Twas the Night Before Christmas - Corvette Style

"MARK YOUR CALENDARS"
FRIDAY DECEMBER 2 - ANNUAL COF CHRISTMAS PARTY - BILLY TALLEY - CHAIRPERSON
SATURDAY DECEMBER 10 - GREAT AMERICAN MELODRAMA - BERT SHERMAN FOR INFO
SAT & SUN JANUARY 28 & 29, 2012 "ICE BREAKER RUN" - NICK DILIDDO FOR INFO
SATURDAY & SUNDAY MAY 5 & 6, 2012 - RELAY FOR LIFE - JON DEVOE FOR INFO
SAT & SUN MAY 19 & 20, 2012 - REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL MUSEUM & AIR FORCE ONE
MENDENHALL'S MUSEUM OF GAS PUMPS & PETROLIANA - JIM AGAR FOR INFO
JIM AGAR & NICK DILIDDO & WILL CO-CHAIR TAHOE 44
"THE LONGEST RUNNING ANNUAL CORVETTE EVENT IN THE COUNTRY"
OUR 1ST TAHOE MEETING WILL BE @ DENNEY'S ON THE CORNER OF BLACKSTONE &
HERNDON - JANUARY 10, 2012 @ 7:00 PM
WE WILL BE FORMING COMMITTEES & TAKING IDEAS FOR A THEME

12 DAYS OF CORVETTE CHRISTMAS
On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me, a 1963 Vette.
On the 2 nd day of Christmas my true love gave to me, two bucket seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 3 rd day of Christmas my true love gave to me, three car bras, two bucket seats and a 1963
Vette.
On the 4 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, four fender grilles, three car bras, two
bucket seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 5 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, five mo….del…cars, four fender grilles,
three car bras, two bucket seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 6 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, six CD’s singing, five mo…del…cars, four
fender grilles, three car bras, two bucket seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 7 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, seven towels a washing, six CD’s singing,
five mo…del…cars, four fender grilles, three car bras, two bucket seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 8 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight mufflers muffling, seven towels a
washing, six CD’s singing, five mo…del…cars, four fender grilles, three car bras, two bucket
seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 9 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, nine spark plugs sparking, eight mufflers
muffling, seven towels a washing, six CD’s singing, five mo…del…cars, four fender grilles, three
car bras, two bucket seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 10 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, ten wheels a spinning, nine spark plugs
sparking, eight mufflers muffling, seven towels a washing, six CD’s singing, five mo…del…cars,
four fender grilles, three car bras, two bucket seats and a 1963 Vette.
On the 11 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eleven horns a blaring, ten wheels a
spinning, nine spark plugs sparking, eight mufflers muffling, seven towels a washing, six CD’s
singing, five mo…del…cars, four fender grilles, three car bras, two bucket seats and a 1963
Vette.
On the 12 th day of Christmas my true love gave to me, twelve engines humming, eleven horns a
blaring, ten wheels a spinning, nine spark plugs sparking, eight mufflers muffling, seven towels a
washing, six CD’s singing, five mo…del…cars, four fender grilles, three car bras, two bucket
seats and a 1963 Vette.

Twas the Night Before Christmas - Corvette Style
'Twas the night before Christmas and out in the garage, There wasn't a trace of a Honda,
Toyota, or Dodge.
The presents were wrapped and the lights were all lit, So I figured I'd mess with my classic
Corvette for a bit.
I popped the release and lifted the hood, When a deep voice behind me said "looks pretty
good."
Well, as you can imagine, I turned mighty quick, And there, by the workbench, stood good ol
Saint Nick!
We stood there a bit, not too sure what to say, Then he said "don't suppose that you'd trade
for my sleigh?
"No way, Santa" I said with a grin, "But if you've got the time we can go for a spin!"
His round little mouth, all tied up like a bow, Turned into a smile and he said "Sure! Let's go!!"
So as not to disturb all the neighbors' retreat, We quietly pushed the Vette out to the street,
Then, taking our places to coast down the hill, I turned on the key and I let the clutch spill.
The sound that erupted took him quite by surprise, But he liked it a lot, by the look in his eyes.
With tires a' screaming and side pipes aglow, We headed on out to where the hot rodders go.
And Santa's grin widened, approaching his ears, With every shift up as I banged through the
gears.
Then he yelled "can't recall when I've felt so alive!"
So I backed off the gas and asked Santa if he wanted
to drive.
Ol Santa was stunned when I gave him the keys,
When he walked past the headlights he shook at the
knees!
The Corvette exploded with side exhaust sound!
And when Santa let out the clutch and the tires
shook the ground!
Power shift into second, again into third!
I sat there just watching, at loss for a word,Then I
heard him exclaim as we blasted from sight,
"Merry Christmas to all, it's one hell of a night!!!"

CORVETTES OF FRESNO, INC
Is a non-profit organization formed by
those owners who are proud to drive
America’s only true sports car –
THE CORVETTE
Our club meetings are held at 7:00 pm on
the third Tuesday of the month at the
American Legion Hall located at 3509 N.
First Street, (North of Shields on the S/W
corner of First Street & Dayton), Fresno.
If you are an interested Corvette owner,
we invite you to attend.
The one time initiation fee is $30.00 and
covers the cost of your Corvettes of Fresno
window sticker, membership directory,
club by-laws, nametag and many other
goodies.
The annual dues are $95.00 per year per
couple, or $77.00 per year per individual.
The 1978 model saw the first
fastback rear window since 1967.
The '78 Pace Car's distinguishing
"Black and Silver" paint was
chosen over other alternative color
schemes primarily because it
photographed well. Back then, most
magazine articles and ads were still
done in Black & White!
25th Anniversary of Corvette.
$399.00 the additional cost for the
Silver Anniversary paint scheme.
"Moon-roofs" (glass t-tops) became
available.
CORVETTES OF FRESNO, INC
2011 OFFICERS
President: Jon DeVoe
E-mail: president@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559- 683-7003
Vice Pres.: Nick DiLiddo
E-mail: events@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559-439-7267
Secretary: Terri Cavanaugh
E-mail: secretary@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559-439-7519
Treasurer: Harry Bellow
E-mail: treasurer@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559-294-7740
Membership: Ron Miller
E-mail: membership@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559-974-2616
Webmaster: Al Hall
E-mail: webmaster@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559-582-6375
Newsletter: Jim Agar
E-mail: newsletter@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559-297-2200
WSCC Representative: Roger Merritt
E-mail: representative@corvettesoffresno.com
Phone: 559-294-1762
CORVETTES OF FRESNO, INC IS A PROUD MEMBER
OF THE WESTERN STATES
CORVETTE COUNCIL (WSCC)
FIBERGLASS FOREVER IS A MONTHLY
PUBLICATION.
PLEASE SUBMIT ARTICLES NO LATER THAN
THE THIRD FRIDAY OF EACH MONTH VIA
EMAIL TO:
newsletter@corvettesoffresno.com

W
The last time for awhile…..
For more time than not, I have been on the board of COF since Liz and I joined the club 5 year ago. We
were with the club less than 6 months when I was voted in as vice president/activities. What fun that was. I wasn’t
even there when I was voted in! I think that was the last time we were late to a meeting. It has been fun and
educational for me being a highway maintenance supervisor, it helped me both ways. Helped me TRY to be more
organized. A better communicator. You know how to phrase things on how you mean it and try to get it out right
the first time so you don’t have to follow up with “that’s not what I meant”. Then 2 quick years later; before we
started drug testing the club; somehow everybody talked Liz into “letting” me be president of this fine association.
I was then, and am now; at the end of a wonderful 2 year commitment to COF; still just as proud, humbled,
overwhelmed & honored to be your president. I really have tried to take this position seriously and deep into my
heart. We as a board, tried to do the best for the club overall. And have fun getting here. I really hope I/we didn’t
step on too many toes or hurt too many feelings. I say “we” because as a board, we did discuss all issues
collectively, together. Sometimes to great extent. So, with that I want to take this time to really try and express
from the bottom of my heart, a heart felt appreciation for the great, outstanding, most awesomeness board
members any CEO could have. They really do make it look easy. All of them made me look good too. That’s no
easy feat. “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You” each and every one of the board members, and their spouses
(those that have them), for all the help and hard work you contributed. Thanks to all the club members that brung
your concerns before the board on your own Tuesday nights. The board was glad to see that we weren’t that
intimidating. And that you were comfortable with us and concerned enough about your club to discuss, and help us
resolve, those issues. Hopefully to your satisfaction. Sometimes it took a couple of tries. But, we always felt the
outcome was the best for the club.
The absolute biggest, hughesness “Thank You, so very much to Alan Teixeira. Literally my mentor for the
last 24 months. I have leaned on him a lot! We have had more than a few phone calls on more than a couple of
instances. I wanted to do the best job possible, so, I used all my resources. Thanks Alan for everything you have
helped me with. Thanks also to Nancy for putting up with me.
And, of course, the most important Thank You of all. Your First Lady of Corvettes Of Fresno; MY Honey;
Liz. I know most of you heard it from her about me being your President. No one more than me. “What? 2 more
years of driving to Fresno twice a month?” Yep. Not too happy at first. But when she seen the club rally around me
and the new board, she did accept it. She grew to plan for me to shop while I was down here. “Oh. While you’re in
Fresno Tuesday;…….”. She has kinda enjoyed it.
Thank You to all that has made this so memorable. Now, I get to sit at The Table of Elders at the meetings.
Thanks to the new board. They will have as much fun as I had. They are all just as smart and enthusiastic as we
were. And they all want to do a better job than I did. I will try to help them as much as I can. Don’t worry; I still
have Alan’s number! Sorry I missed the last General meeting. But, I will see all of you at the Christmas Party. And
we will still make as many runs & get-to-gathers as we can.
See ya’ll real soon out on the highways & byways of the central valley and foothills. Drive safely. And as
always “Save The Wave”! Thanks.
Your now PAST President; Jon
Presidential Quote:
Everyone wants to ride with you in the limo.
But, what you want is someone who will take the bus with you
when the limo breaks down!
Thank You my friends.

Membership
Ron reported that as of today COF has 124 members and 84 cars.
Members & Guests
Total Attendance was 57 - 56 Members and 1 guest, Lyndsey Jensen
Nametag drawing
Jim Kell's name was drawn and he was present. Jim won $10.00.
50/50 Drawing winners
Sharon Minnich & Frank Moore - Each won $40.00
Remember to wear your nametag at the meeting for a chance to win.
Club Directories and Updates
The 2011 electronic copy of the club membership directory is available online at
www.corvettesoffresno.com (contact Al Hall for the new access info)
DECEMBER ANNIVERSARIES
MICHAEL BROCKMANN 10 - JOHN & KELLY ASHLEY 15 - TIM & CAROL McCOLLUM 31
DECEMBER BIRTHDAYS
RON MILLER
MEMBERSHIP
GARY GAGNEBIN 2 - JOE GONZALEZ 7 - JIM KELL 10 - LYNNE AGAR 10 - ROWLAND GLEIM 13 - LlOYD
COX 23 - LIZ DeVOE 24 - CONNIE QUIGLEY 26 - LARRY MINNICH 26 - JERRY NAJARIAN 29
JO JOHNSON 30
NEW MEMBERS
STEVE & LAURA
LUCAS
ARE PRESENTED
THEIR NEW
MEMBER PACKET
BY MEMBERSHIP
BOARD MEMBER
RON MILLER
WELCOME TO
COF!

