1951
- September
- General Motors' chief stylist Harley Earl takes the Le Sabre dream car to the Watkins Glen sports car race. Earl is impressed by the small European sports cars, and decides to begin designing a new American sports car. [79.77] [580.17] [834.9] (late fall [115.40]) (1950 [595.68])
- (month unknown)
- A group within Body Development Studio begins designing a General Motors sports car. [258.16]
- November
- The Parts Fabrication group within GM Engineering Staff begins setting up a plastic department in Detroit. [583.105]
- (month unknown)
- Harry Dumville initiates Project Opel sports car at General Motors Styling and Chevrolet Motor Division. [897.64]
1952
- February 25
- Life Magazine includes an article "Plastic Bodies for Autos" with several pages on the Glasspar fiberglass body-building process. (The result is an increased acceptance of fiberglass bodies.) [583.105]
- March 11
- In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the National Plastics Exposition is held. The Naugatuck Chemical Division of U.S. Rubber company shows the Alembic I, formerly called the Brooks Boxer, a fiberglass-bodied Jeep. Chevrolet engineers are very interested with the new body material. [274.67] [580.16] [583.106]
- March
- Naugatuck Chemical sales executive Earl Ebers shows the Alembic I to General Motors in Detroit, Michigan. Harvey Earl is impressed with the shape of the car, and the possibilities of glass-reinforced plastic. This encourages him to speed-up his own sports car work. [3.9] [5.13] [104.14] [274.67] [580.17]
- (month unknown)
- The final design work is completed on GM's sports car, and work begins on producing a full-size clay model. [258.18]
- Harley Earl assigns novice designer Robert McLean the task of drawing a layout for the chassis of a sports car for General Motors. [3.9] [5.13] [260.12] (1951 [86.55])
- April
- Harley Earl's crew completes a full-size plaster model of his sports car project. [3.11] [104.14] [115.40] [258.54] [580.21]
- Harley Earl's plaster model two-seater roadster goes on display in General Motors' private viewing auditorium. [6] [258.54]
- May 1
- Edward Cole becomes Chief Engineer of Chevrolet. Cole was previously Cadillac General Manufacturing Manager. [5.17] [6] [176.26] [271.177] [518.5] [580.17] [903.62]
- May
- Edward Cole is shown the plaster mock-up of the sports car proposal. He is very enthusiastic about the project. He promises his full support to Harley Earl. Cole is one of the first Chevrolet people to see the model. [3.11] [258.54] [350.80] [580.21] [595.68] (April [5.13])
- June 2
- General Motors executives are formally presented with Harley Earl's proposal for a two-seater sports car. General Motors president Charles Wilson and Chevrolet general manager Thomas Keating approve completing a prototype for the 1953 Motorama. The project is code-named "Opel Sports Car". [3.12] [5.17] [42.11] [86.55] [90] [151.37] [203.14] [258.30,54] [260.12] [274.67] [454.20] [580.21] [595.68] (June 1 [104.16]) (approved in April [120.59])
- June 12
- Chevrolet's director of research and development, Maurice Olley, creates a sketch for the new sports car frame, showing locations of radiator, wheels, and body mount points. [3.9] [4.5] [5.18] [42.11] [88.48] [100.120] [104.16] [258.30]
- June
- Chauncy Williams produces a wire frame drawing of the Opel fiberglass body. [897.65]
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^^^ advertisement ^^^
- July 3
- General Motors and Chevrolet management teams initiate work orders for two Motorama fiberglass bodies of the sports car, one test body, and two full-size passenger cars for development and testing of the sports car drivetrain. [258.30] [697.34]
- (month unknown)
- Chevrolet chief engineer Edward Cole, and Harry Barr set to work on an all-new Chevrolet V-8 engine. [3.19]
- Ed Cole offers Zora Arkus-Duntov employm,ent as Chevrolet Research & Development Lead Engineer for development of the Opel sports car project. Zora does not reply. [903.62]
- September
- The Parts Fabrication Group of GM Engineering is directed to produce two fiberglass bodies for a plaster model of the Opel sports car project, for the 1953 Motorama show. [258.34] (July [583.106])
