Corvette Timeline Tails: Happy 99th Birthday Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 10.2.11

One of the Unsung Heros of Corvettes & High Performance Chevrolets

Within the machinations of a big corporation, to get things done, it’s good to have an angel. Zora Arkus-Duntov had several angels. We’ve talked about Duntov’s relationship with Chevrolet honcho Ed Cole. But one angel that doesn’t get much attention was Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen.

Semon’s father was former GM president, William S. Knudsen. While this was helpful for the younger Kneudsen’s career, things weren’t handed to Bunkie – he had to work for what he accomplished. Like many teenage boys of his generation, Semon was interested in mechanical things. When he asked for a car, his Dad gave him one… in pieces for the young man to out back together. During his college years, Summer break meant a stint working at GM… on the assembly line. Upon graduation, Knudsen got a job at Pontiac in 1939 and quickly rose up through the management ranks. By 1956 he was the general manager at Pontiac.

The main job of every general manager is to increase sales. Like Chevrolet, Pontiac had a stogy public image. Bunkie assembled a team to jazz up the line and brought in Pete Estes from Oldsmobile, and John Z. DeLorean from Packard to create high performance version of his best -selling Pontiacs. Thus began the era of the “Wide Track Pontiac.” (Remember the ‘60s jingle, “Break away, to a wide track’n, Pon-tee-ack…”?) Within a few years, Pontiacs were a force to be contended with in NASCAR racing. Bunkie’s makeover of Pontiac put the division in third place in the industry and his reward was a promotion to head of the Chevrolet Division in 1961. Continue reading “Corvette Timeline Tails: Happy 99th Birthday Semon “Bunkie” Knudsen” →

Vette Polls: What Is Your Favorite C4 Corvette?

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 10.1.11
With 13 Model Years and Eight Unique Special Versions, Vote For Your Favorite! 

Cast your vote at the bottom of this post

When the new 1984 Corvette was shown to the automotive press in the Summer of ‘83, there was a wave of euphoria. “FINALLY!!! A New Corvette!” As there should have been. After all, the Shark had been with us since 1968 and the steel parameter frame and suspension since 1963. The chassis was designed somewhere around 1960! So you could say the car was a little over due for an update.

In retrospect the C4 was an extraordinary generation. It came with 205-horsepower, went out with the 330-horsepower LT4, and maxed out with the 405-horsepower LT5. Here are the highlights:

* Domination of 1985 to 1987 Showroom Stock Series
* 1986 Indy 500 Convertible
* 1987 to 1991 Callaway Twin-Turbo Option
* 1988 35th Anniversary Edition
* 1988 Callaway 254.76-MPH Sledgehammer
* 1990 to 1995 ZR-1
* 1990 Morrison ZR-1 24-Hour Speed Record of 175.885-MPH
* 1992 LT1 as the base engine
* 1993 40th Anniversary Edition
* 1995 Indy 500 Pace Car Replica
* 1996 Collector Edition
* 1996 LT4-Powered Grand Sport

C4 Corvettes are at rock bottom prices these days and there were so many built that if you cut one up and make it into a hot rod, no one will howl at you. That is, unless you cut up a Grand Sport. I’ve read comments from some fellows stating that for them, the appeal of a C4 is that it still has that “rough muscle car” feel to it. As a generation, the C4 had a lot to offer and today, they make excellent entry level Corvettes. I’ve seen early C4s with a little Continue reading “Vette Polls: What Is Your Favorite C4 Corvette?” →

1996 LT4 Small-Block Chevy – The Finished Classic SBC?

Published on by Scott6 Comments

Dateline: 9.30.11
Forty One Years of Classic Small-Block Chevy Success and Power!

When the Cadillac-derived Small-block Chevy engine first arrived in 1955, I’m certain that Ed Cole and his team of Chevrolet engineers never imagined that their efforts would have such a profound and long lasting impact on the automobile industry. The little 265-cubic-inch engine had just 162-horsepower. By 1970 the 350-cubic-inch LT-1 engine was packing 370 gross horsepower. Beginning in 1973 Gm started rating their engines in “net” figures making it look as if the legs had been cut out from under all of their motors. While it’s true that there were emissions restrictions and reduced compression, the “net” power ratings were in real-world terms, closer to reality. From ‘73 to ‘96 it was a long slow slog, but the last SBC to use the basic original design was the 330-horsepower LT4. So, what would be the ”gross” horsepower rating of a ‘96 LT4? That would be anyone’s guess, but somewhere close to or over 400-horsepower would be a good guess.

