Chevy’s Corvette is known worldwide for being one of the most powerful sports cars on the road. With a sleek body design and powerful motor, this American-made classic finds a perfect niche in the blue collar, working man’s world as the more affordable alternative to road muscle. 1953’s model is regarded as America’s first sports car, and its popularity helped launch the line.

Chevrolet unveiled the Corvette in January of 1953 at the General Motors Motorama as one of a few concept cars planned to launch. Back then, concept cars weren’t anything like we see today. Instead of hybrid water/land models and concepts that oddly resemble spaceships, the far reaching concepts of the 50s were more in line with the type of sports cars released in the 80s.

Chevrolet’s Corvette model was instantly admired by the audience. Instead of waiting until the following year to put in production, Chevy immediately started producing the 1953 model Corvette. At the time, America’s grit and determination was at an all-time high. In only six months, more than 300 cars were built.

The 1953 Corvette was the most unique car many Americans had ever seen. Not only was this sleek white convertible model fast and powerful, but it was also the first two-seater model released. This was a complete 180 from the family-style cars of the era. The Corvette ushered in the era of the roadster.

All 300 of the first Corvette’s were hand-built and painted bright Polo white with a jet black convertible top and a red interior. The spoke wheels and whitewall tires were also a striking feature of the 1953 Corvette, and its short innovative design made it a must-have for any car enthusiast.

Something else that really wowed the crowds with this Corvette was the actual construction material. It was the first time that anyone in the country had seen a car made out of fiberglass. The windows were also unique. They were made of clear, strong plastic and were completely removable.

Today’s sports cars have monstrous engines featuring 8 to 12 cylinders and can easily do 200 miles per hour or more. Yesteryear’s engine, while not nearly impressive, still managed to turn heads. The 6-cylinder Blue Flame 150 (150 horsepower) was a high-compression engine with 3 side draft carburetors that literally blew every previous engine away. For its time, it was a beast.

In today’s world, the 1953 Chevrolet Corvette isn’t considered the premier model of the line; but being the first, it’s still one of the most collectable and, if in the right condition, the highest valued of the lot.

There were other racing variants and specialty models of the 1953, but the base model (described above) was available for only $3,498. A car heater and AM radio would set you back another $230 or so. That’s a long way from the $200,000 price tag on some sports cars today.