When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
It's the idea that in the U.S., a supercar is accessible to the common man. I really love that idea. Sure, it has its quirks and sometimes the fit/finish leaves something to be desired. But man, you simply cannot beat the bang for the buck. It's American, through and through.
I see BMW, Porsche and Audi as the status symbols for many of my peers. But in Europe many people dream of Corvettes. For me, Corvette (particularly now with my first Z06) is an incredible value and I'll be buying them as long as they keep making them. I'm 37, so I got a few generations to go.
Last edited by Contrarian; 02-18-2018 at 10:13 PM.
I honestly cannot remember if there was any one particular Corvette that engrained itself into my memories. Growing up in the 60’s (born in ‘54) allowed me to see all kinds of muscle cars- GTO’s, Chevelles, Camaros, Shelbys. Every year when the new car line ups came up, we always checked them out-we couldn’t afford a new car but that just fueled my dreams to do well in school so that one day I’d be able to enjoy a new car. But the Corvette was always THE car to watch & be around. Always a 2 seat sports car, they just had a better look to them. The side pipes on some them made them sound awesome. Fiberglass bodies with big blocks, burning leaded Sunoco 260 or whatever they could find- I can still remember that smell of unburned fuel...
I've always loved the '63 Split Window, but it was the C7 that really got me hooked.
I had a chance to purchase a friend's Atomic Orange C6, but the body design didn't "trip my trigger". The nose was bland, I knew the bubble hatch really heated up the cabin.....it didn't excite me enough.
But I distinctly remember sitting at my desk in January of 2013. I saw the side view of the C7 and said out loud, "That looks like a Ferrari F12 Berlinetta!"......I was hooked.
I considered a Porsche Cayman S, the Jaguar F-Type, a Maserati GT....I chose Corvette.
In 1980, at the age of 16, I worked at a car dealership. My boss ask me to drive a 1971 white Corvette to have exhaust work performed at a muffler shop up the street. 375HP/375Torq four speed and I was on fire. Then in1989 I purchased a 1979 L82 with four speed, roll up windows and FM radio, the same dealers personal car. The best and fastest car I’d ever owned until now. Last July I purchased a ‘17 Grand Sport , loaded with CF Aero Package. I’m as excited as the first one I drove at 16.
Last edited by Del the Grand Sport; 02-18-2018 at 10:49 PM.
I was eight years old when my Dad took me to the first GM Motorama at the Coliseum in New York City. It was 1953. The Chevrolet display featured the 1953 Corvette and I've been hooked ever since! "Bought" my first Corvette (a black '56 / 283/ 4-peed/ 4:11 gears) for a '64 Triumph Bonneville and $350.00. I've had 13 or 14 Corvettes since then and only my black, C7 Vert makes me feel like that '56 did!
Back in 1966 my rich neighbor kid had a Brand New 1966 427 Roadster.
He immediately put a set of Header/Cam/Scattershield/Gears
in it and spun a rod bearing screaming it up to 7000 plus RPM.
I gave him $1000 that I had saved from Summer Jobs and rebuilt it on a blanket on my parents rear patio (California mild winters) with the help of a buddy who was a couple year older!
It ran 11.70 @ 117MPH and nearly killed me a half a dozen times road racing in the Hollywood Hills not to mention Street Racing on Van Nuys Blvd (I was lucky to have good angels watching over me!).
Positively the BEST times of my 70 plus year life so far! I meet my first two wives cruising Whittier Blvd (As well as quite a few other girls I meet that fortunately......I didn't marry)
That was the start of a lifetime love affair with Corvettes!
In the last 50 plus years I have owned well over 40 Corvettes.
I still can not sleep at night without a Corvette in my Garage!
I grew up mostly on a ranch outside a small town in eastern Washington where we had a few muscle cars but no Corvettes. Later, when I got away from home in the Marine Corps I had a 66 Chevy II SS 327/350 hp and a new 68 AMX with a 390 Go Package. Still never saw many Vettes.
Fast forward to early 80's, learned to fly and got divorce, tired of the Volvo and bought both a new 85 Vette and Mustang just because I liked their looks on dealer lots. I got rid of the Mustang and bought two other Vettes before switching to a new NSX in 91. It was a great car but didn't have the kick-in-the-rear feeling of a Corvette so when the C5 came out I liked the look and got one. Then a C6 and now a C7.
So for me it was mostly an evolution. I didn't like the look of either P-cars or C3's so they were out of my mind for awhile. The C4 is what really got me interested and it just went up from there.
I always admired Corvettes from a distance. Of course there was the TV show “Route 66”. My elementary/Junior H.S. Gym teacher, Mr. Brooke had a black C2 coupe and that was the first one I saw up close and personal. Fast forward forty something years, we were working at the Auto Show in NYC. There was a 2015 C7 on display about 50 yards away. I was about a year away from ending the lease on a Mercedes C class. I had been driving those for 15 years and was ready for a change. I went and checked out that C7, then sat in it...done deal!
I had to wait 16 months, but I had the bug. I used the time to scout and study and as I have said many times on this forum, I’m a happy owner with zero regrets.
As a European living in Europe I have never fancied American sports cars due to a number of reasons - good straight-line speed but poor in braking and cornering. 1980's interior with smooth plastic everywhere. This until the C7 came up!
