Rare Car Archive

Makes › Chevrolet United States › Corvette › C1 › 1953 Corvette · Rare production · Historically significant · 1953 Very Rare

Chevrolet
1953 Corvette

The first Corvette: 300 cars, hand-built in Flint, Michigan, every one a Polo White convertible with a red interior.

Chevrolet 1953 Corvette (Wikimedia Commons search)
Chevrolet 1953 Corvette (Wikimedia Commons search)
Photo: TTTNIS · CC0 1.0
300Built in 1953Independently researched
4Chassis documentedin this archive
200SurvivingEstimated
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
300 Built in 1953
Years
1953
Engine
Inline six, overhead valves · 3,859 cc / 3.9 LFactory: 235.5 cu in · converted
Power
112 kW / 152 PSFactory: 150 hp · converted
Top speed
Not yet verified
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Harley Earl, head of GM styling
Surviving
200 (estimated)

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The car that started America’s longest-running sports car line. Only 300 were built in the first model year, and serial numbers 001 and 002 were destroyed as engineering test cars.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityVery Rare 300 · Built in 19531,2,3
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityHistorically Unique The first Corvette model year.
Survival rarityExtremely Rare 200 · Believed to survive4

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

Photos

Exterior, interior and detail photos with their licences.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Model-year production1953 model year, all convertibles 3001,2,3Strongest evidence Factory production Independently researched
Model-year productionAbout 200 believed to survive 2004 Surviving examples Estimated

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The Corvette was shown at GM’s Motorama at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York on 17 January 1953. The first production car was completed in Flint, Michigan, on 30 June 1953. Its “Blue Flame” six had originally been intended for trucks and drove through a two-speed Powerglide automatic. The base price was $3,498; Hagerty quotes $3,513. Every car had the heater (RPO 101A) and the signal-seeking AM radio (RPO 101B).

Variants

How each version differs from the standard 1953 Corvette.

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine familyChevrolet “Blue Flame” overhead-valve inline six4,3 Independently researched
Engine codeNot yet verified
LayoutInline six, overhead valves5The AMA questionnaire does not state the engine's position in the car; only the cylinder arrangement is factory-sourced here.
Displacement 3,859 cc / 3.9 LFactory: 235.5 cu in · converted6,4 Independently researched
Bore 90.488 mmFactory: 3.5625 in · converted7 Independently researchedWritten as 3-9/16 in.
Stroke 100.01 mmFactory: 3.9375 in · converted7 Independently researchedWritten as 3-15/16 in.
Compression ratio8.0 : 16 Independently researched
Fuel systemThree single-barrel Carter carburettors4 Independently researched
Power 112 kW / 152 PSFactory: 150 hp · converted6,7 Independently researchedRating: SAE grossNet rating: 140 hp at 4,200 rpm.
Power at 4,200 rpm6 Independently researched
Torque 302 NmFactory: 223 lb-ft · converted6 Independently researched
Torque at 2,400 rpm6 Independently researched

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxPowerglide two-speed automatic4,3 Independently researched
Gears24 Independently researched
Driven wheelsRear5

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisFull-length welded frame with box-section side and rear cross members and an I-beam X-member5
Front suspensionIndependent short-and-long-arm, coil springs, Delco direct-acting hydraulic shock absorbers, link-type stabilizer5,8
Rear suspensionLive axle on longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs (4 leaves), Delco direct-acting hydraulic shock absorbers, no stabilizer5,8
BrakesFour-wheel hydraulic servo drum brakes, 11 in drums front and rear, no booster5,8
SteeringSaginaw hourglass worm and ball-bearing roller sector, 16.0:1, 3.9 turns lock to lock; no power steering5
Body constructionGlass-fibre convertible body1 Independently researched
Wheelbase 2,591 mmFactory: 102 in · converted6 Independently researched
Length 4,242 mmFactory: 167 in · converted6 Independently researched
Width 1,830 mmFactory: 72.2 in · converted6 Independently researched
Height 1,320 mmFactory: 52.1 in · converted6 Independently researched
Front track 1,450 mmFactory: 57 in · converted5,9
Rear track 1,500 mmFactory: 59 in · converted5,9
Kerb weight 1,290 kgFactory: 2,850 lb · converted6 Independently researched
Dry weight 1,227 kgFactory: 2,705 lb · converted5Factory shipping weight: standard car weight without gas and water, and without radio and heater (which every 1953 car actually had). Not identical to a true dry weight.

