History of the Iconic American Classic 1957 Chevrolet Corvette

Often reffered to as a time of living the 'American Dream', the 1950's were an intoxicating time for Amercia. This newly coined term represented good feelings, a rapid growth in technology, forward thinking, everybody bought a house, a car, had a good job and kids - Life Was Good! A car that perhaps best represented these exciting times was the iconic new sports car, a true Amercian muscle car, the Chevrolet Corvette.

Looking back, it's hard to imagine there was a time without the Corvette; it perfectly embodied the "American Dream"

The first generation C1 Corvette was the first sports car produced by General Motors entry-level division, Chevrolet. Feeling the competition from European auto manufacturers, GM needed to build a 2-seated sports car and in 1951 chevrolet began a secret project called, "PROJECT OPEL".

Soon after that announcment the hand crafted EX-122 Corvette prototype was debuted at the 1953 General Motors Motorama in New York City. Later that year 300 mostly hand built Corvettes left the assembly line for eagerly awaiting consumers at the modest price point of $3,490. Chevrolet used the same inline six 150 HP engine (automatic only) chassis and suspension componets of Chevrolet's other passenger vehicles. For consumers the 1953 model color choice were simple, as the only color option produced was Polo White with Red Interior.

For the Corvette's sophmore year, Chevrolet went full speed ahead moving from an old warehouse in FLint Michigan to the mass production assembly plant in St. Louis, Mo. The 1954 model did not change much in appearance but consumers could now purchase a Corvette in Pennant Blue with Beige Interior, Sportsman Red, Black and of course Polo White all with red interiors.

1955 was a big year for the Corvette as one of the most important developments was debuted, the 265 cubic inch V8 engine with a 3 speed transmission. You could almost hear the nail-biting from rival automokers...... Corvette's main rival at the time was Ford's introduciton of the 1955 Thunderbird, a two seated "personal luxury car", not a sports car.

After just 3 years on the market, the 1956 Corvette was constructed with a major styling upgrade. Most noticeable changes were concaved side paneling, new improved convertible top, an optional hardtop and was no longer offered in the mild and under performing previous V6.

When the 1957 Chevrolet Corvette was released, sport-car fans around the world were estatic. The 57 Corvette featured a 283 cubic inch, 283 HP fule injected 'fulie' V8 engine with a Borg-Warner four speed manual transmission and a variety of rear axle rations. This was one of the first mass-produced engines in history to reach 1HP/Cubic Inch.

During testing, 0-60 MPH posted in 7.2 seconds and was able to reach a top speed of 132 MPH. A Road and Track (http://www.roadandtrack.com/car-reviews/1957-chevrolet-corvette-4-speed) review states: " The fuel-injected engine is an absolute jewel, quiet and remarkably docile when driven gently around town, yet instantly transformable into a roaring brute when pushed hard. It idles at about 900 RPM's and pulls easily and smoothly from this speed even in high gear. It's best feature is the instantaneous throttle response, completely free of any stutter or stumble under any situation"

Colors for the 1957 model year included Onyx Black, Aztec Copper, Cascade Green, Artic Blue, Venetian Red, Polo White, Inca Silver with beige or red interior. A matching Auxiiary Hardtop could be ordered for $215.20. Extra wide rims (5.5 inches) were also an additional $56.00 dollar option. Interesting to note that seat belts were not installed from the factory but dealers could install them on factory installed brackets.

The '57 Corvette holds a special place in our hearts. It represents an idea as American as Baseball. It's a car that brings smiles to all of our faces when you see one. What was your favorite car during the 50's and 60's ?

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