July 1 — 66 years ago in 1953, the very first Corvette was assembled at the Chevrolet plant in Flint, Michigan. Two days later, the Corvette rolled off the assembly line, debuting as a two-seater sports car that would eventually become one of the most iconic cars in American history.
Harley J. Earl, General Motors' pioneering designer, starting developing the Corvette as early as 1951. Earl's objective was to create a low-cost sports car that could compete with Jaguars and Ferraris that came from Europe. Earl's project was codenamed "Opel" and two years later, he finally had a concept to debut at GM's Motorama auto show held in New York City's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
The original Corvette featured a fiberglass body and six-cylinder engine. Its Polo White exterior and red interior made the car stand out from what was already seen on the roads during the '50s. It also featured a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, a wraparound windshield, and whitewall tires. It wasn't until 1955 that they gave the Corvette a V-8 engine. While the Corvette undoubtedly had some progressive features, it did also have its quirks.
In place of side windows, the car had detachable plastic curtains. The first Corvettes were also designed to be opened from the inside and therefore didn't have exterior door handles. They were also outfitted with a clock, a cigarette lighter, and a red light that would activate if the parking brake was applied. According to GM, the Corvette was named for the "trim, fleet naval vessel that performed heroic escort and patrol duties during World War II."
Only 300 Corvettes were made in 1953. The car could go from zero to 60 mph in around 12 seconds and cost less than $3,500 at the time. When the Corvette went into mass production the following year, sales weren't what was expected. GM almost considered discontinuing the car until Ford came out with their Thunderbird around the same time.