CORVETTES OF FRESNO - GENERAL MEETING MINUTES
NOVEMBER 15, 2011
CALL TO ORDER: Chairman Allen Teixeira called the meeting to order at 7:08 pm. Board Members present
were Nick Diliddo, Terri Cavanaugh, Harry Bellow, Ron Miller, Jim Agar. Pledge of alliance was done.
MEMBERSHIP: Ron Miller reported at today’s Meeting: 56 members and 1 guest the following guest was
introduced: Lindsay Jensen. New members Laura & Steve Lucas were presented with their new member
package. Photo op followed. November birthdays and anniversaries were acknowledged.
COF has a membership of 124 members and 84 cars.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: Allen Teixeira called for a motion to forego the reading of the minutes of the
meeting. It was moved by Jim Agar. It was moved by Angie DiLiddo & seconded by Nancy Teixeira to accept
the minutes as printed. Motion approved. .
TREASURER’S REPORT: Harry Bellow reported the account activity which is on file to be reviewed by
members only. Motion was made by Chuck Robb to approve the Treasurer’s report. Treasurer’s report
approved.
COMMUNICATIONS: Extra Newsletter up front for our guests. This month’s newsletter was 20 pages 60 on
the web. This Friday is the deadline for anything to be included in the newsletter. WSCC has chosen to give
COF aka Jim Agar and award in Jan for the COF newsletter Jim will attend to accept.
WEBMASTER: not in attendance
ACTIVITIES, Past: Last Friday Veterans Day Parade- Billie Talley 28 cars
10/29 Halloween party – DeVoe’s 10 cars
Kozera’s mystery run was attended by 12 cars.
ACTIVITIES, Future: Please refer to the Calendar of Events in the club newsletter or on the Club website,
www.corvettesoffesno.com for more details and up to date information.
12/2 Christmas Party at Pardinis – cost $30 per person.
12/10 Christmas Extravaganza melodrama– Pismo Beach with lunch at the Cavanaugh’s -
1/28/2012 18 th Annual Ice Breaker- Monterey Ca
UNFINISHED BUSINESS: A chairman is needed for Tahoe 44 and Jim Agar & Nick Diliddo have stepped up.
Lawrence Coelho was back with us tonight.
Tom Gutile is improving slowly and has gone home he still does not want any calls please.
Mike Haney is not doing well and he has had another operation.
Gene Fox is doing well.
NEW BUSINESS:
Nice article in the Red Line (WSCC magazine) about Tahoe 43.
Discussion concerning Jon DeVoe 0 ** Horse 1
Then Chuck Robb told about his experience Chuck 0 ** shoelace 1.
Lee Delap spoke about ACCC and gave an overview of some of the issues coming.
NAME TAG DRAWING: Jim Kell’s name was drawn he was there with his name tag on. Next month’s drawing
will be $10.
RAFFLE: was held and we had 2 very lucky winners.
The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted,
Terri Cavanaugh - Secretary
TERRI
CAVANAUGH
SECRETARY

Friday December 2nd COF Annual Christmas Party, Pardini`s Resturant on Shaw Ave. Billie Tally is the
chairman again this year with a lot of COF members helping out. Come join the fun and good food with
members and quests. Starting time to follow, put date on your calendar
Saturday Dec 10 The Great American Melodrama & Vaudeville. In Oceano , And barbeque lunch at
Dave/Terri`s beach house in Cayucus. Will meet at Herndon & 99 , Burger King parking lot @9:00, and
will leave promptly @ 9:30. For more information on this great run call ,call the Shermans @439-9699,
Get your deposit in fast ,this event sells out every year. To make room reservations @ motel 6 in Pismo,
Call 1-800-544-4866, burt has reserved 12 rooms on a first come basis at the motel.
Sounds like a blast , come join the fun at the wine tasting /barbeque / Melodrama.
Saturday & Sunday January 28 & 29, 2012 The Annual "Ice Breaker" run at Monterey
CALL: CASA MUNRAS @ 1-800-222-2446 - ROOM RATES: $119.00 + TAXES FOR KINGS, QUEENS, OR
DOUBLE BEDS. IF YOU PREFER A LARGER ROOM W/FIREPLACE IT IS $135.00 + TAX. TELL THEM
YOU ARE WITH CORVETTES OF FRESNO TO GET OUR RATES. THERE WILL BE A RUN FEE OF
$10.00 PER COUPLE TO COVER THE COST OF THE MORNING SNACKS & THE DINNER ITEMS
THIS WILL BE DUE & PAYABLE BEFORE THE RUN! WE WILL MEET AT THE CORNER OF HERNDON
& 99 @ 7:45 AM WE WILL FORM 2 GROUPS OF CARS WITH THE 1st GROUP LEAVING @ 8:00 &
THE 2nd GROUP @ 8:15 AM . CALL NICK DILIDDO @ 439-7267 FOR MORE INFO
Saturday & Sunday May 5 & 6, 2012 Relay For Life - Jon Devoe for more info.
SAT & SUN MAY 19 & 20, 2012 REAGAN PRESIDENTIAL MUSEUM - TOUR OF AIR FORCE ONE &
MENDENHALL'S MUSEUM OF GAS PUMPS & PETROLIANA - FLYERS & SIGN-UP @ NEXT MEETING
JIM AGAR FOR INFO
NICK DILIDDO
VP ACTIVITIES
ATTENTION ALL COF MEMBERS
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE RUN PICTURES OR
REQUIRE MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF OUR UPCOMING
RUNS & EVENTS PLEASE CHECK OUR WEBSITE @
www.corvettesoffresno.com

Burt, why do you
have on a Porsche
hat?
This is a corvette
run.

SATURDAY & SUNDAY - JANUARY 28 & 29, 2012
Destination - Saturday Distance
1. Carl's Jr, West end of Los Banos for donuts & coffee 70 Miles
2. Drive to Fortino's Winery 45 Miles
3. Phil's in Moss Landing for Lunch (reserved parking provided) 25Miles
4. Drive to Casa Munros in Monterey 18 Miles
5. Domenico's on the Wharf for Drinks & Appetizers (a short walk)
6. Dinner poolside at the Hotel
Destination - Sunday
MARK YOUR CALENDAR & MAKE YOUR RESERVATIONS
CALL: CASA MUNRAS @ 1-800-222-2446 - ROOM RATES: $119.00 + TAXES FOR KINGS, QUEENS, OR
DOUBLE BEDS. IF YOU PREFER A LARGER ROOM W/FIREPLACE IT IS $135.00 + TAX. TELL THEM
YOU ARE WITH CORVETTES OF FRESNO TO GET OUR RATES.
WE WILL MEET AT THE CORNER OF HERNDON & 99 @ 7:45 AM
WE WILL FORM 2 GROUPS OF CARS WITH THE 1st GROUP
LEAVING @ 8:00 & THE 2nd GROUP @ 8:15 AM
PLEASE BRING SOME SNACKS FOR THE POOL PARTY
SATURDAY NIGHT (main course will be provided)
PLEASE NOTE
THERE WILL BE A RUN FEE OF $10.00 PER COUPLE TO COVER
THE COST OF THE MORNING SNACKS & THE DINNER ITEMS
THIS WILL BE DUE & PAYABLE BEFORE THE RUN!
1. Home at your leisure 160 Miles
NICK & ANGIE DILIDDO EMILE & SUE NATALI
Weather Forecast
Sat. 62 High 45 Low
Sun. 62 High 45 Low
Communication
Nick's Cell 559-250-5291
Angie's Cell 559-250-5294
Radio - Ch 4
DAVE & TERRI CAVANAUGH

REAGAN MUSEUM
The museum features continually changing temporary exhibits and a permanent exhibit covering President Reagan’s
life. This exhibit begins during Reagan's childhood in Dixon, Illinois and follows his life through his film career and
military service, marriage to Nancy Davis Reagan, and political career. The "Citizen Governor" gallery shows footage of
Reagan's 1964 "A Time for Choosing" speech and contains displays on his eight years as governor. The gallery includes
a 1965 Ford Mustang used by Reagan during his first gubernatorial campaign, as well as the desk he used as governor.
His 1980 and 1984 presidential campaigns are also highlighted, as well as his inauguration suit and a table from the
White House Situation Room is on display. News footage of the 1981 assassination attempt on his life is shown, and
information about the proposed Strategic Defense Initiative (dubbed "Star Wars") is included.
A full scale replica of the Oval Office — a feature of most presidential libraries — is a prominent feature of this museum
as well. Other parts of the exhibit focus on Reagan's ranch, the presidential retreat Camp David, life in the White House,
and First Lady Nancy Reagan.
The hilltop grounds provide expansive views of the area, a re-creation of a portion of the White House Lawn, and, like
many presidential libraries, a piece of the Berlin Wall. An F-14 Tomcat is also located on the grounds.
AIR FORCE ONE PAVILION
A 90,000-square-foot exhibit hangar serves as the setting for the permanent display of the Boeing 707 aircraft utilized as
Air Force One during Reagan's administration.
Air Force One is part of a comprehensive display about presidential travel that also includes a Johnson-era Sikorsky
VH-3 Sea King, call sign Marine One, and a presidential motorcade — Reagan's 1984 presidential parade limousine, a
1982 Los Angeles Police Department police car (as well as two 1980s police motorcycles), and a 1986 Secret Service
vehicle used in one of President Reagan's motorcades in Los Angeles. The pavilion is also home to the original O'Farrell's
pub from Ballyporeen in the Republic of Ireland that President and Mrs. Reagan visited in June 1984, now called the
"Ronald Reagan Pub." Also featured are exhibits on the Cold War and Reagan's extensive travels aboard Air Force One.
The Mendenhall Museum is a private collection located in California’s beautiful Santa Ynez Valley. The museum has one
of the west coasts largest petroliana collections including gasoline pumps, globes, and porcelain gas, oil, & road signs.
There are also race cars, racing memorabilia, license plates, gas & oil items, and other miscellaneous antiques.
This collection was started over fifty years ago by the late Jack Mendenhall and is carried on today by his son and
daughter in law, Mark and Vickie.
WE WILL BE STAYING @ THE SIMI VALLEY HOLIDAY INN EXPRESS
THE ROOM RATE IS $75.00 + TAX FOR 2 QUEENS OR A JACUZZI KING & INCLUDES A
COMPLIMENTARY HOT BREAKFAST - TO MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR SAT MAY 19, 2012
CALL 1-805-584-6006 & USE THE GROUP CODE COF

SATURDAY ITINERARY
LUNCH IN SIMI VALLEY
AT "THE HAT" HOME
OF WORLD FAMOUS
PASTRAMI
DINNER AT EL TORITO
BE SURE TO CHECK OUT THEIR WEBSITE AT
www.mendenhallmuseum.com
REAGAN MUSEUM & AIR FORCE ONE
PAVILION
ADMISSIONS: 18-61 $15.00 - 62+ $12.00
WEB SITE reaganfoundation.org
THE SIMI VALLEY HOLIDAY IN EXPRESS
THE ROOM RATE IS $75.00 + TAX FOR 2 QUEENS
OR A JACUZZI KING & INCLUDES A
COMPLIMENTARY HOT BREAKFAST - TO MAKE
RESERVATIONS FOR SAT MAY 19, 2012
CALL 1-805-584-6006 & USE THE GROUP CODE COF
ON SUNDAY WE WILL TOUR THE MENDENHALL
MUSEUM & HAVE A BBQ SANTA MARIA TRI -TIP
LUNCH - DRINKS INCLUDED - THE LUNCH &
TOUR IS $35.00 PP
THE MINIMUM FOR LUNCH IS 40 PEOPLE
SO HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE 20 COUPLES
SIGNUP FOR THE RUN - WHEN YOU SIGN-UP I
WILL NEED $10.00 PER COUPLE TO COVER THE
DEPOSIT I MADE TO SECURE THE TOUR

Dick Thompson
(2000 Induction)
Dick Thompson, a dentist by trade, started racing in 1956 with the
support of Zora Arkus-Duntov. Thompson won numerous races in the
late 50's and 60's, and took the SCCA championship in 1956, 1957, 1960,
1961 and 1962 in Classes A, B and C. In 1963, he won at Watkins Glen
driving a Corvette Grand Sport, and was class winner at Sebring in
1957. He also took third place at Daytona in 1963, and took the win in
1970 in the GT class. Thompson used his knowledge of the Corvette to
write "The Corvette Guide" in 1958. Thompson was distinguished as
"The Flying Dentist", and he brought credibility to the Corvette as a
world class sports car.
Joseph Spielman
(2001 Induction)
Joseph Spielman became the proud owner of his first Corvette as a 19-year old engineering
student at General Motors Institute, now Kettering University. Since then, except for a brief sixmonth
period, he has maintained a collection of Corvettes for 37 years. A true car-guy, Spielman
has had 33 Corvettes. Among the three he now owns, one is a prized 1967 red/red with black
stinger hood, big block, side exhaust, air-conditioned convertible. A member of the National
Corvette Restorers Society, Spielman is now completing a body-off restoration on his mid-year
convertible.
Currently a GM vice president and general manager of Manufacturing, Spielman was a member
of the team that moved the fifth generation Corvette (C5), along with the revolutionary LS1
aluminum engine, into the future program. In the book, "All Corvettes Are Red," Jim Schefter
chronicles Spielman's influence on the survival of America's Sports Car - The Corvette! A
behind-the-scenes motivator, Spielman continues to be a
staunch supporter of the world class Corvette C5.
Spielman joined GM in 1963 as a General Motors Institute
student sponsored by the Fisher Body plant in Flint, Mich.
During his career, he moved through various positions at
several former GM divisions, including Chevrolet-Pontiac-GM
of Canada Group, Rear Drive Automotive Division and
Midsize Car Division. He is a member of the National Society
of Professional Engineers and the Society of Automotive
Engineers. He also serves as president of The Hundred Club of
Flint, Inc., and as key executive for his alma mater, Kettering
University.

