Source: General Motors 2001 Corvette Specialists Data Book

The 1953 GM Motorama at the Waldor Astoria in New York City opened its doors to the public on Sat., January 17th, 1953.

"By the time the EX122 arrived on the Motorama stage, it represented a fiberglass-bodied sports car that was readied for production."
Source: Bentley Publisher's Corvette from the inside by Dave Mclellan - Corvette's Chief Engineer 1975-1992

"The EX122 Corvette is the first of the hand built Corvettes."
Source: Bloomington Gold William Locke Director The Special Collection

"Zora came in thru the turnstiles of the Waldorf just like thousands of other patrons that January week." "He came across a little low-slung sports car from Chevrolet called EX122. It stopped him in his tracks." Duntov became an engineer on the Corvette team in 1953 after seeing EX122 at the Waldorf.

The first two production line built 1953 Corvettes rolled out of the Van Slyke Flint Michigan plant in June of '53, over five months after EX122 debuted at the Waldorf.

"The car became a plaything for the engineering department. The 6-cylnder engine was removed and an 8-cylinder engine was installed, and it was used for various performance demonstrations. It gave such a good account of itself that immediately it was decided to abandon the 6-cylinder engine in regular Chevrolet Corvette production and supplement it with the new 8-cylinder as standard equipment."
-R.F. Sanders


"I purchased the car from
Chevrolet on April 11, 1956."
-R.F. Sanders

"I was in charge of the experimental department at that time and saw to it that the car was rebuilt in the very best condition. It was repainted red, a new top and new seats installed, a new speedometer installed, transmission was completely overhauled, safety items were replaced and a new set of tires put on." Source: R.F. Sanders GM Engineer in Charge of Experimental Department

EX122 Restored to Original Motorama Apperance in 2003.

 

"The completed Corvette prototype, designated EX122, photographed in the GM Styling Auditorium on January 10, 1953."
Source: The Complete Corvette Restoration and technical guide vol. 1 1953-1962 by Noland Adams

	EX122 debuts at the 1953 GM Motorama held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.
	EX122 on tour San Francisco Motorama April 30 thru May 7, 1953, Golden Gate Bridge in background.
	EX122 on tour Dallas Motorama May 15-24, 1953, photographed with a Texas Rangers while in Dallas.

EX122 Awards and Special Events

2005 Meadowbrook Concours d'Elegance - GM Motorama Special Display
EX122 next to GM Experimental Firebird Showcar

2005-EX122 Cranbrook Concours d'Elegance - Bloomsfield, MI
Class Winner Award

2005-EX122 Bloomington Gold Special Collection XXI "Great Stories"

EX122 - 2004 Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance - Amelia Island, FL
Winner of Moet & Chandon Fashion Award
For the Best Presentation of Fashion and the Automobile
Presented by: Latonya Davis 
 



EX122 - Winner at Amelia Island Concours on Show Field


EX122 - 2003 GM Eyes On Design General Motors Styling Dome - Warren, MI
Best Privately Owned Concept Vehicle

 

EX122 - Charles Kerbeck & Miss Corvette at Podium
Accepting the Eyes on Design Gold Ribbon & Crystal Award

2003 - General Motors Corvette
50th Anniversary Celebration - Nashville, TN
50 Years - Five Generations - One Event of a Lifetime
June 27-28, 2003



EX122 Star of ESPN Network Television
See It On ESPN & ESPN-2's "Road Trip"
 

ESPN & ESPN-2 Television Air Dates:
Sunday 12/28/03 on ESPN at 4pm Est / 3pm Cnt
Mond 01/12/04 on ESPN-2 at 4pm Est / 3pm Cnt
Sunday 01/18/04 on ESPN at 3pm Est / 2pm Cnt



EX122 Displayed at Nashville Coliseum
During GM Corvette 50th Anniversary Celebration



SACC Shadow Box Mural 50 Years of Corvette
Production, presented to the Kerbeck's by Noland Adams - June 30, 2003


EX122 - Noland Adams Corvette Historian, Author, and 2003 National
Corvette Museum Hall of Fame Inductee with George Kerbeck
at the Flint Michigan 50th Anniversary Celebration.

EX122 - NCRS Year of The '53
Presented to the Kerbeck's In Recognition of EX122
by Gilbert Scrivner NCRS President & Roy Sinor NCRS National Judging Chairman


EX122 - 2003 NCRS National Convention Hershey, PA


2003 - EX122 Chosen as Chips Choice
At the 1953 Corvette Reunion Carlisle, PA


EX122 on Display in Chips Office

 

2003 Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance
EX122 Invited by General Motors


EX122 on the show field at rs d'Elegance

Vice President of General Motors - Darwin Clark
Behind the wheel of EX122 Motorama Corvette

EX122 Motorama Corvette
2002 - 52nd Annual Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance - Aug. 18th, 2002

EX122 Motorama Corvette
2002 - 29th Annual Rolex Montery Historic Automobile Races
Corvette featured marque - August 16-17th, 2002


2002- Meadow Brook Concours d'Elegance, Rochester, MI
Matilda & Alfred Wilson Award
Best Featured Sports Car - 50 Years of Corvette - Styling



1997- EX122 One of the first thrity three cars to be inducted
into the Bloomington Gold Hall of Fame

 

1993-EX122 Bloomington Gold Special Collection "Motorama Gold"
 

1985 - EX122 Featured Bloomington Gold "Special Collection II"
where it lead the Special Collection Parade.


The History of the World Oldest Corvette
The following letter contains the authentic hisory of the EX 122 in the words
of R.F. Sanders. Mr. Sanders was the General Motors director of
Engineering and Sales in charge of the Experimental Department.


1959 Bank Check written to Russell F. Sanders from
Jack Ingle in the amount of $1000 for the purchase in full of EX122

EX122 Ownership History

2003 National Corvette Museum Bowling Green, KY
 

2003 - EX122 Displayed In the Kerbeck Showroom
 

2003 - EX122 Gets Loaded For Its Show Circuit

2003 - EX122 1953 Motorama Show Car Tractor Trailer

March 31, 1953 General Motors Corporation Shareholders Quarterly Report


Inside the Shareholder Quarterly is pictured
the Motorama Showcar on stage at the Waldorf
Astoria described as a Future Production Car.



1953 General Motors Corporation Motorama



January 22, 1953 General Motors Corporation Press Release