1953 Corvette Convertible VIN: E53F001003 Total Production: 300 Manufactured at Flint: Approximately July 1, 1953 Exterior Color: Polo White Interior Trim: Sportsman Red Soft Top: Black Canvas Engine: 235 Cubic-Inch, 150 Horsepower, L-6, “Blue Flame Special” Engine Code: LAY 303666 Carburetion: Three Single-Barrel Carter Model YH 2066S Side Draft Transmission: Two-Speed Corvette Powerglide Automatic Differential: Code “LW” 3.55:1 Axle Ratio Factory Optional Accessories (FOA - required): 101A Heater ($91.40) 102A Signal-Seeking AM Radio ($145.15) MSRP: $3,498.00 Base, plus $236.55 in accessories - $3,734.55 Total Total Mileage: 72,356 plus 352 miles since restoration Purchased: January 2006, Barrett-Jackson Auction; Scottsdale, Arizona

 

1953 SERIAL NUMBER 003 – THE MILLION DOLLAR CORVETTE
Serial Number E53F001003

A hit movie from 1953 was “How to Marry a Millionaire” starring Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe… and you nearly had to be married to one to actually own a 1953 Corvette. Well almost. Distribution of these limited production 1953 models was controlled entirely by Chevrolet Central Office in Detroit, with specific delivery assignment based on geographical location, past and future value to Chevrolet of the customer wanting a car, and as wide a distribution among dealers as availability would permit. In other words, Chevrolet would determine you important enough to buy a 1953 Corvette: Famous movie star John Wayne got one in Hollywood; SAC Air Force General Curtis LeMay took delivery in Omaha; Ralph Bogan, vice president of the Chicago-based Greyhound Bus Lines, got one; popular ABC radio news commentator Alex Drier took delivery at the Broadmore in Colorado Springs; and Dinah Shore, host of television’s Chevy-sponsored variety show, naturally got one. Suggested retail price in 1953 was $3,734.55 (including the extra-cost radio & heater factory accessories).

Serial number E53F001003 (the third Corvette built, and oldest surviving model) was the first production vehicle delivered to the General Motors Engineering Staff’s Car Development Shop at the GM Technical Center in Warren, Michigan, arriving Tuesday, July 7, 1953. Code-named GM Engineering Staff Car ES-127-1, #003 had 67 miles on the odometer when serviced for a road trip to GM’s Harrison Radiator Division in Lockport, New York, where it was subjected to a Cold Room Shake Test July 8th & 9th. This consisted of front & rear body excitation (with wheels out-of-balance and driveshaft removed) to simulate vehicle shake at road speeds, for 14 hours at 20-degrees below zero, to determine low temperature strength characteristics of the plastic body. The test concluded, “No Serious body failure occurred.” It was driven back to Michigan July 10th.

At the Tech Center #003 began many miles of testing and analysis by both the GM and Chevrolet Engineering staffs. It was the first production Corvette to undergo a torturous 5,000-mile Belgian Block Test at the GM Proving Grounds, to determine body, chassis and powertrain operation, drivability and durability under the severest conditions. Extensive reports detailing problems, fixes and recommended modifications for other 1953 Corvettes were filed with various GM & Chevrolet engineering and design departments, material suppliers, and the Flint assembly facility. On August 20, 1953 (prior to unveiling the Corvette to the motoring press in September) a Chevrolet Engineering Work Order was issued for ES-127-1 “to recondition the Car and to make the various fixes which have been found necessary on regular production Cars.”

Corvette #003 continued use as a Demonstrator and Design Check vehicle through at least October of 1953 with engineering change recommendations being fabricated, installed and analyzed by GM and Chevrolet. Famed Corvette Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov used analysis obtained while testing #003’s production driving characteristics in his memo entitled “Summary Report of Changes to Achieve Improvement in Corvette Handling and Ride.” His changes were eventually incorporated on future models.

When its use as a GM Engineering Staff Car was complete, #003 was delivered and sold in the Los Angeles area in late 1953. John Crockett of Hollydale, California purchased it from a used car lot in 1958 and retired it to storage in 1963 following Powerglide transmission trouble. It was sold to Ed Thiebaud of Fresno in 1969, continuing in storage until purchase by Les Bieri, Howard Kirsch and John Amgwert in August of 1987. Corvette #003 then underwent meticulous inspection, disassembly, research, documentation and restoration over a three-year period in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The documentation and restoration of #003 was completed in May of 1990 with full cooperation and assistance of the fine folks at General Motors and Chevrolet in Warren, Michigan, where it was invited to return for a weeklong display at numerous Tech Center facilities.

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