- The Opel project sports car prototype is named Corvette, after a light fast type of World War II warship. The name was suggested by Myron Scott, employee of Campbell-Ewald, Chevrolet's advertising agency. Strong consideration had been given to naming the car "Corvair". Chevrolet executives wanted a "C" word, and rejected 1500 suggestions. [3.15] [4.4] [40.59] [79.53] [86.55] [90] [104.18] [140.82] [151.37] [278.12]
- September 27
- General Motors first begins officially using the name Corvette for its new sports car. [146]
- October 3
- The Parts Fabrication group within General Motors completes building a prototype passenger-car body in fiberglass. It is 200 pounds lighter than a similar steel body. [583.106]
- (month unknown)
- A boot-legged picture of GM's proposed sports car is taken to Ford's styling studio. Staff there have already produced several drawings and renderings of their own sports car prototype. (The Thunderbird will emerge in early 1954.) [256.120] [259.149]
- November 7
- A Chevrolet work order specifies that the second prototype Corvette be delivered to Fisher Body, for use in testing bodies. [697.40]
- November
- The fiberglass mold for the prototype Corvette is completed. [258.38]
- November 18
- A prototype fiberglass-bodied Chevrolet full-sized convertible is accidentally rolled during a test run at the GM Proving Ground near Milford, Michigan. The body survives with only minor damage, impressing engineers with the strength and durability of fiberglass. [84.6] [258.38] [583.106]
- (month unknown)
- Body engineers of General Motor's Fisher Body division visit Robert Morrison, asking if his Molded Fiber Glass Company could produce over 100 parts for a production automobile. Morrison believes it could be done. [454.8]
- December 10
- A work order assigns Corvette chassis #853 (originally requested in July) to become a second Corvette show car. Test work scheduled for #853 is reassigned to #856. [697.40]
- December 12
- The body for the first Motorama Corvette is completed. [258.44]
- December
- Chevrolet management decides to change the name Cougar to Corvette. [904]
- The Corvette chassis intended for Fisher Body testing is assigned Chevrolet Test Car #856, and redirected to be used for wind tunnel cooling tests of the radiator. [697.40]
- December 22
- The Motorama Corvette (#852) is officially completed. It cost an estimated US$55-60,000 to build. [258.45] [360.9] [580.28] [697.35]
1953
- January 1
- Mauri Rose is hired as Chevrolet Research & Development Lead Engineer for development of the Cougar project (formerly Opel, to be Corvette). [903.64]
- January 9
- General Motors first begins using the name "CORVETTE" in stylized script with all letters joined. [146]
- January 10
- GM Styling photo taken of Chevrolet Corvette Motorama show car, showing name "Cougar" in chrome script between the front wheel and driver's door. [904]
- January 12
- A formal presentation of the prototype Corvette is made to General Motors management. The management team tells the styling team to change the front emblem and horn button, to remove the American flag. (New emblems are quickly designed, with the American flag replaced by a flag showing the Chevrolet bow-tie and a fleur-de-lis.) [258.49]
- January 15
- The second Corvette prototype (#856) is completed, ready for mechanical testing. [258.45] [697.40]
- January
- General Motors' designer Bob Bartholomew changes the emblem of crossed flags on the Corvette in New York, just prior to the opening of the Motorama show. [312.10]
- January 16
- The General Motors Motorama at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City opens to the press. The press take their first pictures of the prototype Corvette. [5.20] [258.50] [697.35]
- January 17
- The General Motors Motorama opens to the general public in New York City. The prototype Chevrolet Corvette "Dream Car" is displayed to the public for the first time. The roadster is white with red interior, fiberglass body, 235-cid straight-6 engine, and two-speed automatic. Also on display at the Motorama: Buick fiberglass-bodied two-passenger Wildcat, Oldsmobile fiberglass-bodied four-passenger convertible Starfire, Cadillac fiberglass-bodied two-passenger roadster Le Mans. This is the first exclusive General Motors Motorama; in the Motorama from 1949 to 1952, any manufacturer could display their cars. [1] [3.12] [5.20] [6] [7] [20.49] [42.14] [74.72] [90] [111.2] [120.59] [148.14] [203.14] [204.42] [226.46a] [258.55] [259.73] [346.67] [396.6] [595.71] [697.35] [773.58] [889.34] [904]
