Monday 12th January 1953

Just days before the launch of the Corvette the General Motors management team informed the styling team that the front emblem and the horn button containing the likeness of the American flag had to be replaced, after discovering it was illegal in the US to have stars and stripes in an automobile emblem. When the first Corvette was shown to the press at the Motorama in New York City, the front emblems and horn button contained a black-and-white chequered flag and a red Chevrolet bow tie and fleur-de-lis.