DIMWIT
If you have a dim headlight, the cause is a bad ground (and on a Corvette there are plenty of
them). Clean the ground and the headlight will work well again.
BEARING THE BRUNT
Wheel bearings don't last forever (most grizzled Corvette owners can attest to that). To check
wheel bearings, grab the wheel at the top and bottom, and push and pull to determine if the
wheel will move in or out at the hub. If there is noticeable movement, it indicates the bearings are
loose and in need of adjustment. It could also indicate the bearings are badly worn. Translation?
It's time to tear things apart.
GETTING TORQUED
Torque is one of the most critical aspects of spark-plug installation. Torque directly affects the
sparkplug's ability to transfer heat out of the combustion chamber. A sparkplug that's undertorqued
will not be fully seated on the cylinder head; hence heat transfer will be slowed. This will
tend to elevate combustion-chamber temperatures to unsafe levels, and pre-ignition and
detonation will usually follow. Serious engine damage is not far behind.
An over-torqued spark plug can suffer from severe stress to the metal shell which in turn can
distort the spark plug's inner gas seals or even cause a hairline fracture to the spark plug's
insulator. In either case, heat transfer can again be slowed and the above-mentioned conditions
can occur. The spark-plug holes must always be cleaned prior to installation; otherwise you may
be torquing against dirt or debris and the spark plug may actually end up under-torqued, even
though your torque wrench says otherwise. Of course, you should only install spark plugs in a
cool engine, because metal expands when it's hot and installation may prove difficult.
HOLE SHOT
When shopping for high-performance wheels for your Corvette, one thing most people forget is
the actual size of the center wheel hole. Believe it or not, the center hub holes in wheels are not all
the same. In fact, certain vehicles have significantly smaller hub holes than others. A good
example is the late-model Corvette. A wheel designed for the Corvette often has a much smaller
hub hole than a similar wheel designed for use on a late-model Camaro. Check first before you
buy.
HEADLIGHT BEZEL PLUGS
There are 1-1/2" plugs that are located on the headlight bezels that would fall off on the older
Vette's. The new style plugs, have a twist-lock to prevent them from falling out, but also requires
new bezels. Only the new bezels & plugs are available now, and they are compatible with older
C5’s.

The Chevrolet Emblem may have been inspired by a piece of wallpaper. Or maybe not.
The Chevrolet bowtie—introduced by company cofounder William C. Durant in late 1913—is one of the most
recognized emblems in the world today. But how it came to be synonymous with the brand is open to wide
interpretation.
Inspired by wallpaper in a French hotel?
Durant’s version of how the logo came into existence is well-known. The long-accepted story, confirmed by
Durant himself, was that it was inspired by the wallpaper design in a Parisian hotel.
According to The Chevrolet Story of 1961, an official company publication issued in celebration of Chevrolet’s
50th anniversary:
“It originated in Durant’s imagination when, as a world traveler in 1908, he saw the pattern marching off into
infinity as a design on wallpaper in a French hotel. He tore off a piece of the wallpaper and kept it to show
friends, with the thought that it would make a good nameplate for a car.”
However, conflicting accounts have emerged, each of which is plausible enough to deepen the mystery and
suggest it may never be solved. Two of the alternate origins come from within the Durant family itself.
Or was it a dinner-table sketch?
In 1929, Durant’s daughter, Margery, published a book entitled, My Father. In it, she described how Durant
sometimes doodled nameplate designs on pieces of paper at the dinner table: “I think it was between the soup
and the fried chicken one night that he sketched out the design that is used on the Chevrolet car to this day.”
Was it borrowed from a newspaper ad?
More than half a century later, another bowtie origin story was recounted in a 1986 issue of Chevrolet Pro
Management Magazine, based on a 13-year-old interview with Durant’s widow, Catherine. She recalled how
she and her husband were on holiday in Hot Springs, Virginia, in 1912. While reading a newspaper in their
hotel room, Durant spotted a design and exclaimed, “I think this would be a very good emblem for the
Chevrolet.” Unfortunately, at the time, Mrs. Durant didn’t clarify what the motif was or how it was used.
That nugget of information inspired Ken Kaufmann, historian and editor of The Chevrolet Review, to search out
its validity. In a November 12, 1911, edition of The Constitution newspaper, published in Atlanta, the Southern
Compressed Coal Company placed an ad for “Coalettes,” a refined fuel product for fires. The Coalettes logo, as
published in the ad, had a slanted bowtie form, very similar to the shape that would soon become the Chevrolet
icon. Did Durant and his wife see the same ad or one that was similar–the following year a few states to the
north? The newspaper edition was dated just nine days after the incorporation of the Chevrolet Motor Company.
The Swiss flag theory.
One other explanation attributes the design to a stylized version of the cross of the Swiss flag. Louis Chevrolet
was born in Switzerland at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchâtel, to French parents on Christmas Day
1878.
Whichever origin is true, within a few years, the bowtie would emerge as the definitive Chevrolet logo. An
October 2, 1913, edition of The Washington Post seems to be the earliest-known example of the symbol being
used to advertise the brand. “Look for this nameplate” the ad proclaims above the emblem. Customers the world
over have been doing so ever since.
Today’s bowtie: a gold standard.
Many variations in coloring and detail of the Chevrolet bowtie have come and gone over the decades since its
introduction in late 1913, but the essential shape has never changed. In 2004, Chevrolet began to phase in the
gold bowtie that today serves as the brand identity for all of its cars and trucks marketed globally.

CAR WAX Q & A
Do car waxes provide real UV protection?
Some waxes do contain UV-protection agents, but the amount of protection that a microscopically thin
layer of wax can provide is limited
The primary goal of a wax is to protect the top layers of paint that contain UV-protection agents from the
paint manufacture. If you wash and wax your car regularly, your paint will be protected and you should
suffer no major UV damage over the normal course of the life of the car.
Don't be fooled by some companies that lead you to believe that it is the UV protection in a wax that
protects your car's finish from fading and failure, this is dishonest and simply not true. Taking care of
the paint you presently have will go further to protect your finish than relying on protection supplied by
a liquid you pour out of a bottle, or a wax you scoop out of a can. UV protection in a car wax formula is
only an extra-dose of preventative maintenance, not the end-all, cure-all that some companies would lead
you to believe.
UV protection for paint is much different from UV blocking ingredients for human skin. The two
formulas are nothing alike and work in drastically different ways. There is no correlation between the
ratings applied to the different levels of sun blocking protection for products intended for use on human
skin and the ingredients available for use in an automotive wax formula. Sad to say, much of what you
see advertised about the protective qualities of most car care products on the market today is simply
over-exaggerated hype used to separate you from your hard earned dollars.
Are products that contain silicone bad for my car's finish?
No. In fact, automotive paints worldwide contain silicone as an ingredient to help the paint to spray and
flow more smoothly.
Most of the concerns people have about silicones and products that contain silicones stem from the
problems associated with them in the early 1950's. Back then, 40 and 50 years ago, if the surface wasn’t
properly prepared, residual silicones on the surface or in the shop environment, could cause surface
adhesion problems. The most common among them is a defect referred to Fish Eyes in the paint.
Fish Eyes are a small, circular craters that appear in the finish where the paint piles up in a circle
surrounding a point on the surface that contains some type of contaminant that creates high surface
tension, usually some type of wax, grease or silicone. The reason freshly sprayed paint does this is because
contaminants like wax and silicone tend to create high surface tension and do not allow the freshly
applied paint to stick or adhere properly. Instead of laying down flat over the top of these contaminants,
the paint moves away from these contaminants, forming a ring around them that has the visual
appearance of what is historically described as a "fish eye".
Knowledge of chemistry, as well as most other technologies have evolved and grown substantially since the
1950's (just look at modern cars and personal computers as two very visible, common examples of how
technology has progressed). The problems painters encountered 50 years ago are more easily addressed with
today's modern paint prepping chemicals, shop environments, paint additives, and most importantly,
education. Back in the 1950's, there were no formal training programs available for young men and women
entering the automotive repair industry. Most of the time, a person would start out at the bottom, sweeping
and cleaning up, and slowly move up the ladder through knowledge gained by on-the-job training. Today
there are hundreds of certified schools that specialize in formal education for the automotive industry. This
includes paint manufacturers, who provide in-depth training for anyone who uses their paint systems.

Most professionals in the refinishing industry understand that a majority of the paintwork they
do, day-in and day-out, is on cars that have been waxed using products that contain both wax
and silicone.
Professionals in the body shop industry always perform the necessary preparation work required
to insure that "fish eyes" are not a problem. This includes using special degreasers, wax and
silicone removers that effectively remove these substances from the surface or chemically alter
their molecular structure in such a way to insure they pose no problems. If there is ever any
question or doubt about the surface to which new paint is going to be applied, painters will
include a Fish Eye Eliminator into the paint, which insures a finish free from fish eyes.
Interestingly enough, Fish Eye Eliminator is typically a special silicone additive.
There are many kinds of silicones available for use in car care products, the one thing all
silicones have in common is they are completely inert. This means they do not react in either a
negative or a positive manner with any substance they come into contact with, including your
car's paint.
Silicones are primarily used to modify or enhance a specific characteristic of another ingredient
in a formula. For example: The use of some types of silicone in a formula acts to make the
product easier to both spread and wipe-off, thus reducing the effort required to apply and
remove the product, which then helps to reduce the potential for application or wipe-off inflicted
scratches. That’s a benefit to you.
The fear and confusion surrounding this single ingredient, silicone, is an ongoing problem people
run into when they get caught up in the hype and misinformation spread from person to person,
generation to generation and now-a-days, on the internet, which exaggerates the problems
surrounding the use of silicones in car care products.
There are some sources that even go so far to say that silicones are harmful to paint. This is not
only dishonest; it calls into question the credibility of that resource and any and all claims they
make. Silicone is inert. It cannot harm paint, let alone anything else it is formulated into, or
sitting on top of, especially in the form of a coating of wax.
Should I use a non-silicone product to maintain my car’s finish?
If you always want to insure your finish is wax and silicone free, just in case you decide to repaint
it, or in case you are in an accident and you want to do everything possible to make repainting
your car as easy as it can be for your painter, then yes, you could use non-silicone products to
maintain your finish.
If however, you are like the 99.9% of the population, and are more
concerned with protecting your car's finish with a long lasting durable
coating of wax, or a synthetic protectant, then the use of products that
contain silicone will pose no problems to your finish, and in fact will
improve both application and removal of products as well as help
increase shine and protection.

CNBC Profiles Mid America Motorworks Mike Yager on “How I Made My Millions”
Have you ever seen a successful business and
wondered how they got to where they are
today? Mike Yager of Mid America
Motorworks is one of the icons of our hobby
and a true American success story. With $500,
he turned his passion for Corvettes into one of
the largest pa rts and accessories catalogs in
the country. Recently, Mike’s journey to
success was featured on the CNBS show “How
I Made My Millions“.
At 20 years old, Mike purchased his first
Corvette, a 1967 convertible. An avid attendee,
Yager funded his trips by selling t-shirts,
patches and manuals out the back of his car. Sales grew and in 1976 he started Mid America Enterprises
and launched his first catalog – a two page black and white mail order flyer. Today, Mid America
features some 80,000 products and mails some 4.5 million and VW catalogs every year to its customers.
Mike success in the Corvette hobby allowed him to assemble an outstanding collection of Corvettes and
Volkswagens which can be viewed at MY Garage. Each year, Mid America Motorworks puts on Corvette
Funfest, the largest Corvette show in the country attended by 17,000 Corvettes and upwards of 45,000
enthusiasts.
1995 Indy 500 Corvette Pace Car – The First “Designer” Indy 500 Corvette
For their third go for the 1995 Indy 500 Corvette, product planners decided to let the designers have at it!
Corvettes have paced the Indy 500 11 times and there
have been six Corvette Pace Car replicas offered since
1978. When you look back at the cars in chronological order,
there’s an interesting progression. The ‘78 Corvette Pace Car
was very stately with its black and silver paint with thin red
pin stripping. It was very much of a muscle car-type
decoration. The ‘86 Corvette Indy Pace Car couldn’t have
been more understated – yellow with lettering on the door.
That’s it. Chevrolet hadn’t yet embraced the possibilities of a
Corvette Pace Car option and basically wanted to avoid the
angst the ‘78 car caused.
But by the time the ‘95 Corvette Indy Pace Car arrived,
it was obvious that management let the designers have at
it. These cars have to be seen in the daylight to be
appreciated. The dark purpl e metallic paint on the upper portion looks like a lollipop. I don’t know the designer
that came up with this design, but BRAVO! Since ‘95 Corvette Indy 500 Pace Cars have been, shall we say,
brash, with the exception of the silver & black ‘08 Indy 500 Corvette Pace Car, which was a salute to the first
1978 Indy 500 Corvette Pace Car.
1995 was an unusual year for the Corvette. It was the final year for one of the most exotic and expensive
production Corvettes ever made, the ZR-1. It was also the third time a Corvette was used as the pace car for the
“greatest spectacle in motor racing” – the Indianapolis 500. A Corvette paced the Indy 500 in ’78 and in ’86.
Pace Car replicas have been the subject of some wild collectibility speculation, especially in 1978. But the 1995
Pace car Special would prove to be the all-time most desirable Pace Car Corvette.

