Below is a comparison of the 1954 Corvette, Kaiser-Darrin and Nash-Healey. All three Sports Cars were equipped with a six cylinder engines.
Despite the Kaiser-Darrin's very low weight and high axle ratio, the Corvette easily had the better of both it and the Nash-Healey. People just preferred the styling of the Corvette. The Nash-Healey was the roomiest with the Corvette a close second. The Corvette was clearly the most competitive of the three as the price was much lower and they were sold by Chevrolet dealers. In spite of the powerglide transmission the 54' Corvette was a hot performer, better looking and fastest of the three. With 3 single barrel carburetors, performance was 0-60 in 11 seconds and a top speed of 106 MPH.
In 1954 demand for the Corvette was initially brisk, and volume handily out paced that of the other 1954 sports cars. Beleive it or not by the end of 1954 General Motors was giving serious consideration to dropping the Corvette due to poor sales. They didn't and the rest is history.
1954 Corvette
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1954 Kaiser-Darrin
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1954 Nash-Healey
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1954 Sports Cars
Price
Production Units
Wheelbase
Length
Weight
Engine
Displacement
Horsepower
Transmission
Axle Ratio
Performance
Top Speed
Corvette
$3523
3640
102 inches
167 inches
2705 Lbs
Ohv 6
235.5 cubic inches
150 HP
Powerglide
3.55:1
0-60 MPH in 11 Sec
106 MPH
Kaiser-Darrin
$3668
435
100 inches
184 inches
2175 Lbs
L-head 6
161 cubic inches
90 HP
3-Speed Manual
4.55:1
0-60 MPH in 15 Sec
98 MPH
Nash-Healey
$4721
90
108 inches
180 inches
2990 Lbs
Ohv 6
252.5 cubic inches
140 HP
3-Speed Manual
4.10:1
0-60 MPH 10 Sec
105 MPH
Although, in 1954 the Sports Car market was still incredibly small, it was adequate enough for an import like Jaguar or Triumph. But ridiculous by Detroit standards. The traditional thinking in Detroit was, unless hundreds of thousands were sold every year it was hardly worth the effort. Dealers reported some 1500 Corvettes unsold, almost half the production run, as the 1955 Chevrolet Corvette debuted.
