Why Do You Love Your Corvette?

Sharing the reasons our members fell in love with the Corvette along with incredible stories about the important people/cars in their lives.

Why do so many love the Corvette? Over 70 years and eight generations, America’s sports car has served not only as General Motors’ most beautiful halo vehicle, the very reason you’d want to visit a dealership in the first place, but also as a testbed for almost every company racing and road-going technology. The LS motor in your truck? It was in a Corvette first. Automatic unlocking doors when you approach with your keyfob? Corvette first. Push-button adjustable suspensions? Well, you get the idea.

The result is something more than a car. It’s a piece of art. An engineering marvel. A roaring experience. And, perhaps most important, a way to connect with your friends and family.

As I write this, CorvetteForum is home to 577,000 members who have made 57 MILLION posts over four million threads. Many people arrive after a quick Google search and/or the purchase of a first Corvette only to forge friendships and stay here with us for five, ten, and even twenty-plus years. All because they share a love for the Corvette.

So in the spirit of Saint Valentine and today’s celebration of love, we started THIS THREAD to ask our community a quick question —

Why do you love your Corvette(s) and/or the brand as a whole?

Also, has anyone celebrated any romantic or family milestones where a Corvette was involved?

So far about 40 members have commented and shared stories of their passion and how their Corvettes fit into their lives. I’ve posted a few of the stories and comments below, but make sure to head HERE to join the discussion and read everyone’s answers.

CRUZ1NN (who shared the featured image at the top of this post) —

Simply put… It is how it makes me and my wife feel when we are looking at it and driving it.

dashotgun —

I love high powered v8 sports cars. Wanted a ferrari midengine, but realized not practical at my end of the swimming pool. I had supra 93 turbo years ago loved it then got a c6 convertible loved it had a c7 then which was just the best car I had ever had. When the C8 midengine came out just had to have it. From soup to nuts it is better then the c7 .

switchlanez —

My reason is as typical and unimpressive as it gets and aligns with Corvette’s time-honored tradition. Corvette team execs are unashamed, almost boastful about admitting to this benchmark. I’ve never had posters of supercars on my bedroom walls but the 458 Italia was my laptop’s desktop wallpaper in 2009. From Top Gear reviews to the way it raced so capably and confidently on tracks in Gran Turismo, it became a mythical machine to me. And that mystique never faded through present day. The C8 is my poor man’s bargain 458 opportunity of a lifetime. Corvette’s formula of mimicking and undercutting desirable European sports cars has been its fundamental value since C1.

Bruno417 —

Two seats, manual trans, LS7 that revs to 7000 rpm’s, front engine, rear wheel drive. Body that looks like you took some plastic and just melted it over a form for body work. I had a Porsche 928 S4, two 911’s, 3 M5’s but they were just high priced German cars that had no sole. This is my second vette, first one a ’88 vert, Doug Nash 4+3, F42 suspension. My wife is on her sixth Corvette.

Midlifegoals —

I fell in love with the Corvette brand when my parents loaded the family up for a trip to Bowling Green in the mid/late 90s. We visited the newly-opened Corvette Museum, and I fell in love with the car. I recall seeing a prototype of the 1986 Corvette Indy (or some close variation) and being blown away that a motor could be placed anywhere other than in the front of a vehicle. I would take a later trip to the museum as a part of a school field trip, where I was able to buy a 1:24 scale diecast of the Corvette Indy- I still have that little car.

Fast forward nearly 30 years- I’m headed to the museum this Thursday to pick up my very first Corvette- the mid-engine car out of my childhood dreams! The Corvette Indy die cast will pose for a photo, too.

To make it even more interesting, my wife and I will pick the car up on what is our 18th anniversary of dating. For those of you quick with numbers- yes, we are high school sweethearts. There are still such things in this world of ours. When we got married several years ago, the Corvette was always a pillar in the financial plan. Our original goal was to do it by the time I turned 40, but things advanced in such a way to allow for it to be a little sooner.

Can’t wait to pick up my Red Mist Stingray in two short (long…..) days! She’s already visited Auto Armor across the street for some PPF, window tint, and Ceramic Coating. She’s in the staging area of the museum now.

elwood13 (pictured above) —

My brother bought his first Corvette in 1978 a few months before my 10th birthday. It was a used 67 Goodwood green convertible. I thought it was the coolest car ever made. It was the first Corvette I ever rode in. First Corvette I ever drove. Instead of studying for finals in high school, I spent the week getting the car ready to take to burn out day on the last day of school. Drove it to high school graduation, 18th birthday party and some other events we don’t tell the wife. I parked it back in his garage that summer of 1986 and that was the last time the car was driven.

Over the years I tried to buy it from him but he “was alway going to fix it up one day soon”. After 21 years of trying, I gave up. I could have had other Corvettes, but I wanted that one. I ended up getting the car when he unexpectedly passed away and that is how I got it. Not how I wanted, but it is what it is. I joined here to learn about the car and go about getting back on the road. The group here confirmed it was probably a 390 hp big block originally as my brother always said. I was warned not go down the rabbit hole, but I did.

This is also the first car I have ever taken apart and rebuilt. My oldest son is helping when he can and this is his first car to work on ever. I thought I would have been done last year but life got in the way. Hopefully this is the year, number 6 since we started, and we will be driving again. My son will also learn to drive a standard in this car. I’m building this car to hit all 48 states before my clutch leg gives out. She will be a driver.

