The 1954 Corvette began production in December 1953. Although the first fourteen or fifteen ‘54 Corvettes were built in Flint, Michigan (like all of the 1953 Corvettes) GM shifted Corvette’s production to a newly renovated assembly plant in St Louis, Missouri. This plant was designed to produce more than 10,000 Corvettes a year. There were very few initial design changes between the 1953 and 1954 model Corvettes, although refinements would be made throughout the 1954 production year.
Pricing: $3254.10
Units produced: 3,640
Engine: “Blue Flame” Inline-6
Top speed: 108mph
Transmission: 2 Speed Powerglide Automatic
Available colors: Polo White with Sportsman Red Interior, Pennant Blue with Tan Interior, Sportsman Red with Red Interior and Black with Red Interior
Highlights of the year:
This was a year for bringing life to the Corvette—in preparing for 1954, Chevrolet had focused on the production line rather than on engineering breakthroughs. As a result, changes to the ’54 model were generally minor. A mid-year camshaft modification raised the output of the Blue Flame Six by five horsepower, to 155 (the two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission remained standard). The stainless-steel exhaust tips were lengthened (on the ’53 model, the shorter exhausts had shown a tendency to stain the paint on the close-fitting bodywork). Paint choices increased to four, with Polo White being joined by black, Sportsman Red, and, toward the end of the year, Pennant Blue. Convertible tops were now tan instead of black. Door handles were redesigned for easier operation.
Perhaps the most notable change from the 1953 to 1954 models was the opportunity to purchase a Corvette with a choice of different color options. In 1954, only 3,640 units of this model were built and nearly a third were unsold at year’s end. New colors were available, but the six-cylinder engine and Powerglide automatic, the only engine and transmission available, were not what sports car enthusiasts expected. In the October 1954 issue of Popular Mechanics there was an extensive survey of Corvette owners in America. The principal complaint of the surveyed owners was the tendency of the body to leak extensively during rainstorms
Photos of the 1954 corvette:
Sources:
https://www.caranddriver.com/features/1954-corvette/
https://www.corvsport.com/1954-c1-corvette/#1953-C1-Corvette-Specs
https://velocepicturecars.com/american-classics-1/1954-chevrolet-corvette
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette_(C1)#1954
