Speedometer and tachometer detail view of a 1958 Chevrolet Corvette. Taking its name from the corvette, a small, maneuverable fighting frigate, the first Corvettes were virtually handbuilt. The outer body was made out of a revolutionary (at the time) new composite material called fiberglass. Underneath that radical new body were standard Chevrolet components, including the Blue Flame inline six-cylinder engine, two-speed Powerglide automatic transmission, and drum brakes from Chevrolet's regular