The first generation of Corvette was introduced late in the 1953 model year. Originally designed as a show car for the 1953 Motorama display at the New York Auto Show, it generated enough interest to induce GM to make a production version to sell to the public. First production was on June 30, 1953.

Corvette's use of advance materials began in 1953, when the first Corvettes were produced with all-fiberglass bodies. Every Corvette since has featured a composite-material body. Fiberglass, the lightweight, rust-proof composite material, was first considered for use on a GM vehicle by legendary designer Harley Earl.

A Corvette comes with a factory invoice of about $47,300 for a Base model and an MSRP of about $50,600. The Grand Sport trim level adds about $7,000 to the vehicle's MSRP while the Z06 adds another $20,000. The top-of-the-line ZR1 has an MSRP of about $36,000 more than the Z06.