Corvette Overview

In the economic boom that occurred at the end of World War II, General Motors introduced the only production sports car being offered by American automotive manufacturers at that time.  American soldiers,  many of whom were returning home from active service in Europe, were introduced to the C1 Chevrolet Corvette, a two seat “image” car that found immediate initial appeal as a centerpiece of the 1953 GM Motorama.

The appeal was short-lived.  Within a few months of its initial introduction, Chevrolet rolled the first production 1953 Corvettes off their assembly lines.  It didn’t take long for the public to realize that this first Corvette was more sparkle than substance.  The car quickly earned the nickname “the plastic bathtub”, a title that was a distinct correlation between the stark white shell of its body and it’s sluggish, unimpressive performance.