In 1953 Morrison convinced Chevrolet to use his newly created molded fiberglass body for the Corvette Concept Car displayed at the 1953 GM Motorama
General Motors Motorama
The General Motors Motorama was an auto show staged by GM from 1949 to 1961. These automobile extravaganzas were designed to whet public appetite and boost automobile sales with displays of fancy prototypes, concept vehicles and other special or halo models. Motorama grew ou…
What is the Corvette body made out of?
In 1953 Morrison convinced Chevrolet to use his newly created molded fiberglass body for the Corvette Concept Car displayed at the 1953 GM Motorama. The acceptance was overwhelming and from that point on the Corvette body was made out of Fiber glass Reinforced Plastic (FRP), otherwise known as fiberglass.
How many 1953 Corvettes are still alive today?
Of the first 300 1953 Corvettes, approximately 225 are still known to exist today. Each fiberglass body began as 46 separate pieces that were supplied by the Molded Fiber Glass Company in Ashtabula, Ohio. Workers had to fit all of these into wooden jigs, then glue them together into the larger subassemblies.
What was the first Corvette to have a full roof?
The ’63 Corvette was the first to incorporate a full roof as part of the fiberglass body matrix. There was a greater steel structure to support it underneath, but advances in the production of the body panels meant they were a bit thinner than C1 panels, which helped save weight.
Where can I buy C1 Corvette fiberglass parts?
At Corvette Parts Worldwide, we sell high-quality Corvette fiberglass parts, including a wide selection of C1 Corvette fiberglass parts. Revitalize your Corvette's body with some of our high quality Corvette Fiberglass parts. Corvette Parts Worldwide is the most trusted name in online Corvette part sales.
What was the 1953 Corvette body made of?
fiberglass1953: Chevrolet introduces the Corvette. It's a time when "new" and "Space Age" are the big buzzwords, and the Corvette fits the bill. The Corvette featured a gorgeous body made entirely of a new wonder material called fiberglass, and it was the first production car made of the stuff.
What are Corvette frames made of?
These included aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium. A new hydroformed frame was constructed from annealed, 4mm-thick 5745 aluminum alloy. The standard C5/C6 steel frame is 3 mm thick and weighs 502 pounds, while the Z06 frame is 4 mm thick and tips the scales at 392 pounds (22.5 percent lighter).
When did Corvette stop making fiberglass bodies?
The Corvette was produced using conventional fiberglass methods until the third generation in 1968, when the press-mold process was introduced. This process involved the fiberglass and resin being molded in a die-like tool that produced smoother parts more quickly.
What year Corvettes are metal?
If you knew the answer is yes, then you probably know the story behind the 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Rondine, a rare prototype that was commissioned by the Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina – and was made of steel!
Are Corvette bodies made of fiberglass?
Corvette's use of advance materials began in 1953, when the first Corvettes were produced with all-fiberglass bodies. Every Corvette since has featured a composite-material body. Fiberglass, the lightweight, rust-proof composite material, was first considered for use on a GM vehicle by legendary designer Harley Earl.
Is the Corvette unibody?
The C4 Corvette is a clean-sheet-of-paper design. It uses a unibody instead of a body-on-frame design.
How much did a Corvette cost in 1953?
One of the original limited-production 1953 Corvettes retailed for $3,490, History reports.
What was the first fiberglass car?
The Glasspar G2 was a sports car body first manufactured by Bill Tritt in 1949. It is no longer built today. It was the first production all-fiberglass sports car body built by an American fiberglass manufacturer.
What is the lightest Corvette ever made?
2013 Corvette Z06The 2013 Corvette Z06 is the lightest, best-balanced Corvette model, and one of the most svelte supercars on the market.
What Corvettes are made of fiberglass?
The Corvette hasn't been an actual fiberglass car since 1973. From GM Media: Starting with the third generation in 1968, the body parts were manufactured with a press mold process, whereby the fiberglass material and resin were shaped in a die-like tool that produced smoother parts more quickly.
How many 1953 Corvettes still exist?
225 1953 CorvettesThis is still the rarest of all model year production Corvettes. It is estimated that about 225 1953 Corvettes still exist.
What colors did the 1953 Corvette come in?
1953 Corvette OverviewModel:1953 CorvetteGeneration:C1 CorvetteType:2 Door ConvertibleAvailable Colors:Polo White with Sportsman Red InteriorEngine:“Blue Flame” Inline-65 more rows•Jan 20, 2017
How much did a 1953 Corvette cost?
Base price for Chevy's new two-seater when it finally went on sale in September 1953: $3498.
What year did the stars align in the Corvette?
1953 Chevrolet Corvette. The stars align—and a sports-car star is born. As any astronomer will tell you, amazing things can happen when the stars line up just right. And in the early 1950s at General Motors, big stars were lining up behind a brand-new model destined to change the sports-car world forever. Chevrolet had outsold Ford in 1949 and ...
Why was fiberglass used in the Korean War?
The outbreak of the Korean War—and the resulting need to manufacture arms and matériel—had sharply curtailed the availability of steel. Not only was fiberglass readily obtainable, but it offered the additional advantages of light weight (a huge aid to performance) and dramatically lower cost.
What years did Corvettes have fiberglass?
1953-1954-1955-1956-1957-1958-1959-1960-1961-1962. At Corvette Parts Worldwide, we sell high-quality Corvette fiberglass parts, including a wide selection of C1 Corvette fiberglass parts. Revitalize your Corvette's body with some of our high quality Corvette Fiberglass parts.
What is Corvette Parts Worldwide?
Corvette Parts Worldwide is the most trusted name in online Corvette part sales . With Press Molded Corvette Fiberglass Parts or Hand Laid Corvette Fiberglass Parts Corvette Parts Worldwide can help you restore your Corvette with the highest quality Corvette parts.
What was the first car made of fiberglass?
MFG’s Role in America’s Most Beautiful Automobile. In 1954, the Chevrolet Corvette became the first production automobile with a molded fiberglass reinforced plastic body after Robert Morrison, founder of MFG, convinced General Motors that reinforced plastic had a use in the automotive industry.
Who is the CEO of molded fiberglass?
Richard Morrison, CEO of Molded Fiber Glass Companies, recounts the story of how the late Robert S. Morrison changed the future of the Corvette. In 1953 Morrison convinced Chevrolet to use his newly created molded fiberglass body for the Corvette Concept Car displayed at the 1953 GM Motorama.