The 1978 Pace Car Special came along during the darkest days of Corvette performance history. After
decades of tire-burning performance in the ’50s, ’60s, and early ’70s, the Corvette had become a shadow of its
former high-performance persona. But at least it survived the muscle car meltdown of the early ’70s. So when
the ’78 Pace Car Special was announced, collectors and speculators went a little crazy thinking that the car
would become one of the most desirable Corvettes of all-time. What was supposed to be a limited-production
run of 300 cars, turned out to be 6,501 cars. And there was a serious issue over quality control, or lack there of.
It ended up that many buyers paid way too much for their car and the collector value never was there.
The Corvette was reborn in 1984 and there was no looking back. The roadster returned in 1986 and the
Corvette was given the opportunity to pace the Indy 500 once again. To avoid the big collector crunch,
Chevrolet decided that every Corvette Roadster would be a “Pace Car Special.” This time Chevrolet produced
7,315 pace car replicas. There was also a big price increase from the ’78 Pace Car replica. In ’78 the 185horsepower
Pace Car option made the car cost $13,653 – a lot of money back then. The 230-horsepower ’86
Pace Car cost $32,032. 1995 was like a different world. The Pace Car Special now cost $46,481, had 300horsepower
under the hood, was lighter, and much more refined. And with only 527 units built, it was a true
collectible.
The $2,816 Indy 500 Pace Car Replica option was arguably the nicest Corvette pace car package to date
and was very distinctive. The paint scheme was dark purple metallic over arctic white and a white convertible
top. The new style, 5-spoke ZR-1 allow wheels wore 275/40×17 Goodyear GSC tires. The interior had a black
and purple leather seats with 1995 event logo embroidery on the seat headrests. All of the ’95 Pace car Special
Corvettes were built in March and April of 1995 and the first 50 cars built had all black interiors. As we
mentioned in a previous installment of this series, there was no horsepower increase for 1995, but there were
many subtle improvements made to the car. The only options that were not available were the lift-out roof
panels, the adjustable suspension package, and the ZR-1. A fully loaded 1995 Corvette Pace Car Special could
cost over $51,500. The base price of a ’95 Corvette was “only” $36,785.
Chevrolet built three cars to pace the Indy 500 in 1995. Two of the cars built had the standard 4-speed
automatic transmission and the third car had a manual 6-speed gearbox. The only things added to the actual
pace cars were 360-degree strobe lights, a roll bar, five-point driver and passenger harnesses, and an on-board
fire suppression system. Everything else on the cars was stock! With 300-horsepower, there was no need for
any power enhancements or special performance engines. The stock ’95 Corvette was more than up for the job.
Chevrolet only allotted one ’95 Pace Car Special to each of the top Corvette retail dealers from 1994.
Since the production numbers were so low, the current value of the ’95 Pace Car Special is still high, fetching
between $24,900 and $36,500.
Chevrolet General Manager, Jim Perkins paced the 1995 Indy 500 with the only stick version of the pace
car Corvette.
Concept cars are designed to give the
public a glimpse into the future. A taste
of what could be, if the brass upstairs
should happen to feel generous. So let’s
have a look at the Top 5 Corvette
Concepts, and dream about what might
have been.
Dreaming Big: Five Cool Corvette Concepts

1968 Corvette Astro II XP-880
Unveiled at the 1968 New York Auto Show, the Astro II was Chevrolet’s mid-engined answer to Ford’s
GT-40. It featured a reverse-mounted 427, with a 2-speed PowerGlide transmission, and a centerbackbone
frame. This unusual arrangement allowed the car’s 20-gallon fuel cell to be mounted in the
center of the frame, for optimal weight distribution. And the backwards-mounted engine was able to hide
its starter and ring gear in a space under the reclined seats.
The Corvette Astro II was able to pull an impressive 1.0g of lateral acceleration, and it even weighed 300
lbs less than a production 427 Corvette (3,300 lbs). At the time, many people expected GM to launch a
mid-engined Corvette like the Astro II, but that never came to be. Probably because the Astro II’s
PowerGlide transmission proved too weak for such a powerful car.
That’s right, Corvette Corvair. Barely nine
years earlier, the entire world was at war.
Hitler had attempted to take over Europe,
and Hirohito killed 2,350 Americans
stationed in Hawaii. We wound up winning
the war, but not before paying a heavy
price.
1954 Corvette Corvair Concept
America bounced back shortly after, and
we were looking forward to a future free of
oppression. It was an optimistic time, and
that was clearly evident in American car
design. GM’s chief designer Harley Earl,
wasn’t afraid to take chances. So he put tail fins & a metric-ton of chrome on nearly every car in GM’s
line—even its new sports car, the Corvette.
Corvette sales had slumped for 1954, and Chevy’s new sports car line needed a shot in the arm. So Earl’s
team took a production Corvette and added a sleek fastback body. Complete with large chrome tail pipes
exiting through the fiberglass body’s hind end.
It wasn’t the most practical design, but it had the European flair that most customers of the time favored
(remember, our GI’s had just spent a lot of time over there). And while the Corvette Corvair never made
it into production, the name would eventually find its way onto Ralph Nader’s favorite car!

You were probably expecting to
see the famous Corvette Mako
Shark on this list, but we’re
going to do one better. This
1969 concept car was actually
the original 65′ Mako Shark II
with a slightly different body.
Chief designer Bill Mitchell had
been using the 65′ Mako as his
daily driver, but he
surrendered it in 1969, to make
an updated version of the car
that inspired the current (C3) Corvette.
1969 Manta Ray
The Manta Ray Concept retained many of the Mako Shark’s original features including; a
digital speedometer, headrest-mounted speakers, and a deployable rear bumper. But after
Mitchell’s Makeover, the new concept had the new all-aluminum ZL-1 427, rear-mounted flaps
that deployed under hard braking, and bodywork that emulated a massive Manta Ray.
Though manufacturer sponsored
racing was officially banned,
Chief Designer Bill Mitchell
decided to build a concept
Corvette race car using his own
money. So he enlisted the help of
fellow designer Larry Shinoda,
then he procured Zora Duntov’s
1957 SS test-mule chassis as a
base.
1959 Corvette Stingray Racer: XP-87
The resulting Stingray Racer was
powered by a 315-hp, fuelinjected
283 cid V8, and was
successfully campaigned by
SCCA driver Dr. Dick
Thompson—aka “The Flying Dentist”. He actually wound up winning dual consecutive class
championships in 1959 and 1960, and the Stingray Racer was detuned and retired to show-car
duty.
While the Corvette XP-87 helped Mitchell and GM test improvements to the 4-speed manual
transmission, and discover new uses for aluminum, it’s best known for influencing the design of
the C3 Corvette.

Detroit has been a
suburb of Hollywood for
most of the last century.
And while the two cities
may be separated by
many acres of fruited
plains, the products
produced by these two
cities are very
intertwined. Case in
point; the Transformer
movies.
2009 Corvette Sting Ray (aka Sideswipe)
Hollywood producer
Michael Bay relied on
GM’s styling department
to come up with the look for the AutoBots—mankind’s robotic saviors. This is why Bumble Bee was a
Camaro, the medic-bot was a Hummer, and the one that got ripped in half by Megatron was a Pontiac
Solstice (how appropriate). So for the second installment of the popular movie franchise, GM allowed
Bay to use their Corvette Sting Ray Concept for the part of Sideswipe.
Meant to pay homage to Bill Mitchell’s Sting Ray Racer, and the famous Stingray Split-Window Coupe,
the 2009 Stingray Concept has dramatic body lines, draping huge wheel arches like a little black dress on
the backside of Angelina Jolie. And while we don’t know what engine powered the autobot, we sure hope
that Sideswipe gets transported to our local Chevrolet dealer real soon.
Dead Battery Traps Would-Be Thief Inside Corvette
According to Prince George Police, the owner of a
Corvette had just jump-started his car in his
driveway and was returning the battery charger
to the garage when 20 year old Brent Jameson
Morgan jumped into the running car, locked the
doors and attempted to drive away.
Unfortunately for the would-be thief, driving a
manual transmission proved to be too hard to
handle and the car stalled in the driveway. The
Corvette could not be restarted and the man
became locked inside. The owner of the Corvette
saw the man was armed with a hatchet and bear
spray (Oh Canada!) and called 911.
When police arrived, they found the robber had smashed the driver side window and was trying to
squeeze through it. He was taken to jail and charged with mischief under $5,000, possession of a weapon
for a dangerous purpose, possession of a break-in instrument and theft of $5,000 or under.

Corvette is Main Attraction in Long Beach, Washington Circa 1964
One of my favorite features from Hemmings is the vintage photographs showing life in
America from the view on the street. This photo shows downtown, Washington in what is
believed to be the summer or early fall of 1964 shows a crowded street with a Riverside
Red mid-year driving away from the camera. Check out the attention the Corvette
commands from the pedestrians on the street!
If the time period is from 1964, then consider that sighting a Corvette coupe would have
been pretty rare with only 19,000 coupes built during the first two years of C2 production.
The red Sting Ray really stands out in the sea of 4-door sedans.
A couple more notes regarding the photo:
Note the trailer hitch on the back of the Vette.
The guy to the right of the Corvette exiting the car is really giving it a look!
The boy scouts and the American flag in the lower right corner.

SEMA 2011: GM Plans to Show Two Tribute Corvettes at Las Vegas Convention
In a sea of Camaros and the sporty new Sonics, you’ll find two “tribute” Corvettes at the 2011 show: The
Ron Fellows “Hall of Fame” Corvette Z06 and the Corvette Carlisle Blue Grand Sport Concept.
Corvette Z06 Ron Fellows ‘Hall of Fame’ Tribute
Ron Fellows, Corvette Racing ambassador and the “Mayor of Mosport” was presented this stunning
Corvette Z06 “Hall of Fame” tribute
car at his induction to the National
Corvette Museum’s Hall of Fame in
September. Like the 2007 Corvette
Z06 named after the former Corvette
racing champion, there are several
personal touches we really appreciate
including the Canadian maple leaf
motif on the Grand Sport hashmarks,
as well as the #3 Carbon-styled door
graphics.
“Ron Fellows has a long,
distinguished, including driving on the
championship Corvette Racing C5.R
and C6.R teams. That resume helped
earn him an induction to the National
Corvette Museum’s Hall of Fame in
2011. This Torch Red honors Fellows’ service behind the wheel, using accessories offered from Chevrolet
matched with custom graphics. It’s a fitting salute to one of the fastest men ever to drive a Corvette.”
Vehicle highlights include:
Z06 Performance Package (Z07)
Magnetic Selective Ride Control
CFZ carbon fiber package with splitter and rocker moldings
Carbon fiber raised hood
Black headlamp housings and mirrors
Red brake calipers
Ebony interior with red stitching
Suede-trimmed steering wheel, shift knob, parking brake handle and armrests with red stitching
Centennial-model seats
Genuine Corvette Accessory Racing Pedal Package
Racing-style graphics that honor racing wins, National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame, Spring
Mountain Driving School and Mosport

Corvette Carlisle Blue Grand Sport Concept
We first saw the Carlisle Blue Grand Sport
Tribute at the Corvettes at Carlisle show in
August. This special one-year color honors
the long running Corvette show founded
by Chip and Bill Miller. GM outfitted the
Carlisle Blue Grand Sport with a bevy of
Genuine Corvette Accessories so it should
feel right at home on the floor at SEMA.
This Corvette celebrates 30 years of
“Corvettes at Carlisle,” one of the largest
annual Corvette events in North America. It
introduces a new Carlisle Blue exterior, new
Silver-painted Torque 2 wheels and Pearl White full-length racing stripes. The Carlisle Grand Sport also
showcases all-out performance with a dual-mode exhaust and Magnetic Selective Ride Control. Corvette was
born to race, and that performance DNA runs through every inch of this unique Grand Sport.
Vehicle highlights include:
LS3 6.2L with dry sump oil system – hand-built at GM’s Performance Build Center
Six-speed manual transmission
Magnetic Selective Ride Control
Gray six-piston brake calipers (2012 option)
Goodyear® Supercar Gen 2 tires
Dual-mode exhaust system
New Carlisle Blue Metallic exterior
Cyber Gray headlamps (2012 option)
Genuine Corvette Accessory Torque 2 silver-painted wheels in 18×10-inch (front) and
19×12-inch (rear)
Genuine Corvette Accessory Carbon Fiber Ground Effects – front splitter and rockers
Genuine Corvette Accessory full-width rear spoiler
Genuine Corvette Accessory GRAND SPORT hood blanket
Genuine Corvette Accessory Pearl White full-length stripe kit
4LT trim level with Ebony/Titanium leather color interior and blue stitching
New-for-2012 Bose® Premium Audio with nine speakers, USB port and audio jack with
iPod® integration on the touch screen
Genuine Corvette Accessory GRAND SPORT Ebony floor mats
Genuine Corvette Accessory GRAND SPORT console lid
Genuine Corvette Accessory Racing Pedal Package

Cardinal’s World Series MVP David Freese Awarded Keys to 2012 Corvette Grand Sport
Congratulations to the St. Louis and their
MVP 3rd baseman David Freese. Freese hit
.348 during the series with a home run and
seven RBIs and the three runs he drove in
during Game 6 kept the Cards alive to go all
the way. As the series Most Valuable Player,
Chevrolet awarded him a 2012 Corvette
Centennial Edition Grand Sport.
Chris Perry, Chevrolet’s Global Marketing
and Strategy VP had the honor of presenting
Feese the key fob to the Carbon Flash
Metallic Corvette Grand Sport. Chevy is also
donating a home field make-over to a St.
Louis area field as well.
Over 100 Salvage Corvettes Heading to the Auction Block
If your looking for a project
C3 or C4, check out this
auction of over 100 salvage
Corvettes that will be sold on
Saturday in Forest City, North
Carolina. Whittington Auction
and Appraisal is handling the
gavel duties for this collection
of mostly insurance salvage
Corvettes and parts. The sale
is actually the first of two with
the second part dealing with
thousands of used original
Corvette parts.
The Corvettes range from
1968 to 1990 and have been
stored in a dry warehouse.
While many of the insurance salvage cars are in pieces, we noted several Corvettes that still retain their.
Frames and birdcages also seem to be in abundant supply.
The collection of C3 and C4 salvage Corvettes is owned by none other than Charlie Brown and he has
decided to focus his attention in other business ventures. Therefore, this is an absolute auction were
everything must go. All the Corvettes were inspected by the NC Department of Motor Vehicles and the
cars will be sold on bill of sale only.
“Charlie Brown is devoting his time and efforts to other business ventures and has commissioned us to sell
over 100 salvage Corvettes at absolute auction,” explained Whittington. “That means that these salvage
Corvettes and parts will sell to the highest bidder.”

