Retired NASA Engineer Jim Meyer Still Owns His Out of This World C3 Corvette

Like many astronauts of the era, Jim Meyer owned a C3 Corvette, but this one has racked up some miles.

Most Corvette fans are very familiar with the story behind the NASA astronauts and the Corvettes they owned. Many, but not all Apollo astronauts drove Corvettes, thanks to the fact that they were able to lease the sports cars for a little more than free, and many of these cars have reached star status in recent years. But one particular NASA employee-owned car you rarely hear about is engineer Jim Meyer‘s C3 Corvette, which he still owns to this day. Recently, Driving caught up with Meyer and got the scoop behind this fascinating story.

Unlike many, Meyer was never afraid to actually drive his C3 Corvette, and across his 37 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, he showed up to work every single day in this very car. His story of “Gray Ray,” as he affectionately calls his ride, dates back to college, however. “One of my fraternity brothers in college had a white 1962 Corvette, and I just thought it was the most wonderful thing,” Meyer said. “When I reported to NASA in Houston, September 12, 1966, well, you’ll never guess. Parked out front of building four was Alan Shepherd’s white 1962 ‘Vette.”

Now that Meyer had made it in the world of NASA, he decided that it was time to get a Corvette of his own. He placed an order for this Cortez Silver 1969 model, and 28 days later, it arrived. Meyer opted for the 350 horsepower 350 V8 underhood, which is mated to a four-speed manual transmission. Needless to say, it was love at first sight for the engineer, who played a pivotal role in NASA’s Apollo mission.

“I tell you, I can still clearly remember the day I drove that car out of the dealer,” Meyer said. “The engine was so high-compression in those days, that you’d get carbon buildup on the spark plugs. The solution was to run it at about 100 mph. I used to run it up to about 120 mph in front of the VAB [NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building] because we wouldn’t get tickets if we got stopped there, just points. But I never got stopped.”

Meyer retired from NASA back in 2002, but he still owns his beloved Gray Ray, which now has 173,000 miles on the clock. He did give the car a bit of a refresh a few years ago, as Florida’s salty air had taken a bit of a toll on the Corvette. And every once in a while, he still drives it to his old stomping grounds, just to remember where it all started.

Photos:Jim Meyer via Driving

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