Apollo Corvettes
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 406
Likes: 1
From: Maroochydore QLD
Apollo Corvettes
I am a child of Apollo, 7 years old when Neil walked on the moon, I just love the Apollo years, knowing that many Apollo astronauts either bought or leased (for $1 a year) a Corvette from the Chev dealer in Melbourne FL, does anyone know where all these vettes are now? Some are documented but there was many many vettes that I can not find a history of, so where are they now and are they worth more because an Apollo astronaut once owned them?
Cheers Dennis.
Cheers Dennis.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 673
Likes: 2
From: Melbourne Victoria
Gooday Dennis,
I too am a child of Apollo,
How sad WE didn't continue their work.
We shoulda been on our way to the stars (by now).
I hope to see Cape Canaveral or the Smithsonian when I visit the states next year.
Cheers,
Gav
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...vert-pics.html
I too am a child of Apollo,
How sad WE didn't continue their work.
We shoulda been on our way to the stars (by now).
I hope to see Cape Canaveral or the Smithsonian when I visit the states next year.
Cheers,
Gav
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/c3-g...vert-pics.html
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,924
Likes: 1,481
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Try Google. There were lots of astronauts-with-Corvette pictures in the day. Bizzoco shows the three black and gold '69s in his book. Some of the astronaut Corvettes were "loaners" from GM; others were privately owned by individual astronauts.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 3,079
Likes: 314
2024 C3 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
Aussie
You are going to love these videos of Danny Reed's car in Texas. Supposedly the only one left of the original 3. He has owned it since '71.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uarNyD1L1lM
http://vettetube.com/view_video.php?...791390c3eb19fe
I had the privilege of meeting a number of the Apollo astronauts when I was in the Navy from '69 to '72. They flew in to Glenview Naval Air Station in their NASA T38 Talons, probably the same aircraft they are flying today. I often parked them on the transit line and walked with them to Flight Operations. During that rare one on one time, I don't remember asking any of them what it was like to go to the moon. Looking back, I should have. Gene Cernan and Buzz Aldrin are the only names that come to mind now, but that was a long time ago.
Try searching Yahoo and Google for anything about astronauts and corvettes.
You are going to love these videos of Danny Reed's car in Texas. Supposedly the only one left of the original 3. He has owned it since '71.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uarNyD1L1lM
http://vettetube.com/view_video.php?...791390c3eb19fe
I had the privilege of meeting a number of the Apollo astronauts when I was in the Navy from '69 to '72. They flew in to Glenview Naval Air Station in their NASA T38 Talons, probably the same aircraft they are flying today. I often parked them on the transit line and walked with them to Flight Operations. During that rare one on one time, I don't remember asking any of them what it was like to go to the moon. Looking back, I should have. Gene Cernan and Buzz Aldrin are the only names that come to mind now, but that was a long time ago.
Try searching Yahoo and Google for anything about astronauts and corvettes.
Last edited by Faster Rat; Aug 20, 2011 at 05:33 PM.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,580
Likes: 3,067
From: Shamong, NJ
The cars were leased to the astronauts through a GM Executive Lease Program. They were not allowed to endorse or promote products, so they could not take them as gifts. The deal was put together by Jim Rathman, the owner of Rathman Chevrolet in Melbourne, Fla. (Rathman was a racer and Indy 500 winner).
At least one of the astronaut Corvettes still exists. One of the gold and black Apollo 12 1969's, is privately owned by someone in Texas. The car has been displayed at Corvette shows and the Houston Space Center.
There was one Corvette given to an astronaut for free. In 1961, after Alan Shepard became the first America to go into space, GM President Ed Cole gave Shepard a new 1962 Corvette. The picture below is of Alan Shepard with his Corvette, in front of what I think is the GM Design Center. This is the cover of the 1962 Corvette News magazine, Vol. 5, No. 1.
At least one of the astronaut Corvettes still exists. One of the gold and black Apollo 12 1969's, is privately owned by someone in Texas. The car has been displayed at Corvette shows and the Houston Space Center.
There was one Corvette given to an astronaut for free. In 1961, after Alan Shepard became the first America to go into space, GM President Ed Cole gave Shepard a new 1962 Corvette. The picture below is of Alan Shepard with his Corvette, in front of what I think is the GM Design Center. This is the cover of the 1962 Corvette News magazine, Vol. 5, No. 1.
Last edited by gbvette62; Aug 20, 2011 at 09:53 AM.
