Close to 60 years ago, in January of 1953, Harley J. Earl’s dream car was displayed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.  That following June the Corvette went into full production in Flint, Michigan.  All 300 featured a white fiberglass body with red interior, a two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission and a 150 HP 235-cubic-inch motor and dual exhaust.

From the C-1 solid axel to today’s C-6 generation this iconic car has undergone many changes but has maintained its value as an American classic.  Check out these early Corvette highlights.

1960 Red Corvette Roadster

  • 1955 introduction of the Chevrolet small block V8 to the model
  • 1956 cockpit styled interior, body enhancements (chrome grill, scalloped flanks and curvy trunk) and for the first time the removable hard top was offered as an option
  • 1956 Corvette enters the racing world at Daytona Speedweeks.  With reworked cylinder heads, a compression ratio increase to 10.3 to 1, and a few other emerging speed parts boosting the V8 to 255 horsepower, John Fitch’s ’56 went 145.5 mph and Betty Skelton sped past at 137.8 mph.
  • 1957 four speed manual transmission, 283 cubic inches and 220 horsepower, single four-barrel carburetor, performance upgraded engine options offered (dual-quad carbs rated at either 245 or 270 horsepower or a Rochester mechanical fuel injection).
  • 1958 to the chagrin of many the interior and exterior were significantly restyled.
  • 1959 cleaner body style emerges
  • 1960 rated outputs of the fuel-injected versions grew to 275 and a full 315 horsepower, a rear anti-sway bar helped tame the solid rear axle
  • 1961 a 24-gallon, oversize fuel tank was offered for the first time, toothless front grille and “duck tail” rear end were added
  • 1962 the small-block V8 grew to 327 cubic inches. The base four-barrel engine now knocked out 250 horsepower with higher output versions available in 300- and 340-horsepower versions, the fuel injection system rated 360 horsepower

As any Corvette enthusiast knows, this is just a tip of the iceberg when it comes to Corvette history and passion.  What started out as a gorgeous but underpowered machine has evolved into an American icon and arguably the first American made sports car.  For a car that didn’t even sell very well in its first few years of existence it has proven its staying power.  Today there are numerous clubs and other organizations that are devoted to all things Corvette.  There are over 50 different sanctioning organizations in the US that hold races for vintage Corvettes in addition to Corvette Racing’s C6.R race cars that are running very successfully in the American Le Mans Series GT class.

Whatever your Corvette interest may be, whether it is a restore, window shopping,  purchasing or selling; the Pomona Swap Meet likely has what you are looking for. With 2,500 vendor spaces and thousands of classics car on display (many for sale) it would be hard NOT to find what you need. Be sure to attend the event this weekend, where you will find a section specifically dedicated to Corvettes of any year for sale. For more information,  Contact the Pomona Swap Meet.