In 1951, Harley J. Earl, the chief designer for General Motors, began to develop an open sports car that would sell for about the price of a family sedan. Earl then turned his basic concept over to Robert McLean to bring the car into reality. To keep costs down, McLean used off-the-shelf mechanical components from the 1952 Chevrolet and a fiberglass body. The new car, called the Corvette, was introduced at the 1953 New York Auto Show. The public loved the new car and thousands of potential buyers wanted to buy one. Production of the Corvette began on June 30, 1953.
Shown below are some of the Corvettes which are on display in automobile museums.
Shown above is a 1953 Chevrolet Corvette on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum. With only 300 produced, this is the rarest Corvette.
Shown above is a 1957 Chevrolet Corvette on display in the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum.
Shown above is a 1960 Corvette 2-Door Convertible Coupe on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum.
Shown above is a 1961 Chevrolet Corvette on display in the Montana Auto Museum. It sold for $3,934.
Shown above is a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette on display in the LeMay—America’s Car Museum. This model featured the iconic split rear window which was dropped in the following year because of customer complaints about limited rear vision.
Shown above is a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Coupe on display in the Montana Auto Museum. It sold for $4,388.
Shown above is a 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray Convertible on display in the Montana Auto Museum. It sold for $4,240.
Shown above is a 1973 Chevrolet Corvette T-Top Coupe on display in the Montana Auto Museum. It sold for $5,561.
Shown above is a 1978 Chevrolet Corvette C3, Limited Edition Pace Car on display in the Montana Auto Museum. It sold for $13,653.