Post by Corvsport.com Administrator on Jun 29, 2013 22:02:46 GMT -6
On June 30, 1953, Harley Earl's Corvette Concept car became a production vehicle as the very first, hand-built Corvette rolled out of the back of a customer delivery garage in Flint, Michigan. The 1953 Corvette (Serial Number E53F001001) was the first of 300 Corvettes to be built that year.
The car featured a "Blue Flame" six-cylinder engine that produced a mere 105 horsepower. Although a reliable engine, the "Stovebolt Six" as it was known, was anything but the powerhouse. A more radical camshaft, solid lifters, dual valve springs and a higher compression ratio cylinder head all contributed to increased engine output, but still left many potential buyers questioning the performance capabilities of the first Corvette.
Now, sixty years later, the 2013 Corvette boasts a variety of powerplants, all of which produce well in excess of 400 horsepower. In fact, even the standard 6.2 liter LS3 aluminum-block V8 engine found in the base coupe produces 430 horsepower and 424 lb. -ft of torque (436 horsepower and 428 lb.-ft of torque with available dual-mode exhaust). And with its favorable power-to-weight ratio, coupe performs like a thoroughbred, reaching a top speed of 190 mph and a 0 to 60 time of 4.2 seconds on the test track.
Regardless, ownership of a Chevy Corvette has been a dream for many generations of car enthusiasts. It is the inspiration of the great minds behind the car - people like Harley Earl, Zora Arkus-Duntov, Bill Mitchell, Larry Shinoda - that helped pave the way for today's designers and engineers to continue to advance the performance and the driving passion behind America's greatest sports car.
The car featured a "Blue Flame" six-cylinder engine that produced a mere 105 horsepower. Although a reliable engine, the "Stovebolt Six" as it was known, was anything but the powerhouse. A more radical camshaft, solid lifters, dual valve springs and a higher compression ratio cylinder head all contributed to increased engine output, but still left many potential buyers questioning the performance capabilities of the first Corvette.
Now, sixty years later, the 2013 Corvette boasts a variety of powerplants, all of which produce well in excess of 400 horsepower. In fact, even the standard 6.2 liter LS3 aluminum-block V8 engine found in the base coupe produces 430 horsepower and 424 lb. -ft of torque (436 horsepower and 428 lb.-ft of torque with available dual-mode exhaust). And with its favorable power-to-weight ratio, coupe performs like a thoroughbred, reaching a top speed of 190 mph and a 0 to 60 time of 4.2 seconds on the test track.
Regardless, ownership of a Chevy Corvette has been a dream for many generations of car enthusiasts. It is the inspiration of the great minds behind the car - people like Harley Earl, Zora Arkus-Duntov, Bill Mitchell, Larry Shinoda - that helped pave the way for today's designers and engineers to continue to advance the performance and the driving passion behind America's greatest sports car.