1953 Corvette

[MPCamper@comcast.net]

I am the daughter of George McGriff. He was the man that drove the first Corvette off the line at Flint Assembly in 1953. Dad is 85 years old and in good health. He is a member of several Corvette Clubs in the Flint area.

 

[6 Shooter]

Welcome to CAC, you must be proud of your dad.

​

 

[jrose7004]

That's was pretty cool for your Dad to get to do that!

 

[Toms007]

First off Welcome to CAC. Secondly, that is a pretty cool thing about your dad. You say he's a member of several Corvette Clubs, does he own one (or more)? If so, which year(s)? Also do you own a Corvette? You don't have to own a Corvette to appreciate its' beauty or significance in automotive history, just wondering.

Again Welcome aboard and invite your dad to stop by, I have a feeling that he might have some valuable information.

 

[MPCamper@comcast.net]

Thank you

Thank you all for the very kind welcome. I stumbled across this site by accident and was surprised to see my father's picture in the 1953 Corvette. I am very proud of the part my father played in the developement of the Corvette. He is shown in several pictures in the book Corvette American Legend: The Beginning by Nolan Adams. Mr. Adams and my father became friends and stayed in touch. Several years ago the United States Post Office wanted to do a stamp of the 1953 Corvette and my Dad's picture was used as a model for the stamp. My Dad has the original artists drawing.
He does like to speak about the beginnings of the Corvette and has traveled to many Corvette Clubs to show his pictures and give a short talk. He is an honorary member of the Chesaning Corvette Club, Flint Corvette Club and Rochester Corvette Club. Ironically he has never owned a Corvette, but does own a Chevrolet Caprice with a Corvette Engine.
He was invited to a program at the Corvette Museum a year ago but was not healthy enough to make the trip at the time. We hope to reschedule the trip this spring.
Like many of the older generation my Dad is not own a computer, However if anyone has any questions I can pass them along and get an answer.
Thank you

 

[bill81vette]

Welcome to CAC!!!
how cool is that!!!!

 

[Baldie88]

First off, welcome to CAC. It's a great meeting place for all us Corvette enthusiasts.

Second, I received a book for Christmas titled "The Corvette Factories: Building America's Sports Car". The author is Mike Mueller with a copyright date of 2009. On page 44 of the book is the same picture as on this thread however it lists "body assembler Tony Kleiber drove the first Corvette completed at Flint off the line on June 30, 1953." It also lists Plant Manager F. J. Fessenden on the right and Plant General Manager R. G. Ford on the left.

I don't want to start any controversy but it would be interesting to know where the author got his information. Perhaps your father could shed some light.

Regards,

Ron
"Baldie88"

 

[XLR8]

I am the daughter of George McGriff. He was the man that drove the first Corvette off the line at Flint Assembly in 1953. Dad is 85 years old and in good health. He is a member of several Corvette Clubs in the Flint area.

That is so cool!!!
Welcome to you and your dad!!!
Thank you also for the offer to act as your dad's emissary for us!

Please feel free to contact any of our Site Staff if we can assist you or your father in some way: Show Groups - Corvette Action Center

BTW: here is a link to the CAC Gallery 1953 section which contains Assembly Line photos: 1953 Corvette Assembly Line - Corvette Gallery

Jane Ann

P.S. This photo from the CAC Gallery (and the same one in 6 Shooter's post) may not be the same photo referred to by our new member, MPCamper. The second photo here may be the one of her father. In fact, CAC member Sebring Bill states as much in the comments section beneath the second photo.

 

[Toms007]

Thank you all for the very kind welcome. I stumbled across this site by accident and was surprised to see my father's picture in the 1953 Corvette. I am very proud of the part my father played in the developement of the Corvette. He is shown in several pictures in the book Corvette American Legend: The Beginning by Nolan Adams. Mr. Adams and my father became friends and stayed in touch. Several years ago the United States Post Office wanted to do a stamp of the 1953 Corvette and my Dad's picture was used as a model for the stamp. My Dad has the original artists drawing.
He does like to speak about the beginnings of the Corvette and has traveled to many Corvette Clubs to show his pictures and give a short talk. He is an honorary member of the Chesaning Corvette Club, Flint Corvette Club and Rochester Corvette Club. Ironically he has never owned a Corvette, but does own a Chevrolet Caprice with a Corvette Engine.
He was invited to a program at the Corvette Museum a year ago but was not healthy enough to make the trip at the time. We hope to reschedule the trip this spring.
Like many of the older generation my Dad is not own a computer, However if anyone has any questions I can pass them along and get an answer.
Thank you

My dad would be 85 today as well. He hated computers I fixed mom up with one, but dad would not have anything to do with it. :L

 

[Rob]

Very cool! Welcome to the Corvette Action Center!

