1955 4.34L 265ci V8 Engine Guide: Specs, Features, & More

While the Corvette, in its current form, is synonymous with unrelenting power and performance might, this was not always the case. Quite the contrary, the Corvette barely mustered 150 HP upon its initial release in 1953. Even by the standards of yesteryear, one would be hard-pressed to have referred to the earliest of Corvettes as fast or performance-minded, by any stretch of the imagination.

This fact was widely known and often ridiculed by critics, as many questioned what role of significance the Corvette would truly play in the American sports car market. These early criticisms were widely reflected by sales numbers of the era, as only 700 Corvettes were sold during the car’s first year on the market.