Since Spring ‘11 I have been asking the question in my Illustrated Corvette Series VETTE Magazine column, “What’s the best _____?” for each generation Corvette. ICS No. 174 takes a look at the 1996 LT4 Corvette and asks, is this “The Finished Classic SBC?” let’s get into the details. Talk about going out with a roar! Enjoy – Scott

Illustrated Corvette Series No. 174: 1996 LT4 Small-Block Chevy – “The Finished Classic SBC?”

The ‘97 C5 Corvette was introduced to the press in November ‘96 at Road Atlanta Raceway, in Georgia and went on sale at Chevrolet dealers on March 7, 1997. Not only was the body, interior, chassis, and suspension all-new, there was a totally new engine and transaxle. The splash the new C5 created, followed up with roadsters, Pace Cars, hardtops, race cars, and a Le Mans win in ‘01, was so huge that the highlights and achievements of the C4s quickly faded. While the jewel-like LT-5 that powered the exotic ZR-1 still stands as the high watermark of the C4 generation, there was a quieter high watermark that took place. Had the LT4 engine option arrived a few years before, there would have been another Chevy legend.

The C5 program was an on-and-off-and-on again project due to GM’s financial troubles in the early ‘90s. Initial sorties began in ‘88 with the intention of an all-new C5 a ‘93 model. Corvette chief engineer, Dave McLellan was given a budget of $250 million, but that number turned into a roller coaster ride with the C5 being pushed back year after year. GM’s miracle of the ‘90s was that there even was a C5 Corvette. All of this makes the LT4 even more amazing. Continue reading “1996 LT4 Small-Block Chevy – The Finished Classic SBC?” →

New CorvetteReport.com Features: “Vette Polls”

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.29.11
VOTE HERE on some of the most important Corvette questions of our times.

Okay, these aren’t earth shaking questions, it’s just Vette people wanting to have some fun. Last winter while poking through plug-in features that I thought would be neat to have here, I found a “polling” plugin that allows you to as questions with responses to choose from. It’s a neat little feature but the only thing about the polls is that after a few weeks and the post isn’t getting as much attention, the question doesn’t gather any votes.

So, we thought it would be a fun thing to create a dedicated “Polls Page.”The first thing we did was to add all 13 polls to the page with a photo references and a link back to the original post. While we don’t use the Polls feature often, when we do, it will be added to the top of the “Vette Polls” page. Look under the top banner, in the red tab bar for the “VETTE POLLS” tab.

You can participate in all of the polls. After you cast your vote, Continue reading “New CorvetteReport.com Features: “Vette Polls”” →

Vette Videos: Ron Fellows Flogs the C6 Grand Sport & Shows His New Driving School

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.28.11
Champion Corvette Driver Ron Fellows Tests the Chops of a C6 Grand Sport Corvette On the Race Track & Gives a Mini-Tour of His Driving School

Ron Fellows Day continues with two FUN videos. About the only criticism I’ve ever heard about the Grand Sport is that it doesn’t have any more grunt that the base Corvette. True, true, but look at what you do get.

The 430-horsepower Corvette scoots to 60-mph in just a tick under 4-seconds, 1G lateral on the skid pad, AND gets an EPA estimated 26-MPG. I’ve heard anecdotal stories of drivers feather footing a modern Corvette at 55-MPH and getting in the low 30-plus MPG. The GS is available with the Dual-Mode exhaust (okay, it’s only an extra 6-HP, but we’ll take it) the Magnetic Selective Ride Control option and a few other goodies.

So, what’s this kind of capability like when driven by a world-class champion race car driver? The first video is a walk through with Ron of the key features of the Grand Sport. Ron says, “Now it’s time to have some fun!”.

The second video was filmed at Spring Mountain Motorsports Ranch, the home of the Ron Fellows Performance Driving School. Continue reading “Vette Videos: Ron Fellows Flogs the C6 Grand Sport & Shows His New Driving School” →

Corvettes Timeline Tales: Happy 52nd Birthday Ron Fellows!

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.28.11
Ron Fellows – From Carts to Corvettes!

Happy 52nd birthday, Ron Fellows!

