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January 17: GM reveals the Corvette concept on this date in 1953

Motoramic

The legend goes that Harley Earl, General Motors' chief designer, had the idea for a true American sports car after going to the races at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and seeing a field full of European iron. An advertising assistant, Myron Scott, had the masterstroke of giving the convertible concept a name that "reflected the excitement of a fast World War II war ship named Corvette." When it was introduced on this date in 1953 at the GM Motorama show in New York, the Corvette concept was a hit; yet by the end of 1954, GM would be on the verge of killing the car, after a botched launch with underpowered models left sales far below targets. It was up to a young GM engineer, one Zora Arkus-Duntov, to show GM what the Corvette needed to stand for. His letter saved the Vette, and remains the best understanding of why it survives today:

TO: Mesars. E. N. Cole and M. Olley

FROM: Mr. Z. Arkus-Duntov

SUBJECT: Corvette

In this note, I am speaking out of turn. I am giving options and suggestions without knowing all the factors. I realize this but still am offering my thoughts for what they are. In order to make the content clear and short, I will not use the polite apologetic phrasing and say, "it is" instead of "it possibly might be" - and I apologise for this now.

By the looks of it, the Corvette is on its way out.

I would like to say the following: Dropping the car now will have adverse effect internally and externally.

It is admission of failure. Failure of aggressive thinking in the eyes of the organization, failure to develop a saleable product in the eyes of the outside world.

Above-said can be dismissed as sentimentality. Let's see if it can hurt the cash register. I think it can.

Ford enters the field with the Thunderbird, a car of the same class as the Corvette.

If Ford makes success where we failed, it may hurt.

With aggressiveness of Ford publicity, they may turn the fact to their advantage. I don't mean in terms of Thunderbird sales, but in terms of promotion of theirs and depreciation of our general lines.

We will leave an opening in which they can hit at will. "Ford out-engineered, outsold, or ran Chevrolet's pride and joy off the market". Maybe the idea is far-fetched. I can only gauge in terms of my own reactions or actions. In the bare-fisted fight we are in now, I would hit at any opening I could find and the situation where Ford enters and where Chevrolet retreats, it is not an opening, it is a hole!

Now if they can hurt us, then we can hurt them! We are one year ahead and we possibly learned some lessons which Ford has yet to learn.