File:1953 Corvette and 2013 60th Anniversary Corvette (6871662501).jpg

And speaking of cars you might have seen tooling along Old Route 66 in the not-so-long-ago:

All 300 Corvettes built in 1953 were Polo White with red interiors, 150hp "Blue Flame" 6-cylinder engines, and 2-speed Powerglide automatic transmissions. So many remained unsold at the beginning of the '54 model year, it was uncertain if there would even be a '54 Corvette.

Eventually, more passionate heads prevailed, and the '54's debuted with more exterior colors and longer exhaust tips to address customer complaints of paint staining from the shorter tips on the '53's. Sales were still poor until 1955, when the 'Vette (still using this body) received its (and Chevy's) first modern V8, a 265ci small-block making 195hp. You could also finally shift for yourself with a 3-speed manual transmission.

In 1956, the 'Vette was restyled, losing the tailfins and the wire headlight baskets and gaining roll-up windows, outside door handles, power steering and power top, and the famous bodyside "coves". For '57, the 265 was enlarged to 283ci, and a fuel injected version, making one horsepower for each of its cubic inches, began tearing up racetracks and dragstrips. 0-60 time for the fuelie: 5.7 seconds.

Fuel injection would be an option on Corvettes through 1965, and would not appear on a Corvette again for 16 years.