Performance

Maximum speedNot yet verified
0–100 km/hNot yet verified
Fuel tank 65.3 LFactory: 17.25 gal-us · converted5

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

CodeExteriorInteriorCars
— Polo White1,3 Red1 Independently researched 3001

1953 model year; DuPont paint no. 1783-H

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

CodeOptionProduction
101AHeaterPrice $91.40 (1953). Fitted to all 300 cars.13001
101BSignal-seeking AM radioPrice $145.15 (1953). Fitted to all 300 cars.13001

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

ChassisBuiltOriginal colourWhere nowStatus
E53F001001——DestroyedHistorically documented

The first production Corvette (serial 001). It and 002 served as engineering test cars and were later destroyed.

VIN
E53F001001
Where now
Destroyed
  1. Date unknown
    Historical event Used as an engineering test car and eventually destroyed.10,11
10,12
E53F001002——DestroyedHistorically documented

Engineering test car, later destroyed.

VIN
E53F001002
Where now
Destroyed
  1. Date unknown
    Historical event Used as an engineering test car and eventually destroyed.10
10
E53F001003——Private collectionHistorically documented

The oldest surviving production Corvette. Used briefly as an engineering car and sold in autumn 1953; found unpainted and not running in 1987 and restored by 1990.

VIN
E53F001003
Where now
Private collection
  1. 1990
    Restoration Two-and-a-half-year restoration completed; later Bloomington Gold and NCRS Duntov awards. Previously displayed at the National Corvette Museum.11,10
  2. 2005-09
    Auction Offered at a New York auction, lot 785: high bid US$1,000,000.11
  3. 2006-01-21
    Auction Sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, lot 1311, without reserve (final bid). 1,000,000 USD11
11
E53F001005——Private collectionHistorically documented

Bought new on 16 July 1953 by a DuPont executive as a gift for his wife.

VIN
E53F001005
Where now
Private collection
  1. 1953-07-16
    Delivery Sold new by Diver Chevrolet, Wilmington, Delaware; traded in on 22 March 1956.4
  2. 2003
    Restoration Restored; NCRS Top Flight 2003, NCCB Gold 2004.4
  3. 2012-01
    Auction Sold at RM Sotheby’s Arizona, lot 266. 445,500 USD4
4

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

DateChassisEvent
2005-09E53F001003Offered at a New York auction, lot 785: high bid US$1,000,000.11
2006-01-21E53F001003Sold at Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale, lot 1311, without reserve (final bid). 1,000,000 USD11
2012-01E53F001005Sold at RM Sotheby’s Arizona, lot 266. 445,500 USD4

