See the USA in Your Chevrolet: Corvette Road Tripping (Torque Tuesday Presented by Continental ExtremeContact DWS06 Plus)

No one dreams of a Corvette to keep in in the garage; the classic sports car is a dream on the highways and byways. 

One of the greatest adventures one can embark on is a road trip. Epitomizing the spirit of freedom, there is no means of travel quite like it. Hopping in the car and hitting the road has long been a part of classic American culture. There is a lure in the open road, and in wondering where it may lead. Immortalized by the likes of Jack Kerouac, Hunter S. Thompson, Thelma and Louise, and even The Griswolds. And whether we get get our kicks on Route 66 or find ourselves on the road again, the truth is a lot depends on the car. Can you have a good time in a minivan? Of course. But taking a Corvette on a road trip just pushes the needle towards happier trails.

This week’s Torque Tuesday focuses on how the Corvette might be perfect car for the the quintessential American road trip.

1961 Chevrolet Corvette advertisement

The automotive industry certainly made life and work easier, but it also made the world more accessible. One need not bother with buses, trains, and planes; just gas up the tank and hit the road. By 1952, Dinah Shore sang of this freedom in the catchy jingle See the USA in your Chevrolet: “On a highway/or a road along the levee/performance is sweeter/nothing can beat her/Life is completer in a Chevy.”

Although, cards on the table, they weren’t really talking about the Corvette. At the time, Chevy was looking to sell family sedans and the like. But being a sports car does not mean a Corvette can’t make a great ride. Last year, Corvette Forum member DMeg travelled 9,000 miles in his C8 Corvette.

And yes, he found it was a more than up to the task of providing a startlingly good performance, but comfortable as well.

“Not lying, it is the most comfortable road trip car I’ve ever driven. Heated and cooled seats, adjustable lumbar, heated steering wheel, not noisy or rough at all for a sports car,” he said.

Another Corvette traveler was Bunk who had taken his C7 Corvette Z51 on several trips. “One of the greatest experiences in life is a road trip in your Corvette,” he states.

Now, five-oh has joined the ranks, having recently put some miles on the ticker with a trip in his C5 red Corvette. And five-oh planned a full-tilt Corvette moveable feast.

Corvette life is already a part of the family, so five-oh took his daughter on a trip to the visit the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. Dad of the year nominee? He’s got our vote.

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It was Corvette heaven on the road and at the museum. Afterwards, they hit the road again. After they visited some friends, the two found themselves near Jefferson Davis’ birthplace. “Being history nuts, we stopped to see [it]. My thoughts have always aligned with the saying ‘Those that ignore history are doomed to repeat it,’ so this turned into an impromptu discussion on the Civil War, among other things.”

As they were leaving, they crossed paths with a fellow enthusiast.

“I overheard a little fellow around 4-years-old with his grandpa talking about the C5. ‘I knew it was a Corvette!’ He exclaimed, smiling as they walked away. I told my daughter maybe we had hooked another.”

We have no doubt. For many of us, it is those first car rides with our dads and moms that lit that spark, turning us into life long gear heads. And if there is one car that changes how you look at automobiles, it is the Chevy Corvette on the open road. Or, any road.

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We can’t think of a better way to wrap up the summer than one last, memorable trip in the Corvette.

Photos: Corvette Forum/five-oh/bunk/MDeg; GM

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