This modified Corvette may or may not be
one of the 6,502 original Indy 500 Pace Car
replicas built in 1978, but it certainly took
the brunt when rear ended by a semi truck
in Boise, Idaho.
The collision of truck vs Corvette happened
last week on I-85 East about nine miles from
the Idaho-Oregon border.
With the chrome air breather sticking out
the hood and the roll bar installed, you
would think this Corvette was built for
speed. Instead, Idaho State Police say the
Corvette was traveling under the posted
speed limit when it was rear ended and
forced off the road.
1978 Corvette Pace Car vs Semi Truck
Two occupants in the Corvette were transported to a hospital in Boise where they were treated and
released.
There are some nice custom show
cars at the SEMA automotive
convention in Las Vegas and then
there is the 1959 ZR59 on display at
the Wilwood Disc Brakes booth.
Starting as a humble 1959 Corvette,
the ZR59 now boasts modern
performance without losing the
original distinctive look of a C1
roadster.
SEMA 2011: 1959 Corvette ZR59 Concept
The Corvette ZR59 is a one-of-a-kind
vision that started out as a design on
paper. From the choice of the modern
LS9 crate engine to hand built
bumpers and the custom racinginspired
interior, you can see the highest level of custom workmanship that went into this creation.
The Corvette was built by Palmer’s Custom’s & Cal West Customs. Riding on an Art Morrison chassis,
the Corvette’s boasts a C6 front suspension and Air Ride “Shockwaves” with auto leveling technology.
The beefed up 750 hp LS9 engine is mated to a TREMEC T-56 6-Speed and the ZR59 rides on Nutek’s 3piece
forged aluminum wheels fitted with Hankook 245/35/19s in the front and 305/25/20s in the Rear.
Palmer’s Customs handcrafted all the custom body modifications including the bumpers, front end grill
and trim, air diffuser, exhaust, tonneau cover, rear wheel tubs, windshield and cockpit trim, dash and
gauge clusters, center console and cover.

SEMA 2011: The George Barris Bat Ray Corvette
Known to auto enthusiasts worldwide
for his outlandish custom car creations
for such TV shows as The Munsters,
Beverly Hillbillies, Knightrider and
most notably, the Batmobile for
Batman and Robin, George Barris has
recently focused his talents on a
another “bat themed” custom design
and a 2005 was his canvas.
The inspiration for the Bat Ray came to
George after seeing a Corvette outfitted
with Vertical Doors’ new ZLR door kit.
With doors open, the Corvette
reminded George of the sting ray’s
cousin, the bat ray (of the fish variety)
and so he penned the design while Vertical Doors performed the actual customizations.
Going with the bat ray theme, the C6 Corvette was given an elongated rear spolier and a unique rear
window treatment. The Corvette was given the widebody update with Grand Sport fenders front and
back while the hood was replaced with a raised hood from RK Sport. Under that hood is an Edelbrock E-
Force supercharger and a Bassani custom exhaust. Forgiato provided the 19 and 20 inch deep dish 5spoke
wheels in white which are fitted with. Barris Kustoms did the ground effects and rear spoiler.
Happy 100th Birthday Chevrolet!
Nov 3 was offically the 100th birthday anniversary for Chevrolet. Chevrolet Motor Company was
launched on Nov 3, 1911 in Detroit when Louis Chevrolet, a Swiss-born race car driver and engineer,
teamed up with GM founder Billy Durant. Since then, the company has gone on to sell over 200 million
vehicles including over 1.5 million Corvettes.
Happy Birthday Chevy and here’s to the next 100 years!

SEMA 2011: Corvette Racing C6.R GT1 Tribute Car
This particular Corvette was found
outside the main entrance to the SEMA
show and was a constant source of
admiration from attendees who were
passing by.
The Corvette C6.R featured here is a C6
Z06 wearing the #73 – the same car
number of the winning Le Mans team of
Beretta/Milner/Garcia who captured the
GTE-Pro over the summer. We’re not
sure why the GT1 stickers are there but
its a, not a replica, so go with it.
In addition to the GT1 and #73 graphics,
the Corvette features many of the same
stickers that can be found on the real Corvette C6.Rs. Other touches include the ALMS class position
lights on the doors and a really huge rear wing.
The Corvette is equipped with a roll bar and racing seats and so we think this tribute was built for show
and go. After all, the greatest tribute would be to run this bad boy vette on the track!
The Great 454 ZL-1 1969 10-Second Monster Corvette Pumpkin!
December ’69 Motor Trend reports on Chevy’s 10-second, 454 ZL-1 Monster Pumpkin Corvette!
Forty years ago it took a lot to get a car to
run 10s in the quarter-mile. You needed a
BIG engine, open tuned headers, a giant gas
sucking Holley carb, slicks, ear plugs, and a
lot of NERVE! Today, it’s no biggie for a
performance car to run low 11’s. Lingenfelter
Engineering has been able to get a mildly
modified ZR1 to run low-to-mid 9s with ALL
of the stock creature comforts. All you have
to do is HOLD ON!
No, back in the old muscle car dayz, low
11s and high 10s in the quarter-mile was
Super Stocker and Modified Production territory. Low 10s and 9s was the realm of Pro Stockers with the
likes of Grumpy Jenkins, Sox & Martin, Dick Landy, Dyno Don Nicholson and a few dozen others. In their day,
they were the rock stars of drag racing.
When December 1968 issue of Hot Rod Magazine hit the news stands, with a full-cover shot of the allaluminum
427 ZL-1 engine, heads spun like Linda Blair in The Exorcist! The headline at the top of the
cover read, “A 625-HP LOOK AT: CHEVY’S ALL-ALUMINUM 427.” While today we might say, “There’s
no substitute for a supercharger,” back then, the expression was “There’s no substitute for cubic-inches. If
there’s enough meat left in the block, just bore it out and insert bigger pistons. Chevy’s 427 had been in
production since ‘66, so when the ‘70 models came around, what was Chevrolet to do? Bore, Baby, Bore!

The cast iron 454 was a no-brainer, but what about the all-aluminum ZL-1? Just to see what kind of
response they’d get from the press (as if they weren’t sure) Chevrolet engineers Tom Langdon and Gib
Hufstader built a special 454 version of the ZL-1, coupled it with a Turbo 400 3-speed tranny, a high-stall
torque converter, tall gears, and 9-inch slicks. Yes, it was a quasi-Super Stocker and they let the automotive
press make passes on a 1/4-mile stretch at the test track!
It was just a “let’s see” car, but it what an astonishing thing and something that would NEVER happen
today. (You could just see GM lawyers going apoplectic!) But the Chevy engineers pulled it off, everyone had
an amazing time, no mishaps, and the car ran flawlessly. However, Lady Luck was on the Vette’s side, as after
the event, the engine and drive train was pulled apart and it looked like the setup didn’t have much left before it
went “BAM!”
Special Interest Autos’ – SIA – 1957 SS Corvette Feature Story
Hemmings Motor News old sister publication takes a look back at the first special-built
Corvette race car, the SS Corvette
Back in the early ‘80s there was
a new trend in the car magazine
biz – specialty publications.
Marty Schorr’s VETTE Magazine
was ahead of the curve when it
came out in ‘76. VETTE was the
first “Corvette-only” news stand
magazine ever published. By the
early ‘80s there was a specialty
publication for most brand cars.
Hemmings Motor News branched
out with a unique magazine called,
“SIA – Special Interest
Automobiles.” While I remember
seeing the magazine on the news
stands it wasn’t something I was
interested in back then, as it
featured many pre-WW II “classic” cars, and I was interested in other things at the time.
Fast forward to today and the wonderful world of blogging, Hemmings has one of my favorite car blogs.
It’s the preverbal “box of chocolates” because “you never know what you’re going to get.” Recently at
http://blog.hemmings.com/ they posted an interesting and detailed story about the 1957 SS Corvette race car
from the October 1988 issue of SIA magazine.
Don’t let the rather scathing introduction put you off, “…the SS was little more than a poorly executed and
slapdash affair, deserving of its failure at Sebring and merely spared the pain of further embarrassment… “ The
actual article from SIA is very good with lots of pictures, statistics, and some nice technical illustrations of the
SS Corvette.
This is just my opinion, but I think that the introduction was a little unjust for the following reasons.
While it is true that Duntov and his team copied the Mercedes 300SL race car’s birdcage frame and chassis, so
did many other cars. The design was the standard road racing layout of the day. General Motors of the mid-’50s
was arguably the least prepared auto company to even take on such a project, as they had NO experience whatso-ever
in building race cars. The only part of the car Chevrolet engineers were familiar with was the 283 Fuelie
engine. Plus, the small-block was only in its third year of production and F.I. unit was brand new.

There was also a healthy dose of naiveté on Chevrolet’s part. Management seemed to think that a brand
new, never seriously tested or developed race car would be competitive with the likes of Mercedes and the other
well developed road racers of the day. Chevrolet was more concerned that the racer look like a show car. So
with very little track time for the finished car (two were built – one mule and one finished car), the SS Corvette
did not perform well and was somewhat of an embarrassment.
However, it should be pointed out that two years later, Bill Mitchell “borrowed” the mule chassis,
rebodied it with his Stingray body design, and campaigned the car at his own expense. After a year of racing
and sorting the bugs out, the Stingray/SS Corvette won the ‘60 SCCA B/Production championship. It takes time
to develop a race car. Pratt & Miller developed the C5-R for over two years before the ‘01 LeMans win. Had an
outside development company campaigned the SS Corvette with help from Duntov and Chevrolet, it would
have been a very different story.
SEMA 2011: GM Performance Parts Big Crate Engine Announcements
At SEMA this year GM
has made two big
announcements regarding
their line of LS crate
engines. The first exciting
news is that the “Build-
Your-Own-Engine”
program for Corvette ZL1
and Z06 owners has been
extended to include crate
engines. Now, you can
build your very own LS7
or LS9 crate engine for
your project car under the
guidance of a GM Tech at
the GM Performance Build
Center, in Wixom,
Michigan.
Jim Campbell, GM U.S.
vice president of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports says, “Building an engine is a time-honored
tradition in hot rodding, and this exciting new program allows enthusiasts to enjoy that magical do-ityourself
feeling, while still enjoying the value of a factory-engineered, warranted crate engine. For handson
hot rodders, this program truly enables them to say they did it all when it came to building their
project. There’s nothing else like it in the industry.”
The second big crate engine news announcement is the release of GM’s “Connect and Cruise” packages.
The “Connect and Cruise” packages will be for builders who want to secure all the necessary parts to put
an LS crate engine and transmission in their car at one time, and not have to shop for each component
individually. With just one part number you can save time and money by purchasing your crate engine,
ECM and wiring harness, automatic transmission, and transmission controller all at once. The first two
combos to be offered under Connect and Cruise will be the 556 horsepower LSA and a 4L85-E
transmission (Part Number CPSLSA4L85E) and the much-respected LS3 with a 4L65-E trans (Part
Number CPSLS34L65E).