- January 18
- General Motors' president announces at the GM Motorama that Corvettes would be built by Chevrolet before the end of June. 200-300 plastic-bodied special models would be built as a test run. After that, the car would be put into full production if there is enough demand. [3.15] [258.121] [284.78] [585.86]
- January
- Zora Arkus-Duntov sees the Corvette at the General Motors Motorama show. He writes a letter to Edward Cole telling him the Corvette is the best looking sports car he had ever seen. [518.49]
- January 20
- Jim Premo and Carl Jakust go to Ashtabula, Ohio, to the Molded Fiber Glass Company to see Robert Morrison, to investigate the company's ability to produce Corvette bodies. [585.86]
- January 25
- The General Motors Motorama in New York closes. [258.98]
- (month unknown)
- The customer delivery building on Van Slyke Avenue in Flint, Michigan, is selected as the site of a pilot line to produce 250 production Corvettes. [258.121]
- Chevrolet receives bids from GM's Fisher Body and Molded Fiber Glass for producing 12,300 sets of fiberglass Corvette body parts: 300 in 1953, and 100 per month for 1954. Management decides to make steel bodies, as it is felt neither company is large enough or experienced enough for the project. [585.88]
- Edward Cole puts Mauri Rose in charge of giving Chevrolet a performace image via the Corvette. [547.22]
- The second Corvette show car (#853) begins touring Canadian car shows. [697.41]
- February 4
- Chevrolet and General Motors executives decide to make steel-bodied production Corvettes for 1954. [258.127]
- February
- The St. Louis Chevrolet Assembly plant is notified to get ready to build metal-bodied Corvettes for the 1954 model. [259.4]
- February 5
- Robert Morrison, of the Molded Fiber Glass Company, meets with Elmer Gormeson, Chevrolet Director of Purchasing. Gormeson tells Morrison of the decision to switch to steel bodies, and the reasoning. Morrison argues that all conditions for producing fiberglass bodies can be met. Gormeson meets again with the management team, and they change their decision back to go with fiberglass bodies. By the end of the day, Morrison receives a $4 million contract for producing 1953/54 Corvette body panels. [258.129] [585.88]
- February 14
- The General Motors Motorama show is on display in Miami, Florida, for nine days. [258.89]
- February
- Ford officially begins its own sports car program, building on unofficial work that began in 1951. (The resulting Thunderbird will be first shown to the public in early 1954.) [259.150]
- March 4
- The Corvette show car and other prototypes from the Motorama show are put on display in the General Motors Building in Detroit, Michigan, for seven days. [258.98]
- (month unknown)
- General Motors management authorizes Chevrolet Chief Engineer Edward Cole to put the Flint, Michigan, pilot line into production, to build 300 Corvettes. [258.131]
- March 18
- The Chicago Auto Show is held, over five days. Chevrolet displays the prototype Corvette. [258.89]
- March 27
- General Motors applies with the US Patent and Trademark office for a trademark on "CORVETTE" in stylized script with all letters joined. [146]
- March 28
- The St. Louis Chevrolet Assembly Plant manager is notified that the plant would be the only Corvette assembly plant for 1954, and that the body material would be fiberglass, not steel. [5.24] [258.131] [259.4]
- March
- Corvette show car #853 returns to the US from touring Canadian car shows. [697.41]
- April 6
- At the Denver Auto Show, the Corvette show car #853 is on display. [697.41]
- April 10
- The General Motors Motorama show is on display in Los Angeles, California, over ten days. [697.35]
- April
- In Ashtabula, Ohio, Robert Morrison forms the Molded Fiber Glass Body Company to meet the US$4 million order for 12,300 Corvette bodies. [5.24] [6] [258.129] [580.30] [585.89]
