Hello!

We have had a question come up in our club pertaining to the phrase "Save the Wave". Does anyone know the origin of this?
I know that waving to other Corvette drivers has been around at least since we purchased our first Corvette in February of 1970, (a 70 LT-1),
but I don't remember when the call came out to save the wave. I do seem to remember a period of time when the waves were not being returned the way they were in the early 70s but I have no idea when I started seeing Save the Wave.

Any knowledge or ideas would be nice and help our long winter conversations as the snow flies and we anticipate awaking our babies.

Save the Wave!

 

This section of the Forum is for help with the Forum itself.

You might try posting in the C3 section. Might look here too.

 

http://www.savethewave.net/stw/TheWave.asp

 

Have you searched the archives?

There's about 100,000 threads on "waving." Or, you could monitor C4 General for about 45 minutes and wait for the next one.

 

 

From the August/September 1969 issue of Corvette News


Ever since Corvette No. 00001 first met Corvette No. 00002 on the road, their drivers saluted each other with waves. Today, unfortunately, this grand and glorious tradition is wavering. WAVE WHEN YOU PASS ANOTHER CORVETTE!

There's one item of standard equipment that comes as a pleasant surprise to every new Corvette owner. It's an instant wave of recognition he or she receives when he meets one of their ilks on the road. The first time it happens, they will be taken by surprise. He immediately thinks: 1. He has been mistaken for Sterling Moss. 2. His lights are on. 3. He has just been given the bird.

Soon, however, the new Vette owner anticipates, indeed even relishes, encountering other Vettes as he drives. During this period, he experiments with his waves, running the gamut from the gaping "yoo hoo" to the ultra cool "two finger flip." He perfects his timing, making sure he affects neither a too-early wave, nor the jaded "oh brother" too-late variety. Determined not to be one upped, he even develops a defense mechanism for non wavers, usually settling on the "Wave"? My hand was just on the way to scratch my head" approach. (This is especially useful when you're not driving your Vette, but you forget, and like a dummy, you wave anyway.)

Indeed, one of the most perplexing problems facing a would-be waver is what to do when driving next to a fellow Vette owner. Passing him going in opposite directions is one thing. Greetings are exchanged, and that's that. But what happens when you pull up next to a guy at a light, wave, nod, smile and then pull up to him at the next light, a block later? Wave again? Nod bashfully? Grin self-consciously? Ignore him? Or take the chicken's way out and turn down the next side street? If you're expecting an answer, you won't find it here. Sad to say, some questions don't have any. SAVE THE WAVE!

Girl-type Corvette drivers also have a unique problem: to wave or not to wave. This miss or misses who borrows her man's Corvette for the first time is immediately faced with this quandary. Should she wave first and look overly friendly, or ignore the wave and look like a snob? Most ladies who drive their own Vettes prefer to suffer the latter rather than take a chance of being misread. For this reason, all girls are excused for occasionally failing to return a well-meaning wave. So are new owners who are still learning the ropes.

There is no excuse, however, for a guy who refuses to return the wave, not out of ignorance, but of arrogance or apathy. While this type of behavior is the exception to the rule, it seems a few owners of newer models refuse to recognize anything older than theirs, while some others simply won't wave, period. Boo on them. These ding-a-lings don't seem to realize that they are helping to squash a tradition that had its beginnings back when most of us were still driving tootsietoys.

 

I vote you as speaker of the house.you said it all.I also feel the snubbing of c5/c6 owners but it wont stop me.

 

I have taken the Vette on several road trips since we bought it. Many times we see fellow C3 owners as well as C4,5 and 6. I have not seen any C2 or 1. We always get waves and give them back. When we are traveling on interstates. Many times we see a vette or are being seen and tuck in behind or pull along side. If speeds are propper, we wave and pull back behind, never out of respect, pull away hard. If we need to eventually pass we pull back up and slowly pull ahead. We even wave to other owners when driveing the truck or such. On my Cj7 I have wired up a momentary switch to activate one head light, I flip on the single light to all Jeep owners. Kindof like a blink on an eye. Al

 

I dont feel thier snubbing...I see thier envey!

 

People who ride motorcycles wave at one another too though some Harley dudes who aren't terribly well educated refuse to wave at better made Japanese and German bikes. It's a tradition based on recognizing a community of interest and shared experiences which are often unique today and it was such a treat to see Vette owners do it. I even get the occasional honk from a truck or car when they see the vette and I know they own or owned one too! I think it's a great thing.