The beginning days of America’s Sports Car were a lot less promising than the car’s subsequent 57-year history might suggest. The first public display of the Corvette – Harley J. Earl’s dream car – was in January of 1953 at the GM Motorama display in New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The ‘Vette went into production barely six months later, in Flint, MI.

Just three hundred cars were built that year. All were Polo White with a red interior and black canvas convertible top. While two equipment options were listed for the Corvette, all included the AM radio and heater. The Corvette drivetrain consisted of a 235-cid “Blue Flame” inline 6-cylinder engine, 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmission and solid rear axle with 3.55:1 gear ratio. The independent rear suspension would not arrive for another ten years.

Reception at the Motorama had been wildly enthusiastic and while there were only minor changes between the show car and the production version, initial reviews were less than enthusiastic. GM’s marketing strategy had been to provide early units to VIPs who would sway the public with their praise of the new sports car. While some scoffed at the lack of a manual transmission, the Corvette actually delivered on its performance premise.

Despite the 150 hp, 6-cylinder engine, entirely respectable 0-60 mph times of 11-seconds were recorded, a top speed around 105 mph and 17.9 seconds ET in the quarter mile. With an independent front suspension and sway bar, conventional leaf spring rear suspension and curb weight of 2850 pounds, the Corvette was also found to handle reasonably well.

Where it all went rather pear-shaped first had to do with the body assembly quality. There were a total of 46 fiberglass components that had to be fitted together by the Flint workers. Wooden jigs were used to create subassemblies that were glued together. Fiberglass molding has come a long way since that time, so it should come as no surprise that physical variation in the subcontractor-supplied base components was an issue.

All of this created an expensive assembly process that still did not match that of “normal” steel parts. The Corvette’s selling price of $3498 was almost twice that of an average car of the day and this didn’t sit well with early customers. The car’s plastic side curtains, instead of glass side windows were also a disappointment. Many aspects of the Corvette’s visual styling came under fire as too radical for the time, despite being present on the show car.

As cars had come off the assembly lines and were shipped to dealers, the GM-driven focus was to get them into the hands of local VIPs – celebrities, prominent politicians, company executives and favored customers. This also meant that regular car buyers who saw the show car didn’t have a chance of buying a 1953 model. Only three hundred cars would be built that year, which was really a six month production period.

When the feedback from those fortunate enough to get a Corvette was less than enthusiastic, the marque was dealt a blow that would take years to recover from. Chevrolet’s marketing plan could have worked, but the cards were stacked against it. A car as radical as the Corvette simply couldn’t be turned from concept car to acceptable production car in just six months.

Of the three hundred 1953 Corvettes built, 255 are accounted for. The one in the photos is number 118 and part of the Bob McDorman Collection. This particular car is coming to auction at a special event in early November, run by Mecum Auctions. The event will see 150 cars up for bid, including what is reportedly the World’s Most Complete Corvette Collection.

The event takes place at Bob McDorman Chevrolet, 5885 Gender Road, Canal Winchester, OH, on November 6, 2010. Additional information is available on the event web site.