I would love for someone to give me a Corvette but I'm not about to buy one.
I'm an older generation model. I grew up during the 50's Golden Age. To this point cars were sold as transportation, it took the adventurous type to take valued daily transportation and subvert it into a frivolous toy. Foreign cars were rare, small and odd. "Japanese Junk" cars hadn't made their way here yet. Some of those silly foreign cars didn't even have the engine in the correct end of the car. All sensible cars were three box design, the starter and high beam buttons were on the floor, heaters, floor mats and turn signals were either not available or an option. You could pimp your ride with rear wheel well covers and a two tone paint job. V-8 engines were just beginning to show the public effortless cruising with passing reserve for the still mostly two lane highways.
In the midst of the three box designs with wings, tail fins, tall, wide cars with cones and missile accoutrements along comes the call of the wild. A low car with aerodynamic looks, an irreverently high output engine for a light weight car, and, gasp, it was sold as a toy and not sensible transportation. It was sexy, the car to have and/or be seen in. The T-Bird didn't stay in this realm long, leaving the Corvette alone as the ultimate, top of the heap American pure sports car. Even during the muscle car era the Corvette (arguably) remained the best overall sport car package wrapped in slinky body panels. In the mid fifties Harley (!) Earl introduced the convertible, Peter Brock, Chuck Pohlmann, Bill Mitchell and Zora Arkus-Duntov kept America's darling dressed to thrill and powered to kill any competition.
In the 70's America discovered that gas isn't unlimited. Foreign cars were becoming common. Feisty Datsun dared to produce a Corvette, the 240Z that the average American could afford. The Corvette continued to perform better, even at the expense of beauty, comfort and with cheap shaking interior parts. Then emissions made an era of Corvettes that were neutered and pretty much eviscerated of power. The Corvette's butt got uglier and uglier until it was saved by the run-flat spare tire.
I've never been fortunate enough to afford a very expensive, single purpose vehicle like a Corvette [enter my love for motorcycles]. Because I grew up with the Corvette I still like to look and read specs but I'll not be bringing one home.
What is in the bottom of the hole in Kentucky is part of my history, of my growing up. Always being a gear-head, these cars, for all their highs and lows have been part of my automotive interest. It is a shame to see these little vignettes of automotive history almost come to an end in a collapsed limestone cave. Love the Corvette or not, it has been part of this old guy's growing up.
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