Question: 1953 Corvette Production. 300 or 315 units built?

[2010corvette]

Hi,

This is a great web site.

Have question.

How many production retail 1953 Corvette's were built out of that delivery garage in Flint Michigan?
I have read some stories stating 300 and other stories 315.

:thanks:

 

[Toms007]

I've always read 300.

 

[JohnZ]

VIN numbers (E53F001001 - E53F001300) make it pretty clear that it's 300.

 

[Z16#952]

I had always heard that 300 1953 Corvettes were built and that the first 14 1954 Corvettes were built at the Flint plant before resuming production at St Louis with #15 1954 model.

 

[locojohn]

There are a lot of conflicting reports on this issue. Wheather the 314/5 comes from the production year (not model year) and wheather those cars (first 14/15 1954s) were built in Flint or St. Louis depends on which authority you identify with. The one fact that remains unchallenged today is no 53 has been identified, or even reported, with a serial number above 1300. This unrefuted fact indicates, as stated before, there were only 300 corvettes titled as 1953 model Corvettes.

 

[redvett]

I worked in the Research building where the 1953 Corvette was built. No 54,s were built in Flint and a good friend of mine George MGriff who worked on the 53 was sent to St Louis on the startup team.
E54S001001 through E54S004640the "S" is for St Louis and for 53 the "F" is Flint E53001001 through E53F001300.

 

[JohnZ]

I worked in the Research building where the 1953 Corvette was built.

I did too - I was the Senior Process Engineer at the Chevrolet Pilot Line and GM Assembly Research Center from 1966-1969, then moved on to Lordstown.

 

[SebringBill]

I worked in the Research building where the 1953 Corvette was built. No 54,s were built in Flint and a good friend of mine George MGriff who worked on the 53 was sent to St Louis on the startup team.
E54S001001 through E54S004640the "S" is for St Louis and for 53 the "F" is Flint E53001001 through E53F001300.

Say hi George if you see him...I had the pleasure of driving him in the SACC 50th anniversary parade in Flint in 2003. Boy did he have some good stories about early production, making that steel hood (that ended up on #56) and how he was taught fiberglass by my good friend Steve Koss (in Parts Fab).

BTW, George left a very respectable pair of rubber strips as he departed after this picture!

 

[redvett]

Unfortunately George has alzheimers and is in a home care according to Georges daughter. I was instrumental in getting the 50th Anniversary at the Research Bld. for Noland Adams , GM was not motivated to do the drive through the Research building or allow anyone on the property until i intervened. I attended the dinner at the hotel in down town Flint along with many other Corvette members. I am very happy i was able to make the drive through and photo shoot happen as the building was torn down in the fall, some bricks were shipped to the NCM for their use.
Ralph Husemann

 

[SebringBill]

Ralph - First, thank you for arranging the "opening" of the Flint assembly building. When I stood on top of it and took this pic it was the closest thing to a Corvette religious moment I ever had.

 

[Toms007]

Cool picture, Bill.

 

[SebringBill]

33 1953 Corvettes were there (the largest single gathering of '53s at that time) and all the folks in the front were original '53 line workers/engineers/etc. They had never been honored before (and apparently Chevy didn't care as their 50th anniversary celebration was in Nashville!??). Well worth the trip and (IMO) far superior to the alternative! [Sorry - didn't intend to hijack this thread...]

 

[Tom Bryant]

No hijack Bill. this is all good stuff and of interest to fans of the '53.

Tom

 

[tony4053]

I found this article and read this same story before

Only 315 1953 Corvettes were built and all had the same options. The first production car ever made with a fiberglass body. Each one was basically hand built. Because of the passenger car heritage of most of the parts handling and performance left something to be desired. The styling was well received but the 6-cylinder Blue Flame Special engine only produced 150 horsepower and the two-speed automatic transmission wasn't what sports car enthusiasts were looking for. 301 1953 Corvettes were built in Flint, Michigan at a rate of 2 cars per day at a temporary facility in the rear of Chevrolet's customer delivery garage on Van Slyke Ave.

