1953 - 1962 C1 Corvettes

There have been six generations of the Corvette so far, generally referred to as versions C1 through C6 . The first generation started in 1953 and ended in 1962, with the noteworthy addition of optional fuel injection in 1957. This new induction system first saw regular use on a gasoline engine two years prior on the Mercedes-Benz 300SL “Gullwing” roadster. Although the Corvette's GM-Rochester fuel injection system used a single central plunger to feed fuel to all eight cylinders in contrast to a more direct means of delivery with a single plunger for each of the Mercedes' six cylinders, the system nevertheless produced 283 hp from 283 in³ (4.6 L), making it the first production engine in history to reach 1 hp/in³. In 1962, the GM Small-Block was enlarged to 327 in³ (5.4 L) and produced a maximum of 360 hp.