Corvette History and Generations

 

The Chevrolet Corvette, an enduring symbol of American sports car performance, has a rich history spanning eight distinct generations. Conceived as a response to the influx of European sports cars in the early 1950s, the Corvette has continuously evolved, pushing boundaries in design, engineering, and performance.

 

The Genesis of the Corvette

 

The idea for the Corvette originated with Harley Earl, GM's legendary head of design, in the early 1950s. Earl envisioned an American two-seat sports car that could compete with the popular European roadsters. The project, code-named "Project Opel," moved quickly, with the EX-122 pre-production prototype unveiled at the 1953 General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on January 17, 1953.

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The public reaction was overwhelmingly positive, prompting Chevrolet to rush the car into production. The first production Corvette was built on June 30, 1953, in Flint, Michigan. Only 300 units were essentially hand-built that year, all in Polo White with a red interior and black canvas soft tops. To keep costs down and achieve smoother contours, the Corvette pioneered the use of a fiberglass body, a revolutionary material for the time.