Category: Corvette History

Corvette Timeline Tales: August 31, 1992 the 2nd Corvette Chief Engineer, Dave McLellan retires

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August 31, 1992 – Dave McLellan accepts early retirement and steps down after 18 years as the Corvette’s second Chief of Engineering.

8-Dave-Mclellan
General Motors had a mandatory, “retirement at 65” policy, so as Corvette Chief Engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov was nearing retirement in January 1975 the big question was who would be chosen to fill Zora’s big shoes. Duntov was not consulted about his replacement and McLellan would not have been his choice, but Dave was definitely the man for the job. McLellan was an Alfred P. Slone Fellow with a degree in engineering and management. The ‘70s was not a fun time and there were serious issues to be dealt with besides horsepower, racing, and mid-engine designs. There were emissions and quality control issues, as well as the implantation of a new assembly plant and an all-new Corvette to be designed and developed.

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Along with ushering in the Corvette into the digital age of computer controls and guiding the design and development of the C4, the ZR-1 was arguably one of Dave McLellan’s biggest achievements.

When the C4 Corvette came out it received rave reviews – “The Best Vette Yet!” and under McLellan’s leadership kept getting better and better every year. By the late 80s, performance was back to late 1960s levels, Continue reading “

Corvette Timeline Tales: August 31, 1992 the 2nd Corvette Chief Engineer, Dave McLellan retires” →

First-Ever 1963 Z06 Corvette Stingray – Dave MacDonald Picks Up, Then Races Z06 #684 At Riverside

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The First Z06 Corvette Was a Race Car!

Dateline: 8.30.15 – The original Z06 was Duntov’s “racer kit” for the then-new 1963 Sting Ray. Unlike modern Z06s, there was no flash to the first Z06, it was strictly hardware designed for the racetrack – no badges, special body panels, or designations at all! But considering the official “we don’t race” policy of GM, 199 1963 Fuel Injected Corvettes with heavy-duty brakes and suspension, wasn’t anything in GM’s big picture. But, if you wanted to race your Corvette in ’63, it was everything, and Duntov made sure you got what you needed.
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Thanks to the SCCA rules that allowed the 2000-pound Cobra to race against the 3100-pound Corvette, even with the Z06 racer kit, the Vette was at a serious disadvantage. Continue reading “

First-Ever 1963 Z06 Corvette Stingray – Dave MacDonald Picks Up, Then Races Z06 #684 At Riverside” →

Corvette Timeline Tales: NCM inducts James Jeffords, Myron E. Scott, & John A. Cafaro to the Hall of Fame

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August 30, 2002 – National Corvette Museum, inducts James Jeffords, Myron E. Scott, and John A. Cafaro into the Hall of Fame.

7-2002-NCM-Hall-of-Fame-TNDateline: 8.30.15 – The Corvette has lasted longer than Harley Earl, Ed Cole, Zora Arkus-Duntov, and Bill Mitchell ever imagined back in the 1950s, thanks to the continuing passion of men and women that understand the soul of the Corvette. The National Corvette Museum’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony has become a much-anticipated annual event in the Corvette community, as a “Thank You” to those that have carried the flame forward.

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James “Jim” Jeffords was two-time SCCA B-production champion and pioneered the successful use of Duntov’s first “racer kit” the RPO 684 that helped him be unbeatable in 1958 and 1959 driving the Nickey Chevrolet “Purple People Eater” 1958 Corvette.. Jeffords also drove Jerry Earl’s 1956 SR-2, as well as some of the top sports cars of the day including a Scarab, a Maserrati Birdcage, and Jaguar. Continue reading “

Corvette Timeline Tales: NCM inducts James Jeffords, Myron E. Scott, & John A. Cafaro to the Hall of Fame” →

2015 Corvettes at Carlisle Show is a Wrap! That’s All, Folks! 5 Videos!

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The 33rd edition of Corvettes at Carlisle, Comes to a close!

