Those of a certain generation fondly remember the early 1960s black-and-white television series “Route 66” with Martin Milner, George Maharis and later Glenn Corbett.
But some would say the real star was their Corvette convertible as they took to the open road and their next adventure. The first show featured a 1960 Vette with powder blue paint. The last show, four years later, showcased a 1964 Stingray.
That love for an American automobile classic – and perhaps the same wanderlust – live on and clearly was evident in the proud owners of Corvettes who were exhibiting 54 of their dream cars at Friday evening’s Vette Cruise-In at Lake Sumter Landing.
“These cars have a unique mystique in America’s sports car history,” said Gene McConkey, president of the Village Vettes Corvette Club. “Corvettes are pleasing to look at, pleasing to drive and easy to work on.”
He was showing off his exact replica of the pace car that led off the 1998 Indy 500.
“This is one of a limited edition of 1,000 cars. Except for a new battery, everything, including its original purple paint and yellow stripes, is exactly the way it was when it was shipped,” the Gilchrest resident pointed out.
The collection of Corvettes around the square were separated into seven classes or generations of cars. The first, or Class 1, included cars built between 1953 and 1962 and ends with those built since 2014 in Class 7.
“Each class reflects a clean sheet car, meaning the launch of a totally new design and everything is different,” continue McConkey. “We expect that Chevrolet will announce Class 8, early next year, with the introduction of a model with a mid-body engine.”
The touch red paint of Tom Nickerson’s 2017 Grand Sport also drew many spectators.
“’Ol Gracie sleeps in the garage, but I take her out about three times a week,” the Villages of La Reynalda resident said. “She has a second supercharger that gives her about 500 horsepower. Gracie is my seventh Corvette.”
Other onlookers were looking at the split ‘rear’ window of the 1963 Coupe belonging to Ron Tanner of Pennecamp.
“Everyone wants one of these,” he said. This was the only year this Vette came with the two panel rear window. The engineers had thought the center bar was reducing visibility, so GM distributed kits to replace the two panels with one panel. However, those who did so found that their car’s value had decreased. The following year, all Vettes came with a single panel, he continued. “Now, there are only 1,400 Vettes with the split window,” said the Vette Club member.
Tanner’s organization had started in 2011 and now boasts 500 Villagers – mostly husbands and wives — who own about 230 Corvettes.
“We hold monthly dinner meetings the second Thursday evening of the month at Eisenhower Recreation Center,” continued McConkey. “We also conduct ‘drive and dines’ to various venues throughout the year, as well as sponsor various fund raising initiatives for different charities such as ‘Toys for Tots.’”
Meanwhile, Pine Ridge resident Steve Marcotte’s 2017 Z-51 Sting Ray was carefully being examined by ‘Corvette’ Jon Cohan and Carmelo Emilio, the competition’s judges from George Nahas Chevrolet, the event’s sponsor.
“We are looking for clean and correct,” explained Cohan. “Entries can be ‘factory-fresh’ or modified, but with tasteful touches that are not over the top.”
By evening’s end, the two experts would award trophies for best in each class and best in show.
Their decision wasn’t going to be easy.
