Flirting With Fiberglass.(Escape Roads)

Byline: LINDA CLARK

When the first Corvette rolled off the assembly line June 30, 1953, it started a love affair with Americans-and fans around the world-that has lasted for more than five decades.

If the Corvette had parents, they would have to be General Motors stylist Harley Earl and Chevrolet engineer Ed Cole. Earl's sleek Corvette was among the few Motorama dream cars to see production. Cole, eager to tap the youth market, claimed the Corvette for Chevy.

Named after a warship, the Corvette was an amalgam of existing Chevy parts and a novel material called fiberglass. Though used on aircraft, boats and experimental cars, there was no history of making fiberglass car bodies in volume.

The 300 Corvettes built in Flint, Michigan, for 1953 were essentially handmade pilot units. Power for these Polo White roadsters came from a 150-hp version of the 235-cubic-inch Blue Flame six mated to a two-speed Powerglide transmission. Price tag was $3,498.

Early Corvette buyers included actor John Wayne and television personality Dave Garroway. Excitement for Chevy's revolutionary two-seater was high, but its success was uncertain. Newspaper ads touted "America's Sensational Sports Car,'' but Road & Track said, "It misses the mark.''

Weighing 2650 pounds, it had a 0-to-60-mph time of 12 seconds, and top speed of about 105 mph. Its performance approached that of its rival, the 1951 Jaguar XK120, but by 1954, Jaguar had a faster XK140.