Carlisle-2015
Image: http://www.CorvetteBlogger.com

Corvettes at Carlisle is a Corvette Happening! The sights, the sounds, the carbon fiber, fiberglass, and wax. With almost 63 years of Corvette history spread out over 82 acres, to take it all in is a marathon. Today, thanks to the wonder of YouTube you can at least get a sense of what the event was like.

Continue reading “

2015 Corvettes at Carlisle Show is a Wrap! That’s All, Folks! 5 Videos!” →

1954 Motorama Nomad (Corvette) replica goes up for auction! – Video

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1954 Motorama Chevrolet Nomad (Corvette): The Original Corvette “Station Wagon”!

EXP-3-1954-Nomad-2Dateline: 8.29.15 – Unlike the Pontiac, Buick, and Olds ’54 Motorama cars (Corvette wanna-be’s), Chevrolet designers did something totally unique and in retrospect, way ahead of its time. Using a 115-inch wheelbase Chevy station wagon chassis, Earl’s designers and stylists took the complete ’53 Corvette design and stretched it. From the front cowl and windshield forward, it was a production Corvette. Then the doors and back end were stretched to fit the nine-inch longer chassis. The rear fenders were straight off the ’53 Corvette. (scroll down for the video of the 1954 GM Motorama)

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The ’54 Motorama Nomad was one of those designs that just looks right at first glance. Obviously not a sports car, the Nomad was a balanced blend of trim sports car styling with the full utility of a station wagon.
“Practicality” was a big sales feature in the ‘50s. Continue reading “

1954 Motorama Nomad (Corvette) replica goes up for auction! – Video” →

Wil Cooksey’s 2013 Interview on Scott Teeters’ Far Out Radio Program

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Wil Cooksey shares his life story and career in GM and building Corvettes.

Wil-Cooksey

Dateline: 8.29.15 – Yesterday we told you about the 2015 Corvettes at Carlisle show and that Wil Cooksey is one of the special guests for the event. Actually, ever since Wil put on that stunning, explosive burnout display back in 2007, he’s become an almost permanent fixture of the Corvettes at Carlisle show.

On April 5, 2013 I had the pleasure of interviewing Wil Cooksey on my Far Out Radio program. The YouTube version of the program is below.


Continue reading “

Wil Cooksey’s 2013 Interview on Scott Teeters’ Far Out Radio Program” →

Corvette Timeline Tales: August 22, 1957 – GM designer, Peter Brock submits sketches for a new Corvette design – VIDEO

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GM designer, Peter Brock submits sketches for a new Corvette design and Chief of Styling, Bill Mitchell, approves and orders Styling to proceed with Brock’s design.
Brock-Sketch

Peter Brock was one of the youngest designers ever hired by GM Styling. Ed Cole was the new general manager at Chevrolet and after the success of his small-block Chevy engine design, he wanted to make a follow-up splash by introducing the entire 1960 Chevrolet line of cars equipped with a transaxle, including an all-new Corvette. A transaxle would improve weight distribution and yield more front seat interior space. Continue reading “

Corvette Timeline Tales: August 22, 1957 – GM designer, Peter Brock submits sketches for a new Corvette design – VIDEO” →

Most Possibly the Ten Most Valuable Corvettes Ever Built

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By Brent Davis as republished from CorvetteOnline

CNN Money has listed the 10 most valuable Corvettes according to their research, using the mean sold price. Starting with number 10 and increasing in value we have listed each of the cars along with a bit of tech and specifics about each model. We understand that there may be some very unique or special editions that can draw higher dollar figures, but this list tried to cover the more well known Vettes. Continue reading “

Most Possibly the Ten Most Valuable Corvettes Ever Built” →

Corvette Timeline Tales: August 20, 1954 – Chevrolet races 1953 Corvette at a NASCAR-sanctioned Raleigh Speedway.

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The Corvette was a race car almost from the very beginning!