- April 30
- The General Motors Motorama show is on display in San Francisco, California, over eight days. [258.96] [697.35]
- May 1
- Zora Arkus-Duntov starts work at Chevrolet as assistant staff engineer to Maurice Olley in Research and Development. Zora is assigned to Edward Cole's top secret Chevrolet "Cadet II" major car program. [1] [6] [7] [90] [104.26] [107.10] [111.74,87] [113.28] [133.31] [258.244] [260.14] [269.0] [518.17,49] [580.38] [774.24,94] [901.43] [903.64]
- May 15
- The General Motors Motorama show is on display in Dallas, Texas, over ten days. [258.99] [697.35]
- May 22
- Work on building Corvette test cars #854 and #855 is ordered terminated, with completed components to be used as spare parts. [697.41]
- May 25
- In Indianapolis, Indiana, the Custom Car Show includes Corvette show car #853. [697.41]
- June 2
- The Michigan Motor Show includes Corvette show car #853. [697.41]
- June 5
- The General Motors Motorama show is on display in Kansas City, over ten days. [258.99] [697.35]
- June
- Zora Arkus-Duntov takes a ten-day leave of absense from Chevrolet to race in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France. He decides to quit Chevrolet, but a friend in Paris convinces him to return. [518.49]
- Chevrolet begins production of the Corvette on a tiny assembly line in an old Customer Delivery Garage in Flint, Michigan. [3.16] [42.15] [104.19] [148.14,20]
- Chevrolet Test Car #856 (Corvette) endures 3000 miles at the GM Proving Grounds, with no major structural failures. [697.40]
- June 16
- A Chevrolet Engineering Work Order instructs that the first production Corvette become Corvette Development Car #3950. The second car is to become Proving Ground Demonstrator Car #3951. [697.43]
- June 29
- The first production Corvette is completed. [258.165]
- June 30
- The first production Corvette rolls off the assembly line at Chevrolet Plant Number 35, near Flint, Michigan. Assembly line worker Tony Kleiber has the honor of driving the first Corvette off the assembly line. The Corvette is the first dream-car to become a production model, and first series-production car with a fiberglass body. [1] [5.25] [6] [7] [42.8] [44.33] [53.22] [55.62] [69.S3-29] [71.S8-12] [78.54] [97.36] [100.122] [111.3] [115.42] [123.40] [128.74] [137.40] [142.16] [148.20] [226.46a] [241.41] [258.165] [260.11] [262.70] [346.67] [452.11] [454.21] [580.33] [585.90] [595.71] [871.7]
- (month unknown)
- At the close of the GM Motorama tour of the United States, the Corvette has been seen by over four million show visitors. [5.21]
- Chevrolet general sales manager Willianm Fish decides to make 1953 Corvettes available only to outstanding high-volume car dealerships, and for sale only to important high-visibility persons in each community. [585.92]
- July 8
- Corvette #003 (ES-127 to GM Engineering Staff) undergoes cold room shake testing for 14 hours. Tests conclude no serious body failure occurs. [528.42] [697.48]
- July
- Corvettes #004-006 are the first Corvettes sold, delivered to executives of the DuPont Company. [528.41] [697.48]
- Zora Arkus-Duntov begins working on the Corvette. His first task is to make alterations to the suspension of the engineering prototype (#856). [46.32] [260.14] [697.40]
- July 26
- A truce is signed in Korean War. This allows American automobile manufacturers to shift more time and money toward domestic automobile production, including special projects like sports cars. [580.13] [583.103]
- July 28
- Zora Arkus-Duntov proposes a 1955 Corvette 323hp V8 supercar to Ed Cole, who nixes the idea. [898.62]
- (month unknown)
- The domed wheel covers of new Corvettes are changed to spinners. [3.7]
- Corvette #056 is built with a metal hood, due to the original fiberglass hood cracking from a bowling ball test. [522.39]
- August 9
- In Akron, Ohio, The All-American Soap Box Derby is held. Corvette engineer Mauri Rose drives Corvette show car #852 in the pre-race parade. [697.35]
- August
- Corvette #003 (ES-127) undergoes a 5000-mile Belgian Block test at the GM Proving Grounds. The resulting minor metal chassis frame fractures lead to installation of new frame, front and rear suspension, and steering. [697.48]