SEMA 2011: Glassworks Corvette Hardtop Lift System
The benefit of having an auxiliary hardtop for
your roadster is that you can drive your longer as
the weather turns cooler, thereby extending your
driving season for an extra couple of months each
year. But putting that hardtop on your Corvette,
or removing it when the weather turns nice can be
a real struggle. You can call the wife out to the
garage, go get a neighbor or attempt to do it
yourself, but it only takes one careless move to
damage the top or worse, the back of your
Corvette. So when we saw the Glassworks Lift
System at SEMA, we knew we had to spread the
word on this innovative product.
Glassworks has been repairing Corvette hardtops
for two decades now and they have seen their fair
share of tops damaged while owners attempted to
put on or remove their tops by themselves.
The Glassworks Lift System is designed to take the hassle and risk out of removing or replacing your top.
The lift system gives you the ability to suspend and store your hard top from the hoist system in your
garage. Just fasten the lifting straps to your top and press the wireless controller and like magic your top
is lifted off your Corvette. When the weather is clear but too cold for having the top off, just under the
lift, press the button and the top comes down, allowing a single person to easily install the hardtop.
The lift system can also be used for jeep tops or truck caps, as well as for lifting and storing other items in
your garage or work area. Glassworks told us that the system can currently lift 500 lbs but can be
customized for larger applications such as lifting and other heavier objects.
The cost of the Glassworks Lift System is $695 and when you think about the time and money this
product can save you, we think its well worth it. After all, any product that can help keep your Corvette
and hardtop in pristine condition and allow you drive more each year sounds like a good deal to us.
Body Shop Find: Lost Motion Can-Am Spyder Corvette Has a New Home!
An abused Motion Performance exotic gets a new lease on life!
When it comes to old cars, most of us are
familiar with the expression “barn find” and I’m
sure that we’ve all had a day dream or two about
finding an old neglected exotic, hiding under a pile
of stuff in a barn. Well, here’s a new version of that
“barn find” expression that I’ll call, “body shop
find.” That certainly was former body shop owner
and Maryland legislator, Rick Impallaria’s
experience.

When Rick decided to get into public
service as a legislator, he had a close
his body shop business. While the
business was officially closed, he still
owned the building and equipment, so
he leased his old enterprise to former
professional baseball player, Richard
Green. If you follow professional
baseball, you surely will recognize that
name. Green had the notoriety of having
played in all four Oakland A’s World
Series games. Well, life goes on after retirement, even for pro ball players and Green decided to get into the
auto body business. In addition to doing customer work, Green brought in one of his own cars, a customized
Corvette. After a time, Green’s business fell on hard times and Impallaria ended up having to evict his tenant.
Upon inspection of the facilities, Rick found what was left of what had once been just a “customized Corvette,”
or so he thought.
While Rick is definitely a car guy, he wasn’t familiar with what was in his building. He explains,
“Someone mentioned to me that the hulk that was in my building might be a Motion car, but they really weren’t
sure. So I did some online research about the Motion cars and then I found your BaldwinMotionReport.com site
with the story about the Motion Can-Am Spyder. I was pretty sure I had something and I thought about possibly
putting the car back together again, But honestly, I’ve got too many projects going right now and I knew I
wouldn’t have the time to do it right.”
After Impallaria was about 99% sure it was one of the rare Motion Can-Am Spyder Corvettes, he took
the high road and started looking for a buyer that would do right by the car and properly restore the car to its
original glory, rather than using it as a donor car for a custom or race car project. After some more searching
Rick found a buyer that knew what they were buying and how to correctly restore the car. On November 1,
2011, a few minutes past midnight (Rick’s birthday) a flatbed truck arrived at his building and the Can-Am
Spyder went off into the night to begin the next chapter of what I’m sure has been a long and difficult life for
what was once a premium, custom, Motion supercar.
At this point, the buyer will remain “undisclosed” and plans for the car are not yet known. As you can see
from the photos, the car has a very long way to go to get back to its original glory. Supercars and exotics often
times do not live pampered lives. Some, such as the Dr. Rolings’s ‘71 Phase III GT Corvette, are driven,
enjoyed, maintained, and still in very good condition. Others are not so fortunate.

SEMA 2011: Ron Fellows and his Hall of Fame Corvette Z06 Tribute
The Z06 Ron Fellows ‘Hall of Fame’ Tribute was
one of two Corvette concepts that General Motors
brought with them to SEMA this year. The Red
and White Corvette was the featured display at
the Spring Mountain Ranch / Ron Fellows
Driving School booth in the adjoining hall.
In the original press release, the Corvette was
called “…a fitting salute to one of the fastest men
ever to drive a Corvette” and seeing it up close,
we would have to agree. Ron’s tribute Corvette
Z06 comes equipped with the Z07 performance
package, Magnetic Selective Ride Control, the
CFZ carbon fiber package with splitter and
rocker moldings and the carbon fiber raised hood. The Torch Red Corvette has black headlamps, rear
view mirrors and the Centennial’s red line Z06 wheels and red calipers.
Special graphics on the car include the full body length racing strip, -style door graphic with the #3 as
well as logos from the NCM Hall of Fame, Spring Mountain Driving School and Mosport.
Inside the Corvette, the Z06 features an ebony interior with red stitching, suede-trimmed steering wheel,
shift knob, parking brake handle and armrests with red stitching, the Centennial-model seats and GCA
racing pedal package.
One tidbit we learned is that although the Corvette team “presented” the Corvette Z06 to Ron during the
NCM’s Anniversary weekend in September, it’s only his Corvette in name only as Chevy retains
ownership and will continue to show the Tribute Z06 at selected events.
Since its inauguration
in 1911, Chevrolet
has been a staple on
the racetrack, having
competed in every
major contest over
the past century.
Chevrolet has also
competed in the
global – having raced
and won at illustrious
venues such as the 24
Hours of Le Mans
and Germany’s
Nurburgring.
Chevy runs deep!
100 Years of Chevrolet Racing Heritage

October 2011 Corvette Sales
The monthly sales report came out last week while we were at the SEMA show so we’re
just now getting around to taking a look at it. The news isn’t great as sales of Corvettes in
October slipped to 946 for the month. That is a -6.4% decline from sales in October 2010.
For the calendar year-to-date sales, Corvettes sales are still pacing at 3.8% more than
2010 with 11,216 Corvettes sold January-October.
Here are the current offers and rebates are available for those interested in 2011 or 2012
Corvettes. 2011 Corvette buyers can receive a $3,000 rebate or finance 0% down for 60
months or 2.9% for 72 months. 2012 Corvette buyers can get $1,500 dealer cash or a 3.9%
APR for 60 months which also includes deferred payments for 120 days.
GM is also offering $3,000 rebate towards the purchase of a new Corvette for current
Corvette owners. You do not have to trade-in your Corvette to qualify, you just have to
own it and have it currently registered. The current incentives program will run until
01/03/2012.
Corvette Delivery Statistics for October 2011
Month Calendar Year-to-Date
Month 2011 2010 % Change Months 2011 2010 % Change
Oct 946 1,011 -6.4% Jan-Oct 11,216 10,809 3.8%
Archived Monthly Corvette Delivery Statistics
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Total
2011 721 955 1,163 1,454 1,304 1,299 1,291 936 1,147 946
2010 854 624 955 1,089 1,428 1,405 1,199 1,135 1,109 1,011 836 979 12,624
2009 842 1,027 1,183 1,407 1,643 1,396 966 746 1,585 1,154 952 1,033 13,934
2008 2,015 2,071 2,692 3,190 2,904 2,082 1,870 4,242 2,318 1,170 1,093 1,324 26,971
2007 2,234 2,784 3,158 3,227 3,300 2,377 2,377 2,877 2,837 2,484 2,438 2,914 33,685
2006 2,579 3,058 3,655 3,516 3,317 2,938 2,794 2,990 3,056 2,761 2,773 3,081 36,518
Corvette Stock Report:
We are unable to estimate the 2012 Corvette inventory. A check of Jeff Hardy’s website
shows a total of 1,165 2010 and 2011 Corvettes. Here is the breakdown by year and
models:
2011 Corvettes – 1,094
2010 Corvettes – 71

2011 Corvette Inventory Breakdown:
Corvette Coupes – 302
Corvette Convertibles – 124
Corvette GS Coupes – 321
Corvette GS Convertibles – 183
Corvette Z06 – 81
Corvette ZR1 – 83
2010 Corvette Inventory Breakdown:
Corvette Coupes – 16
Corvette Convertibles – 21
Corvette GS Coupes – 6
Corvette GS Convertibles – 11
Corvette Z06 – 1
Corvette ZR1 – 16
Bowling Green Production:
2012 Model Year Production in October 2011: 700
2012 Model Year To Date Through October 2011: 4,770
2011 Calendar Year to Date through October 2011: 10,994

The Chevrolet Emblem may have been inspired by a piece of wallpaper. Or maybe not.
The Chevrolet bowtie—introduced by company cofounder William C. Durant in late 1913—is one of the most
recognized emblems in the world today. But how it came to be synonymous with the brand is open to wide
interpretation.
Inspired by wallpaper in a French hotel?
Durant’s version of how the logo came into existence is well-known. The long-accepted story, confirmed by
Durant himself, was that it was inspired by the wallpaper design in a Parisian hotel.
According to The Chevrolet Story of 1961, an official company publication issued in celebration of Chevrolet’s
50th anniversary:
“It originated in Durant’s imagination when, as a world traveler in 1908, he saw the pattern marching off into
infinity as a design on wallpaper in a French hotel. He tore off a piece of the wallpaper and kept it to show
friends, with the thought that it would make a good nameplate for a car.”
However, conflicting accounts have emerged, each of which is plausible enough to deepen the mystery and
suggest it may never be solved. Two of the alternate origins come from within the Durant family itself.
Or was it a dinner-table sketch?
In 1929, Durant’s daughter, Margery, published a book entitled, My Father. In it, she described how Durant
sometimes doodled nameplate designs on pieces of paper at the dinner table: “I think it was between the soup
and the fried chicken one night that he sketched out the design that is used on the Chevrolet car to this day.”
Was it borrowed from a newspaper ad?
More than half a century later, another bowtie origin story was recounted in a 1986 issue of Chevrolet Pro
Management Magazine, based on a 13-year-old interview with Durant’s widow, Catherine. She recalled how
she and her husband were on holiday in Hot Springs, Virginia, in 1912. While reading a newspaper in their
hotel room, Durant spotted a design and exclaimed, “I think this would be a very good emblem for the
Chevrolet.” Unfortunately, at the time, Mrs. Durant didn’t clarify what the motif was or how it was used.
That nugget of information inspired Ken Kaufmann, historian and editor of The Chevrolet Review, to search out
its validity. In a November 12, 1911, edition of The Constitution newspaper, published in Atlanta, the Southern
Compressed Coal Company placed an ad for “Coalettes,” a refined fuel product for fires. The Coalettes logo, as
published in the ad, had a slanted bowtie form, very similar to the shape that would soon become the Chevrolet
icon. Did Durant and his wife see the same ad or one that was similar–the following year a few states to the
north? The newspaper edition was dated just nine days after the incorporation of the Chevrolet Motor Company.
The Swiss flag theory.
One other explanation attributes the design to a stylized version of the cross of the Swiss flag. Louis Chevrolet
was born in Switzerland at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Canton of Neuchâtel, to French parents on Christmas Day
1878.
Whichever origin is true, within a few years, the bowtie would emerge as the definitive Chevrolet logo. An
October 2, 1913, edition of The Washington Post seems to be the earliest-known example of the symbol being
used to advertise the brand. “Look for this nameplate” the ad proclaims above the emblem. Customers the world
over have been doing so ever since.
Today’s bowtie: a gold standard.
Many variations in coloring and detail of the Chevrolet bowtie have come and gone over the decades since its
introduction in late 1913, but the essential shape has never changed. In 2004, Chevrolet began to phase in the
gold bowtie that today serves as the brand identity for all of its cars and trucks marketed globally.

