Chevrolet Corvette - C1 (1953 to 1955)

After its lauded introduction at the 1953 New York Auto Show, the Chevrolet Corvette entered production with its first generation, which is known as the C1. The first evolution of the C1 Corvette was built from 1953 until 1955, and was only offered in a convertible body style. For the first two years of production, the C1 was only available with the 235 cubic inch "Blue Flame" inline six engine and a 2 speed Powerglide automatic transmission, but for 1955, a manual gearbox was introduced, as was a 265 cubic inch V8 with 195hp. It was the V8-powered variants that helped establish the Corvette as the performance icon as we know it today, as the inline six versions were considered to be underpowered. The 1953-1955 C1 Corvette saw 4,460 examples built, and was replaced by the 1956-1957 C1 Chevrolet Corvette.