Something Old, Something New: Corvette Assembly Lines Then and Now

With C8 production starting, let’s take a look back to where it all began in 1953 — a small plant in Flint, Michigan.

Hot Rod’sJohn McGann recently posted a compelling set of photos comparing C8 production to the way the very first cars were built. The contrast is fascinating. It really reminds us of just how far America’s sports car has come since 1953.

When the first 300 Chevrolet Corvettes were built in a factory in Flint, Michigan, few could have imagined the way the cars would be built over sixty-five years later. That original building, resembling a large, brick warehouse, is a far cry from today’s state of the art production facility.

Each of those first 300 cars was effectively built by hand. Each fiberglass component was hand-laid, created in a mold carved from a wooden buck. Parts were carefully fitted and massaged into place, all by hand.

Then as now, the Corvette factory employed the best and brightest to assemble America’s sports car. Building Corvettes is still a very hands-on affair. However, modern Corvettes are also built with sophisticated assembly-line robots. Processes are also streamlined.

Now, Corvettes — and the folks that build them — receive the benefit of nearly seventy years’ experience in working with composite materials. Corvettes are now built with a speed and precision that was simply impossible in 1953.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

Back in 2003, as part of the Corvette’s 50th birthday celebration, Corvette Forum members visited the plant. Our members took some incredible photos of the unusual plant.

At that time, the plant was building trucks. It still looked very much the same way it did back in 1953 — which is to say, more like a large repair facility than a full-fledged assembly plant. One of the plant’s most unusual features was its rooftop parking, where new cars could be stored before delivery.

Just a few short years later, the plant was shuttered for good and finally torn down. General Motors gave the bricks from the plant to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. You can still buy them from the museum’s website today.

The final 1953 Corvette was built on Christmas Eve in 1953. The following year, production moved to a larger facility in St. Louis. Corvettes would be built there until the line moved, for the last time, to Bowling Green.

Corvette fans that have made the pilgrimage to Kentucky can attest to the sheer size of today’s Corvette plant. At 1.7 million square feet, it’s a far cry from that small factory in Flint.

The plant has been continuously updated and upgraded since opening in 1981. It’s one of General Motors’ most advanced production facilities. That’s especially true, now that it’s been updated to build the C8, GM’s most ambitious production car to date.

It’s important to work towards the future, but one must be careful not to lose sight of the past. GM’s involvement in the National Corvette Museum, located just across the street from the plant, is a constant reminder of the Corvette’s rich history.

Photos: General Motors/Corvette Forum members

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