The first 50 cars were delivered to hand-picked celebrities, athletes and corporate executives. When the other 250 cars became available, Chevrolet found there weren't 250 more A-List buyers who wanted to pay a high price for such a crude car. Water leaks from the windshield and top and the performance didn't rate for such an expensive car. Production of the 1953 Corvette in Flint ended on December 24, 1953 with a total of 315 Corvettes, all Polo White.

Production started in the new St. Louis plant December 28th 1953, Corvette would be built in this plant until 1981. The last 14 1953 Corvettes were built in the new plant before January 1st. 1953 production ended at 315 total cars.

 

[redvett]

Read post #6 the VIN numbers do not support your story. Numbers do not lie.
I worked at the Research Building and read the offical paperwork on the 1953 production.

Only 315 1953 Corvettes were built and all had the same options. The first production car ever made with a fiberglass body. Each one was basically hand built. Because of the passenger car heritage of most of the parts handling and performance left something to be desired. The styling was well received but the 6-cylinder Blue Flame Special engine only produced 150 horsepower and the two-speed automatic transmission wasn't what sports car enthusiasts were looking for. 301 1953 Corvettes were built in Flint, Michigan at a rate of 2 cars per day at a temporary facility in the rear of Chevrolet's customer delivery garage on Van Slyke Ave.

The first 50 cars were delivered to hand-picked celebrities, athletes and corporate executives. When the other 250 cars became available, Chevrolet found there weren't 250 more A-List buyers who wanted to pay a high price for such a crude car. Water leaks from the windshield and top and the performance didn't rate for such an expensive car. Production of the 1953 Corvette in Flint ended on December 24, 1953 with a total of 315 Corvettes, all Polo White.

Production started in the new St. Louis plant December 28th 1953, Corvette would be built in this plant until 1981. The last 14 1953 Corvettes were built in the new plant before January 1st. 1953 production ended at 315 total cars.

 

[tony4053]

Hello Redvett I found this article and it's the same article I read back in 1976, I did not write it, but it's what I've believed in for many years.
I really would like to know the truth about this issue and like you said the numbers don't lie, but this story has been around for quite some time.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

but this story has been around for quite some time.

That's what happens when people cut, paste and post. Soon it becomes 'the truth' much like the fabled fire at the St. Louis plant that destroyed tall the records. It never happened- but the museum has had it on their website for years. ad

Here's the main source of the incorrect info about the '53s.

Chevrolet Corvette C1 1953-1962

 

[tony4053]

Vettehead Mikey, I did a book report on this article back in '76 in high school, so it's been in print long before that website posted it. This book also talked about a '53 that had a steel hood car #57 has anyone ever heard this story before? I cut, pasted and posted most of this article and like the title says "I found this article and read this story before" not to make up a story, but to show that this article exists.

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

Tony-

There's hundreds of myths about these cars. Most of them can be (and have been) positively dismissed as no one is able to produce any of the cars with the supposed irregularities. I had thought the qty. 315 '53 car myth had been dead and buried years ago since no one has actually seen a car with a VIN higher than 300.

WRT the metal hood, here's some info. It was actually car #56 and it's still around

Corvette Forum - View Single Post - A Corvette with a metal body?

 

[SebringBill]

Vettehead Mikey, I did a book report on this article back in '76 in high school, so it's been in print long before that website posted it. This book also talked about a '53 that had a steel hood car #57 has anyone ever heard this story before? I cut, pasted and posted most of this article and like the title says "I found this article and read this story before" not to make up a story, but to show that this article exists.

No myth about a 53 with a steel hood. It's #1056, I've not only seen it but George McGriff (the GM engineer I mentioned earlier in this post) confirmed it to me in 2003 as he was the one who built it! I have some pics on my laptop that I'll post later.