Daily Slideshow: C1 Corvette Styling Changes Over the Years

1. EX-122: Dream Becomes Reality

The birth of the Corvette began all the way back in 1951. Well, technically 1927, which is when General Motors hired sports car-obsessed Harvey Earl as a designer. Earl watched as Americans began snatching up two-seat sports cars built in other countries, and used that to convince GM to build one themselves. Work on "Project Opel" began in 1951, and the very first hand-built Corvette, known as EX-122, made its first public appearance at the 1953 General Motors Autorama in New York City in 1953. Unlike many concept cars, the styling of EX-122 carried over faithfully to the production Corvette, which began rolling off the line six months later.

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2. 1953-1955: The Original Corvette

Costs being a concern, the original Corvette used many off-the-shelf GM parts in production. Built on a passenger car chassis, GM moved the passenger compartment and drivetrain back to create a 53/47 front to back weight distribution. Only 300 Corvettes were built in 1953, each on a makeshift assembly line, so each example is just a little different. All 300 are Polo White with a red interior and black canvas top. 

Production increased in 1954 to 3,640 units, and exterior color choices expanded to include Pennant Blue, Sportsman Red, and Black. All interiors once again came in red, except for Pennant Blue cars, which sported a Beige interior and soft top.

In 1955, exterior color choices expanded to five: Polo White, Pennant Blue, Corvette Copper, Gypsy Red, and Harvest Gold. Red and white cars came with a Beige and white interior, Blue once again with beige, Copper with white, and Gold with a Harvest Green inside. Thanks to the introduction of the first V8 Corvette, 1955 models also sported a larger "V" in the emblem which was now gold in color.

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3. 1956-1957: Coming of Age

1956 saw the first major styling changes in the Corvette's young history. The exterior received exposed headlights, sculpted side coves, an optional removable hard top and roll-up power windows, as well as exterior door handles. Color options in 1956 consisted of Onyx Black, Aztec Copper, Cascade Green, Arctic Blue, Venetian Red, and Polo White. Interior colors included Red or Beige, and tops could be had in Beige, Black, and White. In regards to styling, nothing changed in 1957, except Inca Silver was added as an exterior color option. 

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4. 1958-1960: Going Bold

Just two years after its first refresh, the Corvette received yet another redesign in 1958. The most obvious change was the use of four headlights and a redesigned hood with non-functional louvered vents. Long chrome trim pieces run the entire length of each front fender. Around back, chrome trunk spears appeared only on 1958 models. The redesign also brought a new exhaust, which no longer exited through the body.

The 1958 Corvette grille features nine vertical bars in place of the previous 13. Overall, the Corvette grew 2.3 inches in width and 9.2 inches in length. Exterior color options included Charcoal, Snowcrest White, Silver Blue, Regal Turquoise, Panama Yellow, Signet Red, Tuxedo Black, and Inca Silver. Interior colors were Charcoal, Red, and Beige. Soft tops could be had in Black, White, and Beige.

Styling on the 1959 Corvette was toned down a bit as GM removed the faux hood louvers and trunk spears. New exterior colors included Classic Cream, Frost Blue, Crown Sapphire, and Roman Red. Interior colors expanded as well to include Blue, Turquoise, and Black. Buyers could also order a Turquoise top for the first (and only) time. 

The only styling changes in 1960 consisted of six new exterior colors: Tasco Turquoise, Horizon Blue, Honduras Maroon, Ermine White, Sateen Silver, and Cascade Green. 

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5. 1961-1962: Sneak Peek at the Future

For the C1 Corvette's final curtain call, GM added four taillights to the Corvette, a look that has continued even to this day. 1961 was also the last year for contrasting cove colors, as well as the last two-tone Corvette, until 1978. The all-new boat tail rear end design carried over to the C2 in an interesting styling twist and a preview of the future. Also gone were the grille teeth, replaced by a more traditional grille design.

Body-colored headlight bezels replaced the formerly chrome trim pieces. Colors mostly carried over from before but dropped to just seven options - Tuxedo Black, Ermine White, Roman Red, Sateen Silver, Jewel Blue, Fawn Beige, and Honduras Maroon. 1961 was also the only year a Jewel Blue interior was offered, and Fawn was a new option on the inside.

GM didn't leave the C1 Corvette be in its last year of 1962. The cove area featured several changes, including a lip that became part of the fiberglass instead of a separate piece, hence why the two-tone option went away. A separate trim piece also replaced the simulated vent with three small spears present on the 1961 Corvette. Finally, Almond Beige joined the other exterior color options.

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