Corvette - A Brief History of the Beginnings of a Legendary Sports Car

A legendary American sports car, the Corvette was actually envisioned because of the foreign sports cars of the era. Harley Earl, the General Motors' chief stylist, visited a Watkins Glen sports car race in 1951 and became immediately impressed with the foreign sports cars. After having such an emotional draw on the sports cars he witnessed, he decided to create the All-American sports car: the Corvette.

In 1952, the first prototype was built. With a fiberglass exterior and balsa wood floors, the Corvette had increased speed over its competitors, due largely because of its lightweight fabrication. The car was beginning to take shape, but still was nameless. Finally, a member of the General Motor's Public Relations department suggested "Corvette". The name came from a class of British Royal Navy Warships of the same name. The name is synonymous with strength, speed, and maneuverability in Britain. Now, years later, the Corvette name holds the same symbolism on this side of the Atlantic.

In 1953, at the New York Motorama Show in the Waldorf Astoria hotel ballroom, the Corvette made its first appearance amid much anticipation. The classic logo of the vehicle was even changed out at the last minute to its now famous "fleur de lis" and checked racing flags in crossed image. Originally, it was supposed to be the American flag and the checkered racing flag, but the American flag was copyright protected from commercial use and was therefore pulled from the logo.

Despite the last minute logo change, the public was enamored with the new sports car. The first 300 Corvettes rolled out of the Flint, Michigan assembly plan within 6 months. The original sticker price of a new Corvette was $3,000.

To minimize the costs on the new line of vehicles, GM decided to make all 300 exactly the same. All Corvettes came in Polo White with Sportsman Red vinyl interior and a solid black top. Most of the vehicles were targeted at public officials and celebrities, making this the sports car in the public view.

The original launch didn't meet the large sales GM was expecting. In fact, many people liked the car, but couldn't see spending the $3,000 for one. Additionally, the car being a two-seat vehicle made it impractical for many individuals. Many times in the life of the Corvette it met resistance. Several times General Motors considered canceling the line, but the avid lovers of the sports car kept it alive.

The Corvette's Chief Engineer was Zora Arkus-Duntov. He was hired early in the production life of the sports car, and become one of its strongest supporters. Many of the improvements he added to the vehicle helped to increase its public image. Zora was in love with the Corvette, and it became a labor of love. After retiring in 1974, he still worked to keep the brand strength of the Corvette on the rise. When he died, his ashes were put on display at the National Corvette Museum per his final wishes.

Under Arkus-Duntov's reign, the sales of the Corvette rose and the car became widely available to the public. Due to the increase, a second assembly plant was opened in St.