Q 01/05

The Corvette is named after what?

A) A small, maneuverable warship

B) A Spanish dance

C) A GM executive's daughter

D) A French racehorse

Answer · why

A) A small, maneuverable warship

A corvette is a small, maneuverable warship, a type used for convoy escort in World War II; GM adopted the naval name for its new sports car in 1953.

Q 02/05

In what year did the first Corvette go into production?

A) 1953

B) 1954

C) 1955

D) 1957

Answer · why

A) 1953

The Corvette debuted as a show car at GM's Motorama in New York in January 1953, and production began on June 30, 1953.

Q 03/05

What was unusual about the original Corvette's bodywork?

A) It was made of stainless steel

B) It was made of fiberglass

C) It was made of aluminum

D) It was hand-hammered copper

Answer · why

B) It was made of fiberglass

The 1953 Corvette's body was made of fiberglass rather than steel; its hand-laid panels were bonded together, and every later generation kept a compos...

Q 04/05

How many Corvettes were built for the 1953 model year, and in what color?

A) 150, all Pennant Blue

B) 1,000, all black

C) 300, all Polo White

D) 500, all Sportsman Red

Answer · why

C) 300, all Polo White

Every one was a hand-built convertible; four colors became available in 1954.

Q 05/05

What engine powered the 1953-55 Corvettes before a V8 arrived?

A) The Stovebolt eight

B) The Iron Duke four-cylinder

C) The Turbo-Thrift six

D) The Blue Flame inline-six

Answer · why

D) The Blue Flame inline-six

The Blue Flame inline-six, a 235 cu in engine with three Carter side-draft carburetors, made 150 hp in the 1953 Corvette; Chevrolet's 265 cu in V8 bec...