1954 Chevrolet Corvette

This 1954 Chevrolet Corvette is a great example of a C1 Corvette that seemingly everyone can enjoy! Back in the 1950s, and long before car companies announced their latest products on social media, General Motors hosted events they called the Motorama to display their latest innovations and generate media buzz around their latest and upcoming vehicles. At the 1952 Motorama, most of GM's brands displayed a concept car unique to each marque including the Cadillac Eldorado, Buick Skylark, Oldsmobile Fiesta, and, perhaps most famously, the Chevrolet Corvette. What made each of the aforementioned concept cars special was the fact that each one was actually placed into production the following year with minimal changes. Chevrolet's '52 Motorama concept car that would later be called the Corvette was initially named the 1952 EX-122 Motorama Show Car and it was Chevy's rendition of a European-inspired sports car. See, in the early '50s two-seat European sports cars began to grow in popularity in the United States, especially amongst upper class Americans, and the American automakers weren't yet offering sporty two-seaters. For example, Chevrolet was known for its affordable, modest family cars and was not really considered a trendy or even performance oriented brand at the time. Moreover, Chevrolet's engineers had begun experimenting with utilizing different building materials in their cars' construction and for the Corvette that meant using a fiberglass body which was virtually unheard of in the early 1950s and still remains a significant component of Corvette production today. On June 30, 1953, Chevrolet began production on the very first Corvettes employing the futuristic fiberglass body seen on the Motorama concept car with gorgeous body lines. Up front, a chrome frame surrounded a gorgeous grille composed of 13 vertical chrome bars. Sitting on either side of the grille were wraparound chrome bumpers and recessed headlights tucked behind mesh rock guards. The side profile of the first generation Corvette was equally stunning sporting European-inspired curved body lines and no visible outside door handles that gave the car a streamlined look. Capping off the iconic look of the first Corvette were through-body exhaust ports along with a pair of taillights that were integrated into the rear fenders. In 1954 during the Corvette's first full year of production, the second iteration of Corvette was left largely unchanged from the debut '53 models except for a few updates that were taken from early customer feedback. Both the air cleaner and exhaust ports were updated for improved safety and reliability. Additionally, the Corvette became even more stylish with a change from black to beige convertible tops and the Corvette was now being offered in four (as opposed to one) colors including Pennant Blue, Sportsman Red, and Black, in addition to the standard Polo White. In total, Chevrolet produced a mere 3,640 Corvettes in 1954, which makes this particular southern sourced example quite a rare piece of automobile history. Under the rear-opening hood on this '54 Corvette is 235 Cubic Inch Blue Flame Inline 6 cylinder engine fed by a trifecta of Carter single barrel carburetors that together were said to have created 150 horsepower when new. Exhaust exits through a pair of through-body chrome-tipped tailpipes that generate a nice throaty sound out the rear. The Blue Flame 235 Straight 6 is backed by a Powerglide Automatic Transmission that makes this C1 Corvette an easy car for just about anybody to operate. This 1954 'Vette is equipped with a manually operated beige cloth convertible top that when in the down position hides away and is tucked underneath a compartment behind the driver's and passenger bucket seats. A chrome driver's side mirror is a wonderful addition to any classic car from the 1950s since it greatly improves visibility when squeezing into a tight parking space. Riding on a set of wide whitewall bias-pl