1954 CHEVROLET CORVETTE

With concept designs inspired from General Motors airplanes, and designed for Chevrolet by Harley J. Earl in response to European car design, the Corvette was introduced to the public at the 1953 “Dream Cars Exhibit Motorama” and is renowned as the first and most successful fiberglass sports car from the US.

1954 Corvette production started in the newly-established factory in St. Louis, Missouri on December 23, 1953. Initially only available in white in early production, the car was eventually marketed in blue, red and very few black, although 80% of production was in white. For these cars the black soft top was now beige. As an alternative to the single-option red interior, beige was offered. The exhaust tailpipes, found to cause staining on the body, were extended. A washer for the windshield wipers and an alarm for the handbrake were added. On the interior, the choke control and wiper buttons were placed to the left of the steering column for convenience.

The early Corvette’s 235 cu.in. 150 bhp engine allowed a top speed of 108 mph and acceleration of 0-60 mph 11.1 s. This engine was replaced by a 195 bhp V8 unit in 1955.

A prestigious brand to this day, our Corvette is equipped with a very powerful engine and is an indispensable GM item in our collection. It is considered a hard-to-drive, uncomfortable, non-maneuverable and unstoppable monster by the Ataman Family. This Corvette was assembled in St. Louis, has been heavily used on the snowy mountain roads of Europe and in rallies, and remains in our Museum to represent its significant place in the Corvette’s history.