I was actually choosing between a Nissan GTR and the C7 - two very different cars! Porsche was never an option since I find it boring - a bit too perfect! In Europe my new Z51 cost me approximately 84 KUSD with discount and a two year old GTR would be around 90 KUSD.
In the end, and I am still glad today, I chose the C7 Z51 (2017). The Nissan looks like a normal car, has a traditional steel chassis but a hell of an engine. Platform is from 2009 with minor improvements.
The C7 has the looks, the technology (dry sump, magnetic shocks, e-diff, now proper Brembo brakes etc), is more modern and has the performance. I have the 3LT and it also looks good in the interior for the first time in American sports car history!
On track days I outrun most Porsches and other European sports cars with my Z51 (despite "only" 460 hp). Most Porsches you see are around also 400-450 hp except the Turbo and latest GT3 RS. But the Porsches feels very weak and you need to keep the revs at above 5000 rpm to get them moving. The Vette you can ride on torque and short shift on many parts of the track and still be faster!
My dad grew up in the 1960s, and grew up dreaming of having a muscle car. He was always a hard working kind of guy. I'm sure you've met the type, the kind who is working even when they aren't working. He never really had time for sports cars, but he would always point them out when we would be driving around. He would tell me stories about the GTO, Camaro, Chevelle, Shelby Mustang, and Corvette. He talked about muscle cars of the 1960s like they were legends of old, heroes of a time that has passed. (I grew up in the 1980s and 1990's, where a 200 horsepower car was something special.) . My Aunt had an orange 1981(I believe) Corvette with mag wheels and T-Tops. Every time we visited her house, my dad would point it out. It just looked so cool sitting there.
Fast forward to my college years. I had a 1998 Camaro SS that I saved for about two years working odd jobs. When I graduated and got a real job, I suddenly realized that I could afford a Corvette, so I went and drove a slightly used 2003 Z06. It was red and had about 26,000 miles on it. What a machine! The salesman just gave me the keys and told me to take it for a ride. And I did....for about 40 minutes. When I got back to the dealer, his eyes were as big as saucers (I think he may have thought that I stole it). I wanted it bad, but I chickened out. Then, of course, I bought a house, and my Corvette money went into my mortgage. It took twelve years for me to finally afford one. I still wanted the C5 Z06, but when I drove a C7 "just to check it out", I was hooked. I bought a new red Z51 three days later. When my dad found out, he didn't say much and his eyes got really wide. I told him he could drive it anytime he wanted, to which he replied, "You don't understand, I want my own!" Three months later, he bought a blue Stingray from the same Chevrolet dealer. After all those years of dreaming, both of us have a Corvette!
A lot of great stories ! Seems like there have been a lot of ways we all found to love the Corvette. Mom, dad ,brother, uncle, aunt, neighbor or just seeing that picture or just being in the right place to see that special Corvette drive by! Thanks to all for posting replies and keep them coming.
In the 70's I had a remote control C3 car, I loved the curves ended up painting it a couple of time built several C3 models as well. Now I have the full size version and just bought a used 14.
I was a car geek for as long as I can remember. I started to really get into Corvettes when a guy down the street from our house bought a 61. Then my neighbor bought a new, 63 split window fuelie coupe. He took is kid neighbor (me) for a ride in it a few times. I swore then and there some day I'd own a Corvette. Currently on my fourth.
I was eight years old when my Dad took me to the first GM Motorama at the Coliseum in New York City. It was 1953. The Chevrolet display featured the 1953 Corvette and I've been hooked ever since! "Bought" my first Corvette (a black '56 / 283/ 4-peed/ 4:11 gears) for a '64 Triumph Bonneville and $350.00. I've had 13 or 14 Corvettes since then and only my black, C7 Vert makes me feel like that '56 did!
That was definitely a cool show -- but I don't remember seeing you there
BTW the show was actually at the Waldorf since the Coliseum wasn't
built till the late '50s.
My love affair goes back to my pre-teen days. I always loved cars and my "Uncle Bob" was always tinkering on his cars. The girl I dated through most of high school father had a used car business and one summer, he let us drive a C2 roman red roadster a few times. I was had. One of my high school buddies had a triple black C2. Oh well fast forward to a couple of Opel GT restorations in the '80s and then comes the late '90s and I purchased my first real Corvette, a 1978 Pace Car...I called it my "34 Year Dream." It was 34 years since that summer that I first drove a Corvette. Danny Griner and I did a frame on restoration and it went on to be a show winner. Then came my 1990 Festival Car that my wife gave me on Father's Day, 2005. Then it came time to sell the Pace Car...it had become a garage queen. My soon to be great buddy, Chad, bought the Pace Car and I purchased a 2007 Monterrey Red on Valentine's Day 2009. After a lot of mods on the Monty, in 2015 we sold the Festival Car to Danny and his wife and traded in the Monty on a 2016 Long Beach red Z51 Stingray (turns out the NCM research discovered it is a "one of a kind" 2016 Ray. Took the NCM delivery option R8C on the Ray...a great experience. So the love affair has lasted longer than my 46 year marriage. Save the wave!
I have always loved fast cars but never even considered owning a Corvette. I was actually looking for a new to me truck when I stumbled across a vette on one of the dealership sites. I had no idea you could get a used one for that price. Didn't buy the one that got me interested but I started looking. One evening there was one right down the street from me for the right price. Went to check it out, drove it and game over. Bought it then and there. LOVE IT.
02-18-2018, 10:12 PM
