Bill,

You can't really tell from the outside - the body is the same. However, in '53 they only made 300 Corvettes which were white with a red interior. In '54 when they made over 3,000 you could get white, red, blue or black and the interior could be red or beige. Both 1953's and 1954's were equipped with a 235 c.i. in line 6 cylinder engine. It wasn't until 1955 that Chevrolet installed a 265 c.i. V8 engine. Also, although they made more vettes in 1954, the base price was approx. $800 less ('54 $2,700 approx. and '53 $3,500 approx.)and if it had a windshield washer it was a 1954 and not a 1953. Hope this helps you.

Terry