Good guys shine and Ron Fellows has become one of the most popular race car drivers of our time. Ron’s a great example of starting our small – kart racing small, in fact. Kart racing lead to Formula Ford 1600 and Formula Ford 2000 cars. But this was strictly entry level racing that only last as long as there’s money in your pocket. After the cash ran dry, Ron took a nine year break from racing. But when you have gasoline in your veins, the itch to race never goes away. Fellows was back on the track, launching his professional driving career in the 1986 Player’s GM Challenge, racing a showroom stock Camaro.

Trans-Am racing followed and by ‘89 Ron was one of the most successful drivers in Trans-Am history, winning 19 of 95 starts. When the C5-R Corvette Racing Team was being assembled in ‘98, Fellows was one of “the” drivers to hire. When looking back on a successful long term career, it often appears easy, but this was far from the case. It was a long, hard battle for the Corvette Racing Team from ‘98 to the 2001 GTS Le Mans win. But even after you win the big prize, the next race can be just as hard. In racing, there are no laurels to rest upon. Fellows went on to win Le Mans again in ‘02 and ‘04, as well as GTS Champion in ‘02, and was co-champion in ‘03 and ‘04 with Johnny O’Connell. In ‘05 Ron was runner-up in the GT1 championship and was the ALMS Most Popular Driver in ‘04, ‘05, ‘06, ‘and ‘07.

To celebrate Ron’s success, Chevrolet released the hugely popular 2007 Ron Fellows Z06 Special Edition Z06. Only 399 units were built, 300 for the US market, 33 for the Canadian market, and the remaining 66 cars for other world markets. This would be the first in a series of very popular special edition C6 Corvettes.

And on the heels of the ‘07 Special Edition Z06, Corvette Racing sponsor, PRS Guitars (Paul Reed Smith), produced a limited edition, $4,700 Z06 Corvette branded electric guitar based on their PRS Corvette Standard 22 model guitar. Continue reading “Corvettes Timeline Tales: Happy 52nd Birthday Ron Fellows!” →

Corvettes Score 23% in Edmonds 100 Greatest Chevrolets List

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.27.11
Of the 23 Corvettes Edmonds picked, vote for your favorite at the end of this post!

Is the C6 ZR1 Corvette the "Best Vette Ever?" Cast your vote below!

Back on September 14, 2011 we shared with you the results of Chevrolet’s Centennial birthday celebration popularity contest to find the most popular Chevrolet of all-time. Like American Idol or Dancing With the Stars, the Greatest Chevy contest was a popularity contest. Certainly an argument could be made as to why the C6 ZR1 is the greatest Chevy of all-time because of its overall performance, the LS9 engine, top speed, etc. But that’s not what Chevrolet wanted to know. They wanted to know what was the most “favorite” Chevy of the last 100 years.

Well it seems that the people at Edmonds.com decided to draw up their own list of great Chevys. The 100 top Chevys list isn’t limited to production Chevrolet cars, but includes, race cars, prototypes, and show cars. Of the 100 cars in the list, 23 were Corvettes! Pretty impressive for a low-volumn, limited usage automobile. The list doesn’t appear to be in any specific order and there’s a slide show of all 100 cars too. Also, the story does not explain how this list was drawn up. Regardless, it’s interesting just the same. To review the Edmonds story, CLICK HERE.

Here are the 23 Corvettes:
1. 1953 Corvette – The First Corvette.
2. 1955 265 V8 Corvette – The first V8 Vette.
3. 1957 Fuel Injected Corvette – The First Fuelie Corvette
4. 1956 SR-2 Corvette Race Car
5. 1957 Corvette SS Race Car
6. 1959 Stingray Racer – Bill Mitchell’s race car playtoy Continue reading “Corvettes Score 23% in Edmonds 100 Greatest Chevrolets List” →

Merrily We Roll Along – 1961 “Project XX” Documentary About The Early Days of the Automobile

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.26.11
Were it not for this, there’d have been no sports cars and no Corvettes!

The other night I had the extreme pleasure of watching another of the series of outstanding documentaries from Project XX. The “XX” doesn’t stand for 2/3s of a XXX rating, it refers to the Roman numerals “XX” for the number “20” as in 20th century. As a baby boomer that doesn’t remember a time when there was no television, I vividly remember a certain fascination with the “20th century.” It was a nice, round, even number. It seemed modern, advanced, exotic. After all, it was the beginning of the space age, and we had electricity, telephones, jet airplanes, submarines, indoor plumbing (what’a relief!), computers (the government had a few), and cars – LOTS of fast cars!