 

[67vet]

Welcome to the CAC Forum. We would like to hear stories from when he was there. Hope to hear from you.

 

[MPCamper@comcast.net]

Picture

Yes, you are absolutely right. The gentleman in the first picture is Tony Kleiber surrounded by the Plant Manager and Superintendent. Acording to my Dad when the first Corvette rolled off the line, the managers wanted their picture taken with it first. They posed for the picture...the top picture. After the picture was taken my Father climbed in the car and drove it out of the plant. That is what I believe is happening in the second picture, but that picture is different than the one I have. So I guess you can say the first Corvette actually had two first drivers.
Now if you look at Corvette American Legend: The Beginning by Nolan Adams, he shows the picture of my father with Corvette #1 on page 171, and the picture with Tony Klieber on page 168, 169. If you look closely at the car placement you can see that Dad is indeed sitting in Corvette #1 with Corvett #2 and #3 being assembled. The picture in Mr. Adams book is different than the second one in the posting by the way.
I also have in the original press photo..I do believe it is from the Flint Journal..a picture that I have not seen published anywhere...that names my Dad as the first driver. I also have another picture of #1 with Mr Fessenden and Mr. Forshee sitting in it. This is where I am stuck...I would love to show everyone these pictures but I don't know how to share them. I would gladly make and send anyone a copy that is interested.
Thank you for the interesting question about the two pictures. I hope I have been of some help.
thank you
Pat

 

[Toms007]

Yes, you are absolutely right. The gentleman in the first picture is Tony Kleiber surrounded by the Plant Manager and Superintendent. Acording to my Dad when the first Corvette rolled off the line, the managers wanted their picture taken with it first. They posed for the picture...the top picture. After the picture was taken my Father climbed in the car and drove it out of the plant. That is what I believe is happening in the second picture, but that picture is different than the one I have. So I guess you can say the first Corvette actually had two first drivers.
Now if you look at Corvette American Legend: The Beginning by Nolan Adams, he shows the picture of my father with Corvette #1 on page 171, and the picture with Tony Klieber on page 168, 169. If you look closely at the car placement you can see that Dad is indeed sitting in Corvette #1 with Corvett #2 and #3 being assembled. The picture in Mr. Adams book is different than the second one in the posting by the way.
I also have in the original press photo..I do believe it is from the Flint Journal..a picture that I have not seen published anywhere...that names my Dad as the first driver. I also have another picture of #1 with Mr Fessenden and Mr. Forshee sitting in it. This is where I am stuck...I would love to show everyone these pictures but I don't know how to share them. I would gladly make and send anyone a copy that is interested.
Thank you for the interesting question about the two pictures. I hope I have been of some help.
thank you
Pat

Gee, imagine that, the bosses wanted their picture taken with it first.... Then the real workers....sounds about normal. Thank you for making all that clear Pat. I believe that should answer all those questions about those pictures.

Speaking of pictures, in what form are the pictures that you have? Are they in a digital format or are they in a printed format? If they are in a digital format, I'd like a copy. It's too much trouble on your end to make printed copies and send, I wouldn't ask you to do that. If they are in digital format I will send you a PM with my email address so that you could send them that way, and I will see to it that they get posted here.

Thank you very much for becoming a member here.

 

[Mac]

I also have in the original press photo..I do believe it is from the Flint Journal..a picture that I have not seen published anywhere...that names my Dad as the first driver. I also have another picture of #1 with Mr Fessenden and Mr. Forshee sitting in it. This is where I am stuck...I would love to show everyone these pictures but I don't know how to share them. I would gladly make and send anyone a copy that is interested.
Thank you for the interesting question about the two pictures. I hope I have been of some help.
thank you
Pat

Hi Pat,

Do you have a scanner? We could publish copies on the pictures here on the CAC on your behalf if you could email them to myself or one of the other staff members.