- Corvette show car #853 returns to Canadian car shows. [258.102] [697.41]
- September 1
- General Motors' trademark application for "CORVETTE" in stylized script with all letters joined is registered. [146]
- September 28
- At the General Motors Proving Grounds near Milford, Chevrolet officially unveils the Corvette to an invited group of fifty automotive press journalists. Fourteen Corvettes are made available to the press for test and review. The 1953 model Corvette is designated model number 2934, and features Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission, Polo White exterior paint, Sportsman Red interior, black canvas top, in-line six-cylinder engine, AM radio, and heater. The engine features overhead valves, cast-iron block, 235.5 cubic inch displacement, 150 horsepower, and three Carter Type YH Model 2066S one-barrel carburetors. [1] [5.26] [79.78] [90] [111.3] [115.42] [258.46,190,244] [453.14] [528.42] (June 20 [74.72]) (September 27 [226.46a]) (September 29 [454.25] [580.34]) (eight Corvettes available [580.34]) (eleven Corvettes available [585.91])
- September 29
- Chevrolet makes a nine-page news release about the Corvette. [585.92]
- September 30
- To date, fifty Corvettes have been delivered to buyers. [5.27] [454.25] [580.35] [585.92]
- October 1
- St. Louis Corvette Assembly plant's Body and Paint shop begins producing bodies for Flint Assembly plant, finished in Du Pont's new #253-57758 Polo White paint formulation. [897.69]
- October 5
- Maurice Olley outlines his goals for the Corvette in a paper presented to the Society of Automotive Engineers. [104.16]
- October 7
- John Wayne (Marion Morrison) receives 1953 Corvette #051. [358.29]
- October
- A Corvette is displayed at the Paris Auto Show, in France, the first public display of the Corvette in Europe. [259.151] [265.15]
- October 8
- The chassis of Corvette show car #852 is ordered to be re-used for the Nomad show car. [697.36]
- October 15
- Corvette show car #852 is ordered stripped, with the body to be burned as a test. [697.36]
- October 26
- A Chevrolet Work Order instructs engineering to install a V-8 engine in Corvette #3951 as a test of such installation in 1955 model production Corvettes. [697.44]
- (month unknown)
- The windshield washer assembly is changed from foot-operated to vacuum-operated. [148.21]
- November 6
- The body of Corvette show car #852 is burned in tests. [697.40]
- November 7
- General Motors Director of New Devices Section Harry C. Dumville takes delivery of 1953 Corvette #1123. [897.66]
- November 27
- Corvette show car #853 returns to the US from Canadian car shows. [697.41]
- (month unknown)
- McCulloch Motors begins fitting 1953 Corvette #024 with a supercharger. [259.163]
- Edward Cole tests his 265 cubic inch V-8 engine in a prototype Corvette. [104.22]
- December 16
- Zora Arkus-Duntov writes a memo to Chevrolet Chief Engineer Maurice Olley, on the subject of "Thoughts Pertaining to Youth, Hot Rodders and Chevrolet". He writes of the importance of the V8 engine, and getting high-performance parts out to the public. [111.87] [191] [255.s11.1] [927.21] (December 13 [518.41])
- December 24
- Production of 1953 Corvettes ends, with 300 built in total. [115.42] [148.20] [192.88] [259.1] [454.21] [488.64] [521.8]
- December
- Corvette production moves from Flint, Michigan, to a General Motors Assembly Division plant on Union Boulevard, in St. Louis, Missouri. [1] [6] [7] [74.73] [104.20] [140.82]
- December 28
- Production of 1954 model Corvettes begins, in St. Louis. [148.14,22] [259.1] [454.21] [488.64] [774.127] [807.59] (December 29 [226.46a]) (January 1954 [265.17])
- December 31
- A Chevrolet Engineering Work Order directs that the body of Corvette #853 be moved to #856, with the chassis of #853 and body of #856 to be scrapped. [697.37]
- Year
- To date, Chevrolet has sold 183 of the 300 1953 model Corvettes built. [5.27] [259.4] [454.19] [580.35] [585.92] [896.42]
- To date, fifteen 1954 model Corvettes have been built. [176.26] [192.88] [259.1] [488.64] (fourteen built [580.33] [585.90])
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