Chevy Runs Deep, for the first 100 years and into the next
The brand was founded in Detroit, in November 1911, by racer
Louis Chevrolet and General Motors founder William C. “Billy”
Durant, who developed cars that quickly earned reputations for
performance, durability and value. Those traits remain at the
core of Chevrolet, which is the world’s fourth-largest
automotive brand.
From the very start, Chevrolet brought technology and features typically reserved for more expensive cars to its
lineup of affordable cars and trucks. The first Chevrolet — the Series C Classic Six — offered an electric starter
and electric headlamps at a time when both were rarities among even luxury cars. In the decades that followed,
innovations such as safety glass, fuel injection, anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control systems were
used on Chevrolet models at the same time as more expensive vehicles. As one of the largest-selling brands in
the industry, Chevrolet’s early adoption of landmark technologies fundamentally changed the way they were
applied to new vehicles.
Chevrolet also made performance affordable. Its early four- and six-cylinder engines were known for durability
and strong performance, but it was the 1955 introduction of Chevrolet’s small-block V-8 that opened a new era
in attainable high-performance. The engine would power millions of cars and trucks in next 50 years, with its
legacy passed on to a new generation of small-block V-8s that is used in today’s trucks and SUVs, as well as
performance cars including the Camaro SS and Corvette.
The performance characteristics of the small-block V-8 helped establish Chevrolet as a force in almost all forms
of motorsports. Chevrolet-powered race cars were immediate contenders in the fledging stock car and drag
racing worlds of the 1950s, growing to dominate them in the next decades. Chevrolet is the winningest brand in
NASCAR and has collected more NHRA Pro Stock Manufacturers Cups than any other brand.
Design heritage
Design has been a cornerstone of Chevrolet and many of its models have become icons of American culture.
The soaring fins of the 1957 Chevy Bel Air epitomized the optimism of the Jet Age, while the sleek 1963
Corvette Stingray is regarded by many automotive historians as one of the best-looking cars ever designed.
Other Chevrolet models’ designs had cultural impacts that resonated for decades. The Camaro, introduced in
1967, brought great design and affordable performance, to younger customers. The heritage-inspired design of
the fifth-generation model, introduced for 2010, quickly became the best seller among its primary competitors.
In the truck world, Chevrolet design innovations helped drive changes and create new markets in the industry.
The Suburban was introduced in 1935 and continues as the longest-running automotive nameplate in industry
history. Its concept of delivering greater passenger and cargo capacity has remained true for 76 years.
In 1955, the special-edition Chevrolet Cameo Carrier introduced smooth rear fenders for the first time to a
mainstream pickup. The styling gave the truck a flowing, upscale appearance that differed greatly from the
traditional “step side” design of other contemporary trucks. Within a few years, the entire industry was
transformed. The smooth cargo bed sides, which became known as “fleetside” styling, were found on every
truck on the market.
The early years
Swiss-born Louis Chevrolet (1878-1941) was a racer, mechanic and pioneering engineer. William C. “Billy”
Durant (1861-1947) was a visionary automotive marketer. Durant founded General Motors in 1908, as
Chevrolet’s reputation as daring driver — he established a land-speed record in 1905, attaining 111 mph in
special open race car — continued to grow. Durant hired Chevrolet for high-profile races and promotional
drives.
In 1910, Durant was forced from the company he founded, but wouldn’t be deterred from the burgeoning auto
industry. He regrouped with other partners, including Chevrolet, to develop a new car. Durant believed
Chevrolet’s reputation as a racer would help sell the car, so it was named for him. The Chevrolet company was
founded in 1911 and its first car, the Series C Classic Six, was a large, finely crafted motorcar. Its large, 4.9L

(299 cubic inches) six-cylinder engine produced 40 horsepower and enabled a top speed of about 65 mph. It
sold for $2,150 or the equivalent of nearly $50,000 today, when adjusted for inflation.
Despite its high price, the Chevrolet was well regarded for its style, precision and comfort. Durant was also
producing a smaller, more affordable car called the Little. Sales of both were strong, but Durant recognized the
strength of the entry-level field and steered his company in that direction. The Chevrolet Series C and the Little
were produced through 1913. In 1914, the basic Little platform was remade as the Chevrolet Model L and later
that year, the Model H was introduced.
The refocused Chevrolet line was immediately successful, thanks to a value-driven price and a tough fourcylinder
engine the proved very durable. Despite the company’s early success, Durant and Chevrolet differed on
the philosophy of the company’s products. The gulf between them resulted in Durant buying out Chevrolet’s
interest in the company in 1915. Customers ultimately validated Durant’s vision and Chevrolet sales continued
to grow. The success enabled Durant to buy a controlling interest in General Motors in 1916. By 1917, Durant
was back at the helm of GM with Chevrolet as a division.
Durant left General Motors in 1920. He established another car company and became a prominent Wall Street
investor. The stock market crash of 1929 proved fatal for both endeavors. He was bankrupt by 1936. He died in
1947 and was buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York.
Louis Chevrolet also lost his fortune during the Great Depression. He returned to his vocational skills and
worked as a mechanic at a Chevrolet factory in Detroit. He died in 1941 and was buried in Indianapolis, near
the famous speedway where he forged his reputation as a fearless racer and innovator.
Into the next century
The electrically driven Volt leads Chevrolet into its second century and redefines what a car means. It is the
world’s first mass-produced electric vehicle with gasoline-powered extended range, providing up to 379 miles
of total range 2 . That means Volt provides the benefits of an electric vehicle without the range limitations
associated with other electric vehicles in the market — expanding the boundaries of performance and
efficiency. It is redefining what a car means and exemplifies Chevrolet’s heritage of introducing advanced
technology on value-driven products.
The forward-looking philosophy that nurtured Volt from concept to production is also responsible for products
such as the Equinox and Cruze, whose value stories are validated by critical praise, third-party
recommendations and the growing numbers of customers who are new to Chevrolet. Similarly, the Camaro and
Corvette continue a six-decade heritage of offering high-performance values, bringing advanced technology to
affordable sports cars. On the truck side, Silverado delivers the greatest capability in the long history of Chevy
trucks, with greater capability and efficiency on the horizon. These vehicles were developed with an eye on
Chevy’s past, ensuring they remained true to the brand’s commitment to bringing more technology to more
people.
This year, Chevrolet will launch the all-new Sonic in North America. Next year, the Spark comes to America,
bringing the Chevrolet spirit to a new and growing segment of smaller, highly efficient and fun-to-drive cars.
Chevrolet is also exploring a range of concepts and new-product segments, building on the momentum
generated by recent successful product launches to put Chevy vehicles in the driveways of a wider and more
diverse range of customers.
Cruze, Sonic and Spark are products of Chevrolet’s growing global presence. Indeed, the Chevy “bowtie”
insignia is seen on vehicles in more than 130 countries and Chevrolet is leveraging those worldwide links to
develop products tuned for local tastes and needs, while delivering the brand’s trademark style, value and
performance. Shared development procedures with engineering and design centers around the globe also help
deliver safe and efficient vehicles. The Cruze, for example, offers 10 standard air bags 3 and the Cruze Eco
model offers an EPA-estimated mileage rating of 42 MPG on the highway.
Chevrolet enters its second century with great momentum. The next 100 years will see Chevrolet help remake
the automobile to complement the needs of evolving societies and changing resources — all with its iconic
style, performance and value.

General Motors Tries to Buy Ford… In 1909! WHAT???
William Durant once got approval from GM’s board of directors to buy Ford!
2012 is Chevrolet’s 100th birthday year and unless you’ve been in
a coma, you could not have missed the celebration. Last summer
we told you about the most popular Chevrolet of all time contest.
Sorry plastic fantastic fans, the Corvette fell in the 3rd round of
competition and the ‘69 SS/RS Camaro was the eventual winner.
Then on November 3, 2011 media outlets celebrated Chevrolet’s
100th birthday with feature stories and slide shows. (see special slide
show link at the bottom of this post) Chevrolet commercials have been featuring the 100th birthday celebration,
as well as car magazines. And GM’s performance flagship car, the Corvette, will offer buyers the Centennial
Edition option for 2012. Yes, it’s a heady time for Chevrolet.
But on page 14 of the December 2011 issue, Motor Trend magazine dished up what I thought was a tasty
trivia tidbit of seldom talked about General Motors history. Referencing Lawrence R. Gustin’s book, “Billy
Durant, Creator of General Motors,” MT dropped this fascinating factoid.
In the early days of the American car industry, there were hundreds of car companies, most of which
have been long forgotten. Many of the brand names that are still with us were once shabby little enterprises.
Even though it wasn’t the computer age, “business is business” and a feeding frenzy was going on. Car
companies were buying up other car companies that were then bought up by bigger or more aggressive car
companies. There’s always a bigger fish, right?
William Crapo Durant (yes, that was his middle name) worked out a deal to buy the Ford Motor
Company for $2 Million in cash, plus an additional $4 Million paid out over three years, at 5-percent interest.
Billy pitched the deal to his company’s board of directors on October 26, 1909 and they approved, IF he could
get the financing. But the banks said, “NO!” It probably seemed way too risky with possible cost overruns, etc.
Then the following year after a banking panic, GM’s board gave Durant the boot and let the bankers
take over General Motors! Sounds kind of familiar, doesn’t it? Out of a job, Durant, along with investment
partners William Little (of the Little Motor Car Company) and Durant’s son-in-law, Dr. Edwin R. Campbell,
teamed up with race car driver Louis Chevrolet and incorporated Chevrolet on November 3, 1911. Like a bad
marrage, Louis and Billy parted company in 1915. Durant took the profits from the Chevrolet Company and
bought the controlling shares in his old company, General Motors. Then in 1917, Durant folded the Chevrolet
company into General Motors.
Louis Chevrolet took his cashed out company holding and went back to his first love, auto racing and
drove in four Indy 500 races, with his best finish in 1919 in 7th place. By the end of 1929, Louis lost his
fortune in the stock market crash and eventually got a job as an assembly line mechanic in of all places,
Chevrolet. I know, hard to imagine! When he died on June 14, 1941, he was nearly penniless.
What an odd working out of events. While Louis Chevrolet’s story is relatively well known, the Durant
attempt to buy Ford was a story that I had never heard. Obviously, swept into the dust bin of American
coprorate history. Considering the intense rivalry between Chevrolet and Ford that went white hot with the
release of the ‘55 small-block Chevy engine, the notion of Ford having been nearly purchased in 1909 by
General Motors is staggering! It’s hard to fathom the lineup of GM cars that might have read, “Chevrolet,
Pontiac, Buick, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, GMC, and Ford(?)”
If Ford had been folded into the General Motors company the way Chevrolet was, would there have ever
been a Ford Model T? Probably not. And what would have become of Henry Ford? Would he have taken his
payout and retired, and possibly lost everything the way that Louis Chevrolet did in ‘29? Would the classic
Flathead Ford engine become the Flathead GM engine or Flathead Chevy engine???
Hard to tell and interesting to ponder. One thing is for sure. Modern corporate warfare was just as nasty,
dirty, and viscous back then, as it sometimes is today. It just happens faster today, thanks to electronics. But the
basic rule of the corporate jungle is still the same. “Business is Business!”

GM has released an update on the
current production statistics of the 2012
Corvette through October 10th. From it
we can gather some of the purchasing
habits of new Corvette owners including
models and colors as well as acceptance
of certain options. The Grand Sport
Corvette Coupe is the most popular
model with 43% of all Corvettes
produced and 23% of new Corvette
owners picked Torch Red as their
favorite color. Of special note is the new
Centennial Corvette package which
accounts for 17% of all new Corvettes
produced so far.
Update from GM on 2012 Corvette Production
The sales data on the GM charts is through October 10, 2011 and using GM’s monthly production
numbers, we estimate that about 4,300 Corvettes have been built through that date. With that number,
we can use the provided percentages calculate the estimated quantities:
MODEL % of MY QUANTITY
Coupe 24% 1,032
Convertible 7% 301
Grand Sport Coupe 43% 1,849
Grand Sport Convertible 20% 860
Z06 4% 172
ZR1 3% 129
———
TOTAL: 4,300
COLOR % of MY QUANTITY
Torch Red 23% 989
Carbon Flash 17% 731
Blade Silver 14% 602
Arctic White 13% 559
Supersonic Blue 9% 387
Velocity Yellow 7% 301
Carlisle Blue 6% 258
Crystal Red 5% 215
Inferno Orange 5% 215
Cyber Gray 1% 43

Using the same estimated production figure of 4,300 MY 2012 Corvettes along with the percentages of the
ZLC Centennial Edition package provided in the slides, we can extrapolate the quantities for
Coupes/Convertibles and Grand Sport Coupes/Convertibles. Although the percentages of ZLC
production for Z06/ZR1 were not provided in this update, we can estimate them based on the 17% of
buyers opting for Carbon Flash – the Centennial Corvette’s exterior color.
MODEL MODEL % QUANTITY
Coupe 6% 62
Convertible 7% 21
GS Coupe 19% 350
GS Convertible 22% 189
Z06/ZR1 36% 108
One other stat worth noting is if you look at the model year data, you will see the penetration of the 1LT
package on the standard Coupe is 52%. That means that 1 of about every 4 Corvette buyers are going
with the least expensive model and over half of them are going with the standard equipment package.
Reviewing 2011′s October production update, that number for 1LT base Corvettes stood at 37%. We’re
not sure what that means, but we think buyers would rather be in a base Corvette than no Corvette at all.
More Interesting, Little Known, Seldom Talked About Chevrolet History
So, what became of the three Chevrolet brothers, Louis, Gaston, and Arthur?
We might be learning more about Chevrolet than their public relations department would like us to
know. One of my favorite car blogs is from Hemmings Motor News. Every day they serve up a heap’n, help’n
of automotive history and fun. Today they posted an interesting story about the final resting place of the three
Chevrolet brothers – Louis, Gaston, and Arthur. As Chevrolet rolls into their centennial celebration year, I’m
sure there’ll be all sorts of special features, articles, videos, and books. So, let the fun begin!
Regardless of what your favorite auto maker happens to be, there’s no argument that “Chevrolet” is one
of the all-time top iconic brands in American popular culture. Although the name may well have originated
in France, it turns out that Louis Chevrolet emigrated from Switzerland. But first, he went through Paris, then
Montreal, before arriving in Brooklyn in 1901. Louis had two younger brothers, Arthur and Gaston.

