The 1953 thru 1957 Corvettes featured full instrumentation, which included oil pressure, battery, water temperature, fuel and tachometer. The bad news was that they were centrally located. The joke of the day was that the passenger had a better view of the tachometer.
Bumpers, both front and rear, were purely decorative and offered no protection.
Despite what these official press photos may imply, hardtops were not an option supplied by Chevrolet. Aftermarket sources did supply them and in some cases they were sold by Chevrolet dealers.
The 1953 Corvette body in pieces
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The fiberglass body was very labor intensive which explains the high purchase price. The tail light fin areas were particularly difficult to work with.
