1953 001

[Bill M.]

[John A.]

Re: 1953 001

From last week.

[Chuck B.]

Re: 1953 001

Excellent Presentation by Corey, Rex, & Jan.
thanks for the history lesson.

[Mark S.]

Re: 1953 001

Thanks John!

[Patrick B.]

Re: 1953 001

The YouTube presentation was very good. Many characteristics of the body itself were presented as convincing evidence that this is the body of Corvette 0001 including engineering dept modifications documented to have been done to this particular car. If there was any mention of the ordinary evidence of the vin tag saying 0001, I missed it.

[Richard S.]

Re: 1953 001

If this is VIN #001 there should be a VIN number on the drivers side door post as well as several locations on the frame. It appears that the owner is unwilling to remove the body to verify the VIN #. Has Ken Kayser addressed this issue as he has claimed 001 was destroyed?

[John A.]

Re: 1953 001

Based upon Ken Kayser's documentation of VIN 001 it is my understanding that car 852 became serial numbered EX-52 and was compleated on 12/22/52 and from then on was known of as the Waldorf/Motorama car. When a publicity photo is taken in June 1953, EX-52 becomes VIN 1001. While 002 was later fitted with a V-8, VIN 001 was ordered destroyed in Oct. 1953 after removing the chassie and top to test the combustion of the fiberglass body. Once the body was destroyed, 4 hrs., the chassie was sent to chassie research with only 111 miles. Chassie research then lengthened the chassie for use on the Nomad design before destroying the chassie in 1959.

The theory of the 1953 Motorama show cars serving as stand-ins for the first two production cars is not based in reality. Most of what you are describing here is an altered version of what was printed in The Corvette Restorer Vol 20 #1 Summer 1993 in an article written by my dad titled “The Earliest Corvettes”, minus the part where Opel Car 852 (SN: EX-52) & Opel Car 853 (SN: EX-53) became #001 & #002. The youtube videos and book to go along with the theory of these cars serving as stand-ins for #001 and #002, in my opinion, has done more damage to the early history of these cars than most people realize. Anyone with a newspapers.com subscription and basic research skills can see for themselves that this theory doesn’t hold water. Sadly many choose to just watch the videos and repeat the inaccurate information they’ve just watched as if it’s fact. I think it’s also unfortunate that someone added those videos to the Corvette Video Library sticky above without putting a disclaimer on them. While the videos certainly have some great information in them (work orders, interoffice letters, and pictures) much of which have been floating around for years, you really need to watch the videos on mute and take everything presented with extreme caution.

Where the 1953 Motorama show cars were after June 15th, 1953 has been an ongoing research project I’ve been working on for the better part of a year. If you’d like to read more about those findings you can here.
Did the 1953 Motorama Show Corvettes Serve as Stand-Ins for the First Two Production Corvettes?
I’d welcome any feedback from anyone that might have more information.

Sorry for resurrecting an old thread but really needed to correct this often misunderstood belief.

[Duke W.]

Your evidence and analysis is compelling! Everyone should download the link and give it a thorough read.

Duke