Corvette History 1953-1962 Corvettes (C1)1955 Chevrolet Corvette
1955 Chevrolet Corvette
Contributed by Mike Antonick, Editor "Corvette Black Book"
With production of 700 units, this was the lowest production year excluding 1953's 300. At the time, many predicted 1955 would be the Corvette's last gasp, but Chevrolet held on, perhaps embarrassed by the success of Ford's 1955 Thunderbird, also a two-seater. All but seven 1955 models were fitted with Chevy's new 265 cubic-inch V-8 engine. The majority of these V8 Corvettes had Powerglide automatics, but about 75 had 3-speed manual transmissions. Powerglides were forced options for the handful of 6-cylinder 1955s built. The 6-cylinder models had six-volt electrical systems like their 1953-54 counterparts, but the V8 models ushered in 12-volt electrical systems. Was this the only year in auto history a manufacturer has built the same model with electrical systems of different voltages? V
Visually, 1955 Corvettes were almost dead ringers for the previous two model years. But additional exterior, interior and soft top colors were available, including a head-turning Harvest Gold combined with yellow interior and dark green soft top. Polo White exterior with red interior continued to be the most popular combination. All 1955s, except for the 6-cylinder models, had an enlarged gold "V" attached over the small "v" in the Chevrolet script on both front fenders. Also, the vehicle identification number (VIN) for the V8 models started with a "V."
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