5A-Oldest-Corvette-Racer-1953 Yes, these were the first Chevrolet-built Corvette race cars. They don’t look familiar because in this promotion photograph the cars had yet to be decorated. The young man to the left and in the back is Bill France, Jr. in 1953 Corvette VIN #211 and the man on the right and in front is Joe Hawkins in 1955 Corvette VIN #1399. The names of the bathing beauties are not known. Back in the NASCAR’s early days they had a “Sports Car Series,” sometimes called the “International Class” that ran as support races for the Grand National races.

Terry Michaelis, owner of ProTeam Corvette has fully restored the 1953 version and meticulously researched the two cars, stitching together the history of these two forgotten Corvette racecars. Back in the day, working under the direction of three-time Indy 500 winner, Mauri Rose and Chevrolet chief engineer, Ed Cole, the Chevrolet Engineering Department did an admirable job turning the struggling Corvette into a racer. Continue reading “

Corvette Timeline Tales: August 20, 1954 – Chevrolet races 1953 Corvette at a NASCAR-sanctioned Raleigh Speedway.” →

1982-1984 Cross-Fire Fuel Injection Corvettes

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The Illustrated Corvette Designer Series No. 212

Words and Art By Scott Teeters as Written for Vette Magazine, republished from SuperChevy.com

1982 was a serious year of challenges facing Dave McLellan and his design team with several interesting “firsts.” 1982 was the first year since the ’53-’54 Corvettes that a manual transmission was not available. However, it was the first year that a four-speed automatic with Fourth gear as an overdrive. 1982 was also the first year since 1965 that a fuel-injection system was used and the first time ever that a Corvette had an electronic fuel-injection system. Continue reading “

1982-1984 Cross-Fire Fuel Injection Corvettes” →

Ken Lingenfelter Remembers Father of Corvette, Zora Arkus Duntov

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Corvette collector Ken Lingenfelter sits in his 1954
EX-87 “Duntov Mule” Corvette in Brighton, Michigan.
Lingenfelter said the car is now worth $2 million.
John M. Galloway, Detroit News

by Lauren Abdel-Razzaq as republished from The Detroit News

Through seven generations, the Corvette has created a legacy of success on the race track, a performance parts program that rivals any in the auto industry and legions of devoted fans.

“General Motors is riding high on the Corvette now,” said car guy Ken Lingenfelter, owner of the Lingenfelter Collection and Lingenfelter Performance Engineering. “The car is so desirable.”

He would know. He’s got 75 Corvettes himself, including some of the most famous and rarest models built.

But none of them would exist without Zora Arkus-Duntov. He’s the man that put the Z in Z06. Continue reading “

Ken Lingenfelter Remembers Father of Corvette, Zora Arkus Duntov” →

What’s New In Vette Vues Magazine! 8/15

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Here’s what’s in the August 2015 issue of Vette Vues Magazine!

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Dateline: 8.15.15 – The cover story for the August issue of Vette Vues is “Victory At Le Mans!” There’s an old saying in road racing that goes, “If you win the 12 Hours at Sebring or the 24 Hours at Daytona, all of America will know. But if you win the 24 Hours At le Mans, the WHOLE WORLD will know. The Corvette Racing Team scored their eighth Le Mans win since the debut arrival of the C5-R cars in 1999. BRAVISSIMO! Corvette Racing Team!

Feature stories in the August issue include:

Circle City Corvettes Caravan to the Beach – Article & Photos by Charley Robertson

Second Annual Indianapolis Grand Prix – Story by Tom Fielitz & Photos by Dave Estes

“Eyes On Design” In Detroit 2015 Show Coverage – Article & Photos by Wayne Elwood

“Corvette Milestones: August” – Story & Graphics by K. Scott Teeters

“The John Meyerhoff and Mary Carol Plott Corvette Love Affair, Pt 2” – Story and Photos by K. Scott Teeters Continue reading “

What’s New In Vette Vues Magazine! 8/15″ →