The Chevrolet Corvette C1 is the spiritual mother of American sports cars, even though it began life with no muscle at all. When it was launched in 1953, it featured innovative fiberglass bodywork (chosen mainly because of the postwar steel shortage) and a 3.9-liter V6 producing a lazy 150 hp, paired with a two-speed automatic transmission.
Dismal sales almost led to the Corvette being shelved, until Ford launched the rival Thunderbird and Chevrolet decided to fight back. In 1955, the Corvette received a muscular 4.3-liter V8, initially with 195 hp and later with outputs climbing as high as 340 hp. The year 1956 was the last in which the V6 was offered; from then until today, the V8 has retained its exclusive place.
Today, prices range from $80,000 to $220,000, with rare first-year examples exceeding $300,000.
