In 1953, the Corvette debuted in the Motorama display at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Conceived by the legendary Harley J. Earl, it was a two-seat convertible built by General Motors aimed at capturing the small car market from manufacturers such as Jaguar and MG.

The Corvette had an inauspicious debut in 1953 with only 183 of the 300 produced sold. 1953 models were available in one color, Polo White with red interiors. Four color options were available in 1954 and sales reflected this change with 3,640 Corvettes built. Sales for 1955 fell precipitously to 700 because of unsold models from the previous year; and the future of the Corvette became uncertain. Fortunately, the Corvette had the backing of Ed Cole, Chevrolet Division Manager and Harley Earl, SVP and head of GM’s design studio to move the Corvette forward.

The 1955 Corvette offered here has the extremely desirable 265 cubic inch V-8 engine that is connected to a Powerglide automatic transmission. The paint work is finished in Gypsy Red with a complimenting tan convertible top. The car is riding on proper steel wheels with full wheel covers and wrapped in the correct wide whitewall tires. The interior is tailored in tan upholstery with matching carpet, a pushbutton radio and full instrumentation with a tachometer complete the cockpit.

With only 700 units built, this Corvette is rare and desirable. It is a very tidy, nicely sorted example in a very attractive color that is ready for enjoyment.