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The 1953 Chevrolet Corvette

1953 White Corvette Convertible

1953 was the first year the Corvette was produced, it is the original "Classic Corvette". It debuted at the 1953 GM Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. It was outfitted with a 6 cylinder "Blue-Flame" engine that produced 150 hp mated to a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission. All 300 Corvettes that were produced in 1953 came with the same options and they were all painted "Polo White" with a red interior. Also included on all 1953's were whitewall tires and two-spinner hub caps. They also did not have outside door handles. To get in the car you must reach inside to open the door. 301 1953 Corvettes were built in Flint, Michigan at a temporary facility in the rear of Chevrolet's customer delivery garage on Van Slyke Ave. The first production 1953 Corvette was built on June 30, 1953. Because of the short production run the 1953 model it is the rarest of all Corvettes. After the first 301 were assembled, production moved to the new St. Loius factory. Zora Arus-Duntov joined Chevrolet this year, he would eventually become the Chief Engineer for Corvette.

Production Options and Build Statistics

Total 1953 Corvettes Built - 315

Serial Numbers
ConvertibleE53001001 - E53F001300

Production Options

RPO
Description
Cost
Total
Prod.
%
2934Base Corvette Convertible$3,498.00 300 95.2%
101AHeater$91.40 300 95.2%
101BAM Radio$145.15 300 95.2%

Color Options for 1953

RPO
Color
Cost
Soft Top Color
Interior Color
Wheel Color
Total
Prod.
%
N/APolo White$0.00BlackRedRed 300 95.2%

1953 Corvette Specifications

Mechanical Dimensions


FeatureDimensions
Wheelbase102.0 in
Track Frt/Rear (in)57.0/59.0
Length167.0 in
Width72.2 in
Height52.1 in
Frontal AreaN/A
Ground ClearanceN/A
Curb Weight2850 lbs
Weight Dist. F/R (Engine)53/47
Fuel CapacityN/A
Coolant CapacityN/A


Engine Specifications

FeatureStandard Engine
Bore3 9/16 in
Stroke3 15/16 in
Displacement235.5 ci
Compression Ratio8.0:1
Cylinders6 (inline)
BlockCast Iron
Horsepower150 bhp @ 4200 rpm
Torque223 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm
RedlineN/A
Carburetion3x1 bbl
Oil CapacityN/A
ValvetrainN/A

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