Since coming together two icons in 1953, the Chevrolet Corvette is presented in the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City for the first time. 'Motorama' is called the first time held GM event in 1949. Years and more will new versions follow this first. The Corvette continues as an open, but only relatively compact sports car the tradition of the British. Direct connecting factor is the Jaguar XK120 of 1948.

The U.S. has not really own experience with compact sports cars. To bombastic and generous is the American design of cabriolets at that time. The pressure to conceive such a car comes more likely from the returning soldiers, the have learned to know and appreciate such in England. But even styling chief Harley Earl drives the longing for a Jaguar or even Ferrari in the GM Group.

Not quite wrongly the first Corvette is compared with the Cisitalia 202 SMM. It bears the byname of Tazio Nuvolari, the achieved with the little car with only 48 kW (65 HP) the second place at the Mille Miglia in 1947. A somewhat weak motorizing is said also from the first Corvette, but the space may have been here somewhat more comfortable than in the small Italian car.

No, it is probably the outer shape, the grille and the metal grids outside the headlights, the inspire for comparison. Not even one more year to be passed between the first sketches and the finished model at the New York exhibition. Although Bob McLean is not an entrant, but has just moved from California to GM and now the task to realize the project.

The new boss of Chevrolet comes in handy this project under the name 'Opel' or 'EX 122' because he wants to get away from the old-fashioned cheap image of the brand. He has teamed up McLean with Maurice Olley and makes both responsible for the design. At the time Olley works on the introduction of plastic as a body material. However, the experiences with this material are still very new, it has not been previously used in large series. 09/13

Imprint