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    1953 Corvette production Level C Corvette Action Center
    • “Total Production (all convertibles): 300”
    • Total production (all convertibles)
    • Exterior: Polo White
    • Interior: Red
    • All cars built for sale were Polo White
    • RPO 101A Heater $91.40, 300
    • RPO 101A: 300
    • RPO 101B Signal-seeking AM radio $145.15, 300
    • RPO 101B: 300
    Limitations: Enthusiast reference; no GM document checked yet (GM and National Corvette Museum pages returned 403). Accessed 2026-11-11
  2. 2
    1953 Corvette Level C Corvette Action Center
    • “Only 300 1953 models were hand built”
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  3. 3
    Freeze frame: Chevrolet Corvette production is go Level C Hagerty UK
    • 300 cars
    • Blue Flame inline six, originally intended for trucks
    • two-speed Powerglide automatic
    • all Polo White with red interiors
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  4. 4
    1953 Chevrolet Corvette, Arizona 2012, lot 266 Level C RM Sotheby’s
    • “one of about 200 survivors”
    • “Blue Flame” OHV inline six-cylinder engine
    • 235.5 cu. in.
    • “three one-barrel Carter carburetors”
    • Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission
    • two-speed
    • Bought new 16 July 1953 from Diver Chevrolet, Wilmington
    • NCRS Top Flight 2003, NCCB Gold 2004
    • $445,500 USD – Sold
    • Serial E53F001005
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  5. 5
    1953 Chevrolet Corvette – Vehicle Information Kit (AMA Consolidated Specification Questionnaire, Corvette, symbol 2934) Level A Chevrolet Division · General Motors Heritage Center / Chevrolet Division, General Motors Corp. · 1953-11-15
    • Type: In Line; No. of cylinders 6; Valve arrangement In Head (AMA questionnaire p. 1–2 (PDF p. 2–3))
    • Drive Units – Rear Axle: semi-floating, hypoid; drive and torque taken through rear springs (AMA questionnaire p. 15 and p. 18)
    • Full length, welded, box-section side and rear cross members ... "I" beam type "X" member (AMA questionnaire p. 16 (Frame))
    • Unitized, independent, short and long arm; spring type Coil; Delco direct, double-acting (AMA questionnaire p. 16–17)
    • Longitudinal Springs; Semi-elliptic; No. of leaves 4; Stabilizer None (AMA questionnaire p. 18)
    • Servo – 4 Wheel Hydraulic; Booster None; drum diameter front 11, rear 11 (AMA questionnaire p. 15)
    • Semi-reversible, hour glass worm and ball bearing roller sector; Saginaw; 16.0:1 (AMA questionnaire p. 17)
    • Tread Front 57" (AMA questionnaire p. 1 (General Specifications))
    • Tread Rear 59.00" (AMA questionnaire p. 1 (General Specifications))
    • Shipping weight 2705 Without Radio & Heater; not including gas and water (AMA questionnaire p. 1)
    • Fuel tank, capacity (gal.) 17.25 (AMA questionnaire p. 6)
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  6. 6
    1953 Corvette specifications Level C Corvette Action Center
    • 235.5 ci
    • Compression 8.0:1
    • “150 bhp @ 4200 rpm”
    • @ 4200 rpm
    • 223 lb-ft @ 2400 rpm
    • @ 2400 rpm
    • Wheelbase 102.0 in
    • Length 167.0 in
    • Width 72.2 in
    • Height 52.1 in
    • Curb weight 2850 lbs
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  7. 7
    C1 Corvette powertrain table Level C Corvette Action Center
    • Bore 3-9/16 in
    • Stroke 3-15/16 in
    • gross 150 @ 4200 RPM
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  8. 8
    1953 Chevrolet Corvette, Arizona 2012, lot 266 Level C RM Sotheby's
    • independent front suspension with unequal-length A-arms and coil springs
    • live rear axle with semi-elliptic leaf springs
    • four-wheel hydraulic drum brakes
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  9. 9
    1953 Corvette specifications Level C Corvette Action Center
    • Track Frt/Rear (in) 57.0/59.0
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  10. 10
    Oldest Corvette to be auctioned at Barrett-Jackson Level C CorvetteBlogger · 2005-11-17
    • “#001 and #002 served as test cars … and were eventually destroyed”
    • Serial 001
    • #001 and #002 eventually destroyed
    • Serial 002
    • Displayed at the National Corvette Museum
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  11. 11
    1953 Corvette No. 003 out of 300 (reproduced auction descriptions) Level C Corvette Action Center
    • “Corvettes #001 and #002 exist only in memory.”
    • Restoration completed 1990; awards
    • “HIGH BID – $1,000,000”
    • “Final bid: $1,000,000. Vehicle sold.”
    • “the oldest survivor of the 1953 model production run”
    Accessed 2026-11-11
  12. 12
    1953 Corvette identification (VIN) Level C Corvette Action Center
    • Serial range E53F001001–E53F001300
    Accessed 2026-11-11

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