The idea for the Corvette began as a project named Project Opel, to create a low-cost American sports car.
Project Opel, for Harley J. Earl, GM’s design chief, main focus was to create an affordable American sports car similar to, or even better than the European models from Jaguar and MG.
The concept car was shown at the GM Motorama auto show that was held in New York in 1953. The car received positive attention, inspiring GM to put it into production just a few months later.
GM started with only 300 units, and they were assembled virtually by hand on a pilot line. Every single one was finished exclusively in Polo White with a Sportsman Red bucket seat interior and a black soft top, the same as the original Motorama prototype.
The first Corvettes were designed to be open from the inside without exterior door handles for aesthetic reasons. It also had detachable plastic curtains instead of roll-up glass for the side windows.
The first line also came equipped with windshield wipers, turn indicators, and an electric clock, with optional radio and heaters, for $3,498, which would be equal to about $42,000 today.
At the time of the Corvette launch, Thomas Keating, general manager of Chevrolet, said, “It is intended to satisfy the American public’s conception of beauty, plus comfort, convenience and performance.”
In 1956, Corvettes switched to V-8 engines, which helped improve its performance and established it as America’s sports car.
In 2013, Chris Perry, who was the Vice President of Chevrolet Marketing, said during the car’s 60th-anniversary, “During the past six decades, the Corvette has been woven into the fabric of American culture, as the sports car of choice for movie stars, musicians and astronauts.”
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