1953 VIN 003 Cutaway Corvette Donated Car Revealed as part of National Corvette Museum's Gateway Remodel

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1953 VIN 003 Cutaway Corvette Donated
Car Revealed as part of National Corvette Museum's Gateway Remodel

1953Cutaway.jpg
A ribbon cutting ceremony was held during the National Corvette Museum’s annual Michelin NCM Bash, introducing the more than 1,500 Corvette enthusiasts in attendance to the newest exhibit area of the Museum. Thanks to the generosity of donors to the 2018 giving campaign, visitors to the Museum will now be greeted by a welcoming admissions area leading to the completely revamped Gateway exhibit.

A surprise announcement was made as part of the ribbon cutting ceremony. Ed and Teresa Foss of Roanoke, Ind., owners of the 1953 Corvette Chassis #003 (the earliest existing Corvette chassis) donated their educational cutaway utilizing the chassis to the Museum. The fully functional vehicle was built explicitly for educational and display purposes and shows the inner workings of a 1953. The project was more than two years in the making by noted Corvette restorer Kevin Mackay and his staff at Corvette Repair in Valley Stream, N.Y.

The chassis was discovered in the mid-70s under the body of a 1955 Corvette that was being restored. The first three Corvettes were built on June 30, 1953, likely rolling off the assembly line in Flint, MI on July 1, 1953. Traveling to the GM Tech Center in Warren, MI where it was used for durability testing, the #003 car’s chassis reappeared in 1983, and later wound up on eBay in 2012, which is when Ed Foss acquired it.

“We wanted to make sure Ed’s legacy and contributions in the Corvette community would be remembered here at the Museum,” said Teresa Foss.
 
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