While I never saw any of the Project XX programs when they aired, it was probably a matter of I just didn’t happen to see them. In the ‘50s and ‘60s, TV programs tended to run only once. Towards the late ‘60s, “summer reruns” became the norm, so you had a second chance if you missed a show. But if you still missed a show, you were out of luck, as video recording didn’t arrive until the late ‘70s. But when video tape and later DVDs came along, there was a rush to get as much old TV programming back into the marketplace. And today, with the internet and online services, such as Netflix, most of the Project XX series is available to watch any time. Continue reading “Merrily We Roll Along – 1961 “Project XX” Documentary About The Early Days of the Automobile” →

FINALLY! Some C7 News – C7 Corvette to Get a 7-Speed Gearbox!

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.24.11
After a LONG dry spell, some C7 news that’s really “news.”

We haven’t had much to say about the C7 Corvette because there hasn’t been much to say about the new C7 Corvette. Oh, there have been a few burps of “news” but it was more like a rehash or rehashed material, spiced up with lots of wild speculation. Eventually, we’ll all know everything there is to know about the C7. But thanks to the immediacy of the internet, there’s been a feeding frenzy over the C7 question for at least the last two years! But finally, there’s something tangible to talk about.

This isn’t a huge piece of juicy red meat, but it’s better than nothing. According to InsideLine.com the 2014 C7 Corvette will receive a 7-speed transmission! Calm down, calm down, this has not been “officially” confirmed by Chevrolet, yet.

While a 7-speed tranny won’t do much for “performance” (in the terms WE like to think of) the additional top gear would allow Continue reading “FINALLY! Some C7 News – C7 Corvette to Get a 7-Speed Gearbox!” →

Designing the RideMakerz C6.R Corvette

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.23.11
An Inside Look at What It Takes to Design a Modern Electronic Toy

Introduction: Before we pick up our RideMakerz C6.R Corvette story, allow me to briefly explain my background and involvement in this project. I worked in the R&D Department of Tyco Toys from 1992 to 1997 when we were bought out by Mattel Toys. From 1997 to 2001 (when I was employed there) our design group was known as Mattel Mt. Laurel. (we were located in mt. Laurel, NJ) During my nine years as a direct employee, plus my previous four years as a freelance designer, I worked in the packaging department, the Boys Toys R&D Group, the Prelininary Concepts & Design Group, and the Matchbox Collectibles Direct group. I worked on Tyco H/O Electric Racing, Tyco Radio Control, Matchbox 1-75 die cast, Matchbox Play Sets, and Matchbox Collectibles. My tasks included decoration and graphics design, toy concepts, project management, and product manager. At one time or another I did everything from initial product concepts to preproduction approvals. Being a lifetime “car guy” I was in “Hog Heaven” working there. It was a college-level experiential education and I got to work with some of the most creative people I have ever known.

The RideMakerz project came along in 2006 through my friends at Scrambled Eggz productions in Medford, New Jersey. I have known Tom Waters and Jim Mendillo for over 25 years and they were well aware of my extensive car and racing background. So when their art director, the amazingly talented, Don Amadio, called my about the RideMakerz project, I was right one it. It was a pleasure doing the semi-cartoon-like styling of about 2/3s of the Ridemakerz body designs, along with a lot of the accessory parts. Unfortunately for me, when wave 2 of the RideMakerz car bodies came along, Scrambled Eggz designer/art director, Don Amadio, had the time to do the C6.R Corvette body himself. And I must say, he did a magnificent job. Shaping the stylized bodies to existing common chassis, with just enough characture styling isn’t as easy as it looks.

As a designer, my “coolness” gauge is based on my fist, initial “look” at a design. After you work on a drawing for a long period of time, it starts to get “stale” in your mind’s eye. But several months later, when Don sent me the photos of the initial sculpts, my initial impression was a definite, “WOW!” I hope that you enjoy this behind the scene look into the world of toy car design. – Scott

