A rare piece of early Corvette history is being offered in an unconventional form: a complete 1954 Chevrolet “Blue Flame” six-cylinder engine converted into a glass-topped display table. The engine, mounted on a steel cradle with heavy-duty caster wheels, represents the original powerplant that launched the Corvette nameplate before V8 power defined the model’s identity.
The Blue Flame inline-six was the sole engine offered when the Corvette debuted in 1953 and continued through the 1954 model year. Displacing 235 cubic inches, the engine produced 150 brake horsepower and 223 pound-feet of torque in Corvette specification. While modest by modern standards, those figures were competitive for the era and sufficient to move the lightweight fiberglass roadster with respectable performance.
The engine traced its roots to Chevrolet’s long-running overhead-valve inline-six program, which began in the late 1920s. Often referred to as the Stovebolt six, the design emphasized durability, smooth torque delivery, and ease of production. Over the following decades, Chevrolet steadily refined the platform with improvements in cooling, lubrication, and materials, making it one of the most widely used engines in the American market by the postwar years.
The Blue Flame designation was applied to the 235-cubic-inch variant in the early 1950s, particularly when paired with the Powerglide automatic transmission. For Corvette duty, the engine received significant upgrades, including higher compression, a more aggressive camshaft, and a factory triple-carburetor setup using three Carter units on a special intake manifold. This configuration was exclusive to the Corvette and produced noticeably more power than the single-carburetor versions used in standard passenger cars.
Despite its engineering refinements, the Blue Flame’s tenure in the Corvette was brief. Early Corvettes were offered only with the two-speed Powerglide, and performance expectations quickly grew beyond what the inline-six and automatic combination could deliver. The arrival of Chevrolet’s small-block V8 in 1955 reshaped the Corvette and permanently altered the brand’s performance image.
The example now offered as a display table reportedly remains complete and retains key components, including the triple carburetors, fuel pump, water pump, overflow tank, and the correct Corvette-script valve cover with Blue Flame decals. Topped with a glass surface, the engine has been transformed into a functional conversation piece suitable for a garage, showroom, or home setting. It was previously displayed at Mike Yager’s MYGarage Museum, further tying it to Corvette enthusiast culture.
While no longer destined for road use, the Blue Flame six on display stands as a tangible reminder of the Corvette’s experimental beginnings and Chevrolet’s transition from conservative engineering to performance-driven ambition.