1-193-017 - National Motor Museum/Heritage Images

1961 Chevrolet Corvette. The Chevrolet Corvette first appeared in 1953, and was designed to show that General Motors could compete in the sports car market with European manufacturers such as MG and Jaguar. Several versions were produced, and by the time this 1961 model came out, the Corvette had carved out a niche not only in the car market, but in American culture.