The Chevrolet car company story is fairly well known. Louis teamed up with William Crapo Durant
to form the Chevrolet Company in 1911. Louis and Willy had a falling out in 1915 and Willy sold his
shares in the company. With some interesting money machinations, Durant used his funds to eventually
buy the controlling shares of General Motors, the company he had lost a few years before. Then in
1917 Durant bought out Chevrolet and folded the name into his General Motors company. (This is
starting to sound like a Gordon Gekko story!) Louis took his money and got into the auto racing
business, but went broke by the time of the 1929 stock market crash. Needing a job, Louis ended up as
a line mechanic in a Chevrolet factory. Although he was a mechanic first, it must have been a
humiliating experience.
What became of the other two brothers whose name became a cultural icon? Gaston Chevrolet
first raced in the 1919 Indy 500 and came in 10th place. But it turned out that 1920 was Gaston’s year –
sort of. He won the 1920 Indy 500 with an average speed of 86.63-mph – a very fast speed for the day.
Later that year, Gaston was killed in a race at the very dangerous, one-mile board track in Beverly
Hills, California. Ironically, because of the points structure at the time, Gaston posthumously won the
AAA National Championship. He was only 28-years old.
Arthur Chevrolet didn’t fare too well either. You could say that “racing” was definitely in the
family. Arthur raced at the first Indy 500 in 1911 and again in 1916. Louis, Gaston, and Arthur got into
the race car business in 1916 when they formed the Frontenac Motor Corporation. The enterprise had
some initial success but lost its edge after WW I and was never able to be competitive again because of
a lack of funding. Arthur had one more shot at the Indy 500 in 1920 and was seriously injured in a
crash, ending his racing career.
But Arthur was no dummy. In 1928 he filed for a U.S. Patent for his “Overhead Valve Engine” and
was awarded the patent on January 21, 1930. In 1929 Louis and Arthur started the Chevrolet Brothers
Aircraft Company with their own, “Chevrolair” engine design. The company never took off (pardon
the pun) and was taken over by their investors. Arthur and Louis took one more shot in the racing
world by helping to develop the Sprit car. That was pretty much it for Arthur, but you can’t say they
were quitters! In 1946, with Louis and Gaston gone, and broke at the age of 61, he committed suicide.
So, Gaston was killed in 1920 at the age of 28.
Louis dies broke in 1941 at the age of 63.
And Arthur, also broke, takes his own life in 1946 at the age of 61.
How ironic and sometimes cruel fate can be. The three men, whose namesake eventually became an
American cultural icon, never profited in a big way from the Chevrolet automobile enterprise. By the
time Louis had to get a job on the assembly line at Chevrolet, Willian Durant had long since departed
from the company. But someone had to know who Louis “Chevrolet” was. Alfred P. Sloan was running
General Motors when Louis was working the line and had to know that Louis was now an employee.
Surely the company could have given the two surviving Chevrolet brothers a stipend to keep the men
living with some modicum of dignity.
All three Chevrolet brothers are now buried together at Holy Cross and St. Joseph Cemetery in
Indianapolis. And up until recently, Arthur had been in an unmarked grave. I guess we could say…
Life isn’t always fair.
Fate can sometimes be cruel.
And Business is Business.

Chevrolet Speedometers Through The Ages
There are many aspects of our automobiles that we don’t
pay much attention to, or take for granted. The air ducts,
for example, are rarely examined, even though they
provide a crucial function. Same with door handles, or
rearview mirrors. But perhaps the most often-ignored part
of the car is one we actually look at a lot; the speedometer.
International designer Christian Annyas put together this
post of Chevrolet speedometers through the ages, starting
with the ‘41 Chevy pickup, and ending with the 2011
Chevrolet Sonic compact.
If you ask us, the most fun speedometers are the first three,
all from ‘40’s Chevy trucks. There are of course many of
the Chevy staples past and present, including the ‘56 Bel
Air, ‘67 Camaro, and 2003 Corvette. But there are also
some outliers, like the 2000 Chevy Venture van, or the
1960 Viking pickup. Some of the sportiest-looking speedometers came from non-sporty cars though, like
the Cobalt and HHR. Odd, ain’t it?
And while you can see hints of relations between the speedometer, most of them are pretty different from
each other. Our favorite has got to be the ‘49 Chevy pickup (top of post) with its almost cartoon-like
numbers. We wouldn’t mind a comeback of that style of speedometer, though we won’t hold our breath
either. Which of these speed indicators did you like best?

RUMOR: C7 Corvette to Lose Split-Window, Retain 6.2L V8
Another week, another round of rumors about the
development of the next generation C7. GM
Inside News is saying that the C7 will be an
evolution (not revolution) of design from the C6,
and that we are to expect a more Europeanlooking
design. Not breaking news so far, they did
say they were able to confirm that the split will
not be on the next-gen Corvette.
The split window was only found on the 1963
Corvette coupe and designers borrowed the
feature years later for the Stingray Concept which
appeared in the first Transformers movie. And
while speculation has run wild that the C7 would
come similarly equipped, that rumor was borne from none other than GM’s own design chief who
proclaimed that it would be there.
In September of 2009 in an interview with Inside Line, General Motors Vice President of Global Design
Ed Welburn said “the split-window is something that I expect for the next Corvette.“. If in fact that
Welburn has reversed himself on that feature would be an interesting question once the true design is
known.
GM Inside News also says the Corvette will continue to be powered by a base 6.2L and not the more fuel
efficient 5.5L V8 we’ve been hearing about. They also say that the 7-speed manual transmission is
confirmed for the 2014 Corvette as well.
The interior of the new Corvette is expected to get a major upgrade with a complete redesign and use of
higher quality materials. We have screamed our support for the Corvette to get the Cadillac CUE
infotainment center with its capacitive-touch screen. Although CUE’s lead designer Stuart Norris
recently said “There are things that we are doing on CUE that are only going to be available in a Cadillacpriced
car, it’s now sounding like at best we’ll get some knock-off version of the CUE or worse case,
Corvette will end up with the Chevy’s MyLink system that will be featured in the newly redesigned 2013
Malibu. I know.
The 2014 Corvette is expected to be launched in mid-to-late 2013 and will continue to be built at the
Bowling Green Assembly Plant.
Exclusive: This is the 2014 Chevy Corvette
The exclusive images you see here, derived from hours spent secretly poring over the sheetmetal of two
seventh-generation Corvettes, show the next step in the supercar's iconic evolution. These aren't photos,
but this is absolutely the next-generation Chevy Corvette in ZR1 trim. GM so doesn't want you to see
these.
Love it or hate it, the Chevrolet Corvette is an American icon. For most of its 60 years, the 'Vette's shown
that a commodity-focused U.S. automaker can confound expectations and compete with the likes of
Ferrari and Lamborghini. The seventh-generation Corvette — or C7 Corvette — as fan-boys and GM
insiders call it — is designed to further confound those expectations.
These renderings were derived from hours poring over the completely uncamouflaged "sheetmetal" of
two versions of the next-gen Corvette. With limited time, we decided to, rather than show you the first
one, a base level Corvette, we focused our rendering efforts instead on the high-performance ZR1 trim
level.

None of our sources were willing to go on the record or allow me to run their name for fear they might
lose their jobs. That's also why I'm showing renderings rather than actual photos — I don't care if it
might cast doubt on the veracity of the styling — but I didn't want anyone losing their job over this.
That said, we showed these images to three different sources at General Motors — and all three
confirmed that the images you see here accurately portray the ZR1 trim level for the seventh-generation
Corvette. A fourth source — a non-GM employee — confirmed that the vehicle we show here is one of
two Initial Vehicle Engineering Release (IVER) vehicles that's been making the rounds at the Milford
Proving Grounds.
The ZR1 trim level is expected to come out later than the base model Corvette — which is slated for a
2014 model year and a reveal at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show.
At first glance, you think this is nothing more than an evolutionary change to America's supercar. But
give it a second for that initial enormously deceiving glance to dissipate into a double-take. The changes
— like the very Camaro-esque rear taillights, the over-exaggerated side vents, and a new window in the
rear quarter — will be absolutely polarizing to any Corvette fan-boy. And other items — like a split-rear
window, a la the Corvette Stingray, won't make it into production.

Chevrolet Unveils 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype
We’ve been hearing rumblings in
recent weeks that Chevrolet was set to
unveil a new prototype car for the 2012
racing season. Yesterday at the storied,
those rumors gave way to the real deal
as Chevy pulled back the cover on an
all new 2012 Corvette Daytona
Prototype. The new Corvette Daytona
Prototype will make its racing debut in
the 50th anniversary of the GRAND-
AM Series Rolex 24 at Daytona next
January 26-29, 2012.
It was a manufacturer-friendly design
rule change for 2012 that allowed
Chevrolet to go all in on the new
Corvette Prototype. The new prototypes are allowed a smaller cockpit and streamlined roof, along with
the ability to customize the body to make them appear more like the street cars they are named after.
Unlike previous Daytona Prototypes, this car is much sleeker and the Corvette design cues are evident
everywhere. When looking at this car, you will think “Corvette”.
GM’s Racing director Mark Kent stated that the new 2012 Corvette Daytona Prototype was a multifaceted
effort involving Chevrolet, Corvette designers, Pratt & Miller and GRAND-AM. He went on to
say that inspiration for this new Corvette was the IMSA GTP Corvette Prototype raced by in the 1980s.
Four teams have signed up to campaign the new Corvette Daytona Prototype in 2012:
Spirit of Daytona Racing;
SunTrust Racing;
GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing, and the
Action Express
One of the drivers for Spirit of Daytona Racing is none other than Antonio Garcia, the endurance driver
for the #3 Corvette Racing C6.R. Garcia should some laps in the car today as the Corvette Prototype
participates in GRAND-AM testing at Daytona International Speedway.
Jim Campbell, Chevrolet vice president, Performance Vehicles and Motorsports was on hand for the
unveiling and said the following:
“Sports car and endurance racing is an outstanding platform for manufacturers like us to test and learn.
The design of this race car incorporates iconic Corvette styling cues and will be immediately recognized by
sports car enthusiasts and fans of GRAND-AM Road Racing,” Campbell said. “We are excited to see the
Corvette DP compete in the legendary Rolex 24 at Daytona next January.”
The Corvette Daytona Prototype is more than just a DP with Corvette cues. The new car is powered by a
500 horsepower Chevy small-block V8 so that deep throaty V8 sound that Corvette Racing fans are
accustomed to will also be one of the hallmarks of the new Corvette Daytona Prototype.

Noland Adam’s “Stamp Car” Corvette to be Sold After 56 Years
Noland Adams is the man to know when it
comes to Corvettes. Considered one of the
foremost authorities when it comes to the
model, he has been a Corvette owner,
restorer, author and historian for over 40
years. He is also the owner of the United
States Postal Service “Stamp Car” whose
likeness was featured on the stamp released
in 2005 to commemorate Corvette’s 50 th
anniversary. However, after 56 years of
owning the car, Adams will be selling it at
the annual Russo and Steele Scottsdale
Auction in January, giving you the once-ina-lifetime
opportunity to own the famed ‘53 Stamp Car Corvette.
Purchased in 1955 by Adams, the ‘53 Corvette was treated to a ten-year frame-off restoration completed in
1999. With 2,667 hours of work put into it by Adams, his friend Don Mulenhoff and a number of leading
Corvette experts, the Corvette went on to earn a Bloomington Gold Award, National Corvette Restorers
Society (NCRS) Top Flight and Performance Verification awards and even the NCRS Duntov Mark of
Excellence Award with a score of 99.8 percent.
In 2001, Mid America Motorworks started a movement called the “Corvette Stampede” to get the United
States Postal Service to create a Corvette Stamp. With 100,000 signatures on a petition, Mid America
Motorworks succeeded and
the Corvette stamp concept
was one of just 20 stamp
ideas approved that year
out of 50,000 submitted.
Being one of the top
experts for the Corvette
model, Adams was asked to
be a technical consultant in
2003 for the Corvette
stamp that would feature a
’53 model. Using his own
car as a guide, Adams
reviewed preliminary
drawings for the stamp,
making suggestions and
even taking extra photos of
his car in order to get the
stamp image just right. To
complete the image, Adams
found a paint sample that matched the white paint on his car for the stamp car color. In 2005, the United
States Postal Service released the Corvette stamp and Adams was at Mid America Motorworks and the 2005
Michigan State Fair to unveil it with his ‘53 Corvette.
Starting on January 18 th at the Russo and Steele Scottsdale, Arizona Auction, Adams will make his last
appearance with his Stamp Car Corvette, which will cross the auction block at the event. As a historic piece of
automotive history owned by the utmost expert for the Corvette model, we look forward to tuning into the
auction and seeing the Corvette, that made its way into so many people’s homes across the country, change
hands for the first time in 56 years.

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