-Mac

 

[Baldie88]

Pat,

Thank you for clearing up the pictures. The only one I have ever seen is the one in the book I have and the one on this thread. Like someone said, just like the bosses to get their picture taken with the first car. I have not read Nolan's book and that is next on my list of books to get.

Your Dad is probably amazed that that somewhat crude first Corvette would spawn a whole culture of Vetteheads. I'm sure he would be a hit at any Corvette meetings or events.

Ron
"Baldie88"

 

[Tom Bryant]

Hi Pat,

Welcome to the Corvette Action Center. I hope your dad feels well enough to go to the museum and some other Corvette events this year. Was he at the SACC Convention at Flint before they tore down the old assembly building?

One thing I noticed in the photos that Jane Ann posted above is that in the photo with the bosses the second Corvette, which I would think is #2, has it's wheel covers and hood fitted. In the photo of your dad driving #1 off the line it does not. This makes me wonder about which photo was first. Could it be that they put on the wheel covers and hood on #2 for the official photo then removed them to complete the audit process? The second photo is clearly further down the line which makes me wonder just when they did put the wheel covers on.

I hope that you enjoy your time here on the CAC. '53s and the people involved with them are a couple of our favorite topics here.

Tom

 

[MPCamper@comcast.net]

Picture

Hi All
Again I want to thank everyone for their interest. Right now I feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. I'm trying to navigate your site and put things together. The part of the site I stumbled upon first had a post by Sebring Bill about driving my dad, George McGriff, in the 50th Anniversary Parade in Flint Mi in 2003. I wanted to reply to his very kind comments but by the time I registered and tried to get back to him I couldn't find the forum. I did not realized that CAC had so many different forums.
In looking at the pictures closely...I do believe that the second picture posted was either taken earlier before the formal picture was taken...hood and covers put on #2 for the formal photo....or it is a picture of another one of the Corvettes taken at another time...or covers could have been put on for the pic and removed again for inspection. Like I said I had not seen this picture before. I had assumed it was a copy of the one I had but it is not. I also see a lot of piled parts around the car in the second photo which would lead me to believe the photo might be an earlier photo before the car was "offically" done. My husband, a retired GM engineer,says the Vette in the second picture is not ready to come off the line. And with Dad living 45min away from me I can't show him the photo. And if he would remember or not I don't know and there are only a couple of the original Corvette people still living. My Dad's job was in what they called "final inspection". His team drove all the Corvettes off the line to an inspection area and then out into the yard.
I would really love to show all of you my pictures and I do have the actuall picture of my Dad's drive in the #1 Corvette, but I am so sorry I am not computer literate. The pictures are in actual black and white printed copies. I do have a scanner...thank you Mac.. and I am going to attempt to scan in the pictures when I get a chance. Maybe I will ask my husband to give me a hand since he knows more about computers than I do. Thank you all for your kind advice in doing this.
By the way, after many communications with the National Corvette Museum my father will be there for the C5C6 Bash in April...if his health holds. He will be there on Wed and Thur so he may tour the plant.
Thank you
Pat

 

[XLR8]

Pat, that's an easy fix... here's Bill's CAC page:

http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com/forums/members/sebringbill.html

from there you can post a note for him or send him a PM (private message) as you wish.

This is a info thread with a few links: http://www.corvetteactioncenter.com...w-members-welcome-corvette-action-center.html

And this is the C1 C2 Forum where Bill and most of the other solid axle fans hang out: C1 & C2 General and Technical Discussion

Hope some of this helps. We'll have you posting like a pro in no time.

Jane Ann

EDIT: I sent a PM to both you and Bill containing a link to this thread.

 

[MPCamper@comcast.net]

Thank you

Jane Ann,
I have not yet learned how to publically reply to an individual. I hope this message gets to you.
I want to thank you for your help. I have sent a message to SebringBill, expressing my thanks for his kind words and a thanks for his help as guide at the 50th anniversary celebration in Flint.
Now I'm trying to scan the actual picture that gives my dad the written credit for driving the #1 Corvette off the line. However being an old newspaper clipping it comes out very black. I will keep trying to get it right and postit.
Thanks again
Pat

 

[Mike Terry]

First off WELCOME to CAC and how cool of your father to drive the very first Corvette off the line. Would you ask your father if he remembers a guy names Shirrell Richey. He was the Electrical Engineer for the Corvette Motorama Car. I am pretty sure he had a lot to do with helping on the production of the 1953 Corvettes also.