How does something like this come together? The answer is, “Not easily.” After Andreini and Clark joined forces, a dream-team had to be built. RIDEMAKERZ worked closely with GM, Ford, and Chrysler on all of the body designs and licensing. The team from Kick Design was brought in as creative directors and created the RIDEMAKERZ logos, the brick & mortar store design, and website. They are also the force behind Corvette Racing’s “Jake” and BadBoyVettes.com. Andreini brought in Scrambled Eggz Productions to create concept sketches for all of the body and accessory designs, control drawings used to make tooling patterns, as well as graphics for the decals and packaging. I was privileged to be a part of this team effort Continue reading “Designing the RideMakerz C6.R Corvette” →

RideMakerz Builds the C6.R Corvette for Their “You Build Your Ride” Toy Business

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.22.11
It’s Build-A-Bears Meets Hot Rods at the RideMakerz Toy Stores

There’s a new toy car maker on the scene called RIDEMAKERZ, that offers a unique toy car experience for today’s fathers and sons with a driving passion for cars and Corvettes. The expression, “the difference between the men and the boys, is the price of the toys” has been around long before Corvettes arrived in ‘53. Sure, Corvettes are a blast to drive, but they aren’t terribly “useful” automobiles and fall closer to “toy” status. It wasn’t long after Chevy’s “plastic” sports car arrived that the toy versions starting showing up in stores. At first they were mostly crude die-cast, cast iron, and tin metal replicas – a far cry from the hot-looking RIDEMAKERZ toy cars of today.

As plastics caught on in the ‘50s, model kit companies flooded the market with styrene plastic kits of model airplanes, boats, ships, and yes, cars. The model kit companies formed a close relationship with car makers and by the mid-’60s, some car kits were released along with new cars. While Matchbox was making vintage and European cars, Hot Wheels began to popularize muscle cars, race cars, and Corvettes in die-cast.

Two developments in the toy industry occurred in the late ‘80s that are still being felt today. As tool and die manufacturers in China started to gain proficiency, we saw  $100-plus, pre-assembled die-cast cars with details that rivaled the more difficult plastic kits. Second, was the introduction of toy-grade radio controlled cars and trucks from Taiyo, Tyco, Nikko, and others, with prices under $100. These advances can be directly seen in the RIDEMAKERZ toy line, as you’ll see later in this story.

Then a new player arrived that had a profound effect on boy’s toy cars. Build-A-Bear Workshop took the traditional teddy bear to a new level in 1997. CEO and founder Maxine Clark created a chain of stores that invited girls to come in and create their own customized teddy bear. Original ideas are very hard to come by in the toy business. It wasn’t long before Clark was swamped with all sorts of “build-a” toy ideas. She had even outlined her own “build-a-car” line, but was busy making teddy bears. Continue reading “RideMakerz Builds the C6.R Corvette for Their “You Build Your Ride” Toy Business” →

Vette Shows: Corvettes Unlimited of Vineland, NJ’s “Last” Vettes at Glasstown Show

Published on by Scott

Dateline: 9.21.11
A Fond Farewell to a Delightful Venue.

Wheaton Village in Millville, New Jersey had been the home of Corvettes Unlimited of Vineland, NJ for well over a decade. Wheaton Village is a tribute to the old days when commercial glass products were part of the local economy. Today, it’s a beautiful tourist attraction with shops, historical artifacts, and a functioning glass blowing studio in the style of the old days of glass making. So, what a perfect place to have a fiberGLASS Corvette car show!

But things change, and for a variety of reasons, Corvettes Unlimited is having their “American Glass and Steel Show” at Michael Debbi Park in Richland, NJ on October 9 with a rain date of October 16. There will actually, be two separate shows. Obviously, the “glass” part is for Corvettes. The “steel” part will feature muscle cars, antique cars, custom cars, street rods and trucks. For more information about the show, CLICK HERE.

Jonathan Settrella and his 63 Vette – Best in Show – photo by Cliff Shields

In the meantime, enjoy the above slide show. I first attended the Vettes at Glasstown Show in ‘09, where I bumped into my Corvette and artist friend, Jonathan Settrella. With the Corvettes at Carlisle show still fresh in my mind, the Glasstown show seemed down right “cozy.” Don’t get me wrong, the Carlisle experience is astonishing, but being there is a real marathon. While talking with Jonathan I said to him, “This is a very nice little show, really!” To which Jon replied, “Ah! This is nothing! We used to get three times as many cars here.”

But since I hadn’t attended any of the previous shows, what I saw was just right. I was able to take my time, look at all the cars, Continue reading “Vette Shows: Corvettes Unlimited of Vineland, NJ’s “Last” Vettes at Glasstown Show” →