Walk Softly and Carry a Big Stick: Page 4

It’d be interesting to know just how many Corvette sales have been generated because it is not only the best but also the baddest American production performance car that can be had. How many buyers fork-over their cash and sign on the dotted line because they want to own America’s top performance car?  Personally I don’t deceive myself, my days of pushing a ZR1 or Z06 to their limits are over. 

There once was a time?. But that’s is another story for another day. 

So, like so many others, I’m more than satisfied with my base C6 with performance suspension and exhaust. The car fits me and I love it, just like I love my C5.  But there’s some comfort knowing that I drive a Corvette, the King of the Hill, even though with my diminishing racing skills and lack of performance upgrades, another model, a ZL1 or even a GT500?with a competent driver?could hand me my ass. And it’s not that I like to brag, I just take solace in knowing that my car’s big brother can beat your car up.  

Right about now, I can hear my wife getting on the phone with my therapist. Quick?another Jack! 

And I think we all know what I’m talking about.  Every first year marketing student has heard about the buyer who goes into the showroom and spends hours looking at the Torch Red convertible, then signs on the dotted line for an Acadia, or the very true stories about the importance of ?Racing on Sunday, selling on Monday?.  

There are as many reasons a Corvette buyer hands over the money as there are RPO’s.  And I think I could make a pretty good case that a lot of those reasons are tied to being number one in performance!  They may not buy the ZR1 or Z06, but just owning a Corvette gains the owner admission inside the sacred battle-scarred walls of the king of performance. And then ask how many of those ?loyal? Corvette owners would still be waving the Corvette flag if it gets beat-up by some ?lesser? automobile? Okay, so it’s an oxymoron to call anything ?lesser? if it beats the standard bearer. Sorry. 

Understand, I am not one of those ?crepe hangers? and hopefully have no reason to be concerned.  As I have stated several times over the past year, the engineers at GM have done an outstanding job of delivering the best performance car on earth. But ?forewarned Is forearmed!? 

America loves a winner, we love being number one. We have a tradition of winning and it carries on. We put our winners on pedestals and honor them, we try to learn from them, emulate them. I’m not advocating bragging and boasting but rather just having the tools to get the job done, to remain on the throne.  

I’m confident that the King will prevail and enjoy a long and successful reign.  We all know the Scout motto, ?Be Prepared!?  And that is simply all I am advocating. Being prepared!  We’ll continue to refine and develop the new C7 as we have with other past generations, and as we look to the coming years let’s hope that the engineers at GM subscribe to what Teddy Roosevelt advocated: 

?Walk softly and carry a big stick!?