The Corvette is an American classic. It is a powerful symbol of American strength and innovation. The Corvette is a testament to the American worker and their ability to produce the first-in-class, iconic Corvette recognized worldwide.
I am excited about owning the new C8. Mid-engine, with a 6.2-liter, 490-hp V-8, it runs like a racer and handles like a dream, yet somehow is still comfortable for day-to-day use. This Corvette Day I am going to enjoy a ride in my new C8 and soak up the beautiful summer weather.
The Corvette was always a sleek machine, but the new C8s look mean and lean, and they have the performance to match. Capable of going from zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds, it will do the quarter-mile in 11 seconds. It will get you where you are going — fast — and you look great getting there.
More than its looks and performance, though, the Corvette is the perfect symbol of American Innovation and strength. Built in Kentucky, at Chevrolet's Bowling Green plant, the Corvette puts Americans to work building something they can be proud of, a car that aggressively drives America forward.
Corvette has innovated for decades. First, it was with fiberglass body panels on the original 1953 Corvette, then the 1956 model's 283-hp, fuel-injected V8. The 1963 Stingray models added independent rear suspension and a 360-hp V. The 1968 model premiered perhaps the most famous body style in the history of sports cars: the Corvette "Mako," the last generation of Corvette to be produced outside of Kentucky.
The Mako was also the car the astronauts drove. The famous photograph of the Apollo astronauts standing next to their Corvettes is an iconic image from an era of unprecedented American achievement.
Through the 1990s and into today, Corvette's engineers constantly innovated with upgraded powertrains and newly available technologies to produce various models and styles, some of which were not available to the public — only to race car drivers.
Corvette's innovation was not limited to just the consumer market. As the premier American race car, entering races at Le Mans and Daytona, Corvette brought home win after win, with 117 victories overall and eight at Le Mans. The car won its class and placed eighth overall at Corvette's premiere at Le Mans in 1960.
The Corvette is also a cultural icon. Growing up in a union-influenced household in Kentucky, my love affair with the Corvette began in 1992 at age 12, fueled, in part, by watching Bobby give Pam the '79 Corvette in "Dallas."
"Dallas" wasn't the only television show to showcase the vehicular icon. Other shows featured the Corvette, such as "Route 66" and "Beverly Hills 90210." Movies cast the Corvette as well, including films like "Corvette Summer," "Cleopatra Jones," "Animal House," "Terms of Endearment," "Con Air," "Star Trek," and "Cannonball Run."
Famous drivers include George Clooney, Michael Jordan, Jon Bon Jovi, Jay Leno, and Matthew McConaughey. And the car has been sung about or has influenced the music of country, pop, and hip-hop artists, alike. One of the most unique Corvette references was embedded in the George Jones Song "The One I Love Back Then." It was one of the first songs I played in my new Corvette.
To me, the Corvette is more than just a fast car. The Corvette is an aspiration and a symbol of power, freedom, and ambition. It has long symbolized the achievement of the American Dream. It is a monument to American ingenuity and the promise of the American worker — a true American icon.