When the Chevrolet Corvette was introduced in 1953, the car was hailed as America's answer to British sports cars such as Jaguar and MG. Needless to say, the Corvette has come a long way since then.

Designed by legendary General Motors stylist Harley Earl, only 300 of the 1953 Corvette C-1 model were produced in GM's Flint, MI plant. Despite an anemic 150 horsepower 'Blue Flame' 235 cubic inch straight six-cylinder engine and a two-speed automatic transmission, the hand-crafted car quickly caught on and is today one of America's most collectible vehicles.

More than 250 of the original 1953 model are in existence and command upwards of one-half million dollars at auction depending on the vehicle's condition. That's pretty good money considering the car's original base price was $3,498.

According the Muscle Up Performance owner and former NASCAR driver Rich Bickle, little changed on the Corvette in terms of suspension and handling characteristics during the car's early years from 1953-1962.