warships). A fiberglass car was lighter—and more futuristic—than one made of steel.
The gorgeous hand-built ’53s were all painted polo white with sportsman-red interiors, black tops, whitewall tires, and analog instruments—including a 5,000 rpm tachometer. Suggested retail price was $3,513 (about $30,000 in today’s money). The first-generation Corvette looked like a sports car but didn’t drive like one. The six-cylinder truck engine was sluggish, the drum brakes were weak, and the car had a two-speed automatic transmission.
Two things saved it: Chevy’s introduction in 1955 of the small-block V-8 engine, and the arrival of engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov. As director of high-performance-vehicle design, he gave the Corvette its performance pedigree and earned the name “Father of the Corvette.” The ’Vette got more powerful engines. A fully independent rear suspension and disc brakes on all four corners made the car a real runner. Race-trimmed Corvettes driven by Roger Penske, A. J. Foyt, Jim Hall, and Dick Guldstrand were outright terrors on the track.
More than that, the Corvette became a cultural landmark, immortalized in countless movies and songs. It’s been restyled six times over the years, but the car has stayed true to its sports-car heritage. The Corvette remains the pinnacle of American sports-car design, and it’s still made of fiberglass.—TB