National Corvette Museum Showcasing Astronaut-Owned Corvettes
National Corvette Museum Showcasing Astronaut-Owned Corvettes
Relive the glory days of space travel and the role the Corvette played in it now through June 30.
It’s been 50 years since Neil Armstrong became the first human being to set foot on the moon. A moment that still stands as one of the greatest achievements in history. One that had every American glued to their TV screen simultaneously. But back on earth, the brave men who participated in this and other historic space missions all had the same preference for earth-bound rides – the Chevrolet Corvette.
To celebrate this special relationship between man, machine, and space, the National Corvette Museum is showcasing an exhibit called From Gas Station to Space Station. A big part of the display, naturally, are three Corvettes owned by astronauts. Starting with Alan Shepard‘s 1968 Corvette convertible. The first man in space was also the one who started this trend by first driving a 1957 Corvette to the astronaut training base.
After Shepard became the first man in space in 1961, GM’s Ed Cole gifted him a new 1962 Corvette. Before long, everyone who donned the suit wanted one for themselves. Jim Rathmann, who owned a Chevy dealership near Cape Canaveral, stepped up to the plate. He offered astronauts a special lease program that netted them a new ‘Vette each year for the princely sum of $1.
That, of course, paved the way for the 1969 “Astrovettes” painted with a black-on-gold “wings” scheme. All three members of the Apollo 12 crew drove these matching ‘Vettes. Two of them are on display along with Armstrong’s Stingray.
Obviously, the main intention of From Gas Station to Space Station is to remind us that no goal is unreachable. But it’s also a very cool reminder that these brave American heroes drove Corvettes, too. This stellar retelling of one of man’s greatest achievements runs now through June 30.
Photos: National Corvette Museum
