While the 1953 Corvette was undeniably gorgeous and, with its fiberglass body, somewhat innovative, as a sports car it was wholly pathetic. The chassis handled better with the ‘Vette’s improved weight distribution, but it was still pretty much a ‘52 Chevy sedan suspension down there. That meant the front end was suspended by a primitive independent system and the rear held up with leaf springs. A quicker steering gear gave some reflexes to the car, but quicker isn’t the same as quick. And of course, the 150-horsepower, 235-cubic-inch six and two-speed automatic Powerglide transmission was far less than athletic.