1953 CHEVROLET CORVETTE C1 #211

ENGINE: 4.3-liter V-8
TOP SPEED: 125 mph (est.)
HORSEPOWER: 195 (est.)

The first Corvettes did not have the performance that the public expected from a sports car. The straight-six engine made only 150 horsepower, and the two-speed automatic transmission did little to help. In 1955, in order to enhance its reputation, Chevrolet loaned two first-generation C1s, this car and a 1955, to NASCAR, which was still in its early stages. The cars saw few victories, but their appearance on a track at least made them seem legitimate. In 1956 both cars received new V-8s and were sent to the Daytona speed trials where they held their own but were outshone by three Corvettes with updated 1956 bodies.

COLLECTION OF ROBERT M. DAVIDSON

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