1964 Corvette drop-top has been in the same family for more than 50 years.
The Chevrolet Corvette is a lot of things to many people. To some, it’s a track toy. To others, it’s a retirement gift. To Carol Horowitz, a black C2 droptop is a family car.
According to Corvette Blogger, Carol and her late husband Robbie bought the 1964 Corvette when it was brand new for $4,150.20. Inspired by their favorite TV show, Route 66, they pointed their new car toward the famous stretch of road and put the right pedal down. No GPS, no cellphones. Just themselves and a mutual desire for adventure.
Robbie also had a need for speed, apparently. He raced the ‘Vette, using it to collect trophies at tracks such as Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, and (the now-defunct circuit at) Bridgehampton.
Over the years, the adventure machine and race rocket became a family car.
“There were no car seats at the time and I would put a child on a little bed next to me, propping the bed in safely with a spare wheel,” says Carol. “It seems crazy now, but that’s how I did it at the time. We even used the Corvette as a ski car in Vermont, with a rack on the roof.”
To this day, it remains a family car. Every Father’s Day, Horowitz, her children, and her grand kids meet at her son David’s home in Westchester, New York. The Corvette makes an appearance, too. Those who are old enough to drive it even get a chance to take it for a spin.
One car, three generations. Eventually, that second number will hopefully rise. But Horowitz said there’s no chance her family will sell the car: “It will stay with us forever.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