Here is a link to my build thread if you care to know more. Just be bored if you read it and if you ever plan to rebuild a car, do the opposite of what I did and you will be driving years sooner.

https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums…nvertible.html

CorvetteKristy (pictured above) —

A few reasons I love my modified ’66: the loud side exhaust, it’s fun to do burn-outs, and guys think it’s cool to see a female in the drivers seat.

jgorss —

I have had a 40+ year love affair with corvette, there have been short term flings with others, I will always remember the 65 Mustang with fondness and the fling with the LS swapped Miata still makes me smile but I always come back to my first love. It started for me in 1978 when I was looking for my first car, my dad took me to see a C3 his coworker had, it had a hole in the rear quarter and a spun bearing but it was the most beautiful car I had ever seen. My dad, a gear head, agreed to help rebuild it if I worked to buy the parts, I spent all of my free time working to make “car money” but I still would not have finished it if, parts didn’t mysteriously show up in the garage, when I asked my dad about them, he would say “I have no idea”. After 2 fantastic years with the C3 it was sold when I joined the Navy and was stationed overseas. Fast-forward 20 years a wife and a child later, finds me up late one night looking at eBay auctions for used C5’s when I saw an auction for a black 1lt coup within driving distance to my town, without asking my wife (big mistake!) I entered a bid and the next day I was the owner of my second vette. When I told my wife We had bought a Corvette she quickly told me “We” hadn’t bought sh?t. It was a year before she would even ride in the car and she never drove it. I loved that car and still miss it but college tuition came due a few years later and it had to go. Here is where the romantic part comes in, last year I lost my father and his passing had me reminiscing about my life, one night I was telling my wife I really wish I still had my corvettes, and she said “why don’t you get another one” I told her that I would look at some used vettes and see what was available. She asked “can’t you just order what you want?” I couldn’t speak for a minuet then I asked are you serious? She said “yes, our daughter is out of college we don’t have any major bills you need to order the corvette you want.” The next day I put down a deposit on a Red Mist HTC specked out just the way I wanted. I got the allocation on our anniversary and the car rolled off the assembly line on my wife’s birthday! The trip we took to the NCM to pick it up was one of the best vacations we have ever had. I think I win the “Best Wife Ever” contest 

gordoni (pictured above) —

So much about this car to love. I love the looks, the engineering, the fact that it’s the last front-engine, manual transmission of the Corvette line (C7). I love that I can drive it all day long and not be worn out. I love the sound it makes and the looks it gets. I love how it sits, how it turns and how it accelerates. I love it when the back end gets a little greasy when I goose it in 2nd gear. When I started looking for a sports car to buy back in late 2019, the Corvette wasn’t even on my radar. And now I’m on my second C7. Love love love this car!!

johnodrake —

I love my Corvette because is the coolest car I have ever owned.

Zormecteon —

I consider it to be a wasted life to have never owned a Corvette…

I was looking at C5s. and had started pricing C6s as bargains when the C8 was introduced. I’ve always wanted a mid engine car, and at $60K base price I thought “Screw it, I’ll get a new one”….

I do love it…………… BUT
I gave up a Miata to get it. I missed the Miata so much, that I got another. while keeping the C8.
Now then…. There is a certain cache to being a Corvette owner/driver. Everyone on the forum knows what I mean. Part of ownership is the way others perceive you. Whether their assumptions are true or not about you and your lifestyle, owners ARE perceived and treated differently than non-owners,.. both by other owners and non-owners/aspirants… That said, it turns out that I’m not really a Corvette driver….. yet. It’s not that I can’t hustle the car down the road. I went to Spring Mountain, got moved up to the fast group and finished 3rd there— So I CAN drive the car. .. BUT.. All of my previous driving has been in “momentum cars”… Cars where the quickest way is to maintain as much speed as possible because the car is under powered. Also light weight cars. My Sprite weighs 1500 lbs wet with under 70 hp.. (My first sports car). The Miata is known to be only adequately powerful. …

I’ve described the difference between them and the C8 as the difference between using a scalpel and a machete. .. .. I’m still not used to having an over abundance of power… Not that I don’t LOVE it, .. just still not used to it .. after 2 /12 years. ..

WHAT A HOOT!

Mdbirk (pictured above) —

It brought a hobby I could share with my daughters

My dad’s my hero, he’s had this car forever! I grew up dreaming about it being mine one day…he gave it to my older brother in 2012. My brother wasn’t interested and after 8 years of letting it gather dust he gave it to me as a Christmas gift in 2020. It’s brought my family together, expanded my relationship with my father,uncle, cousins , brother and has allowed my wife to see a new side of me.

I rebuilt the motor, the 4 speed and rear end with my father and uncle. It was great to see them hanging out in the garage, for them it was just like the old days.

I miss the old man. So for me, it’s all about family and the memories.

KittyHeart —

the word “corvette” invokes a thirst that conjures images of high end sports cars that are in the upper echelon of what a hard working person can achieve in their lifetime

owning a corvette brings a magnetic status that draws people in at every corner and invigorates intrigue

my favorite is the c7 grand sport with its sexy silhouette, sleek and menacing wide body, and beautiful long hood

JJs Vette —

I drove a used Porsche 911 Carrera when I was looking and drove a used Corvette. The driving experience in the Corvette was so much more engaging and you could feel the power of the V8. In addition, I was able to order a Corvette and get it equipped exactly as I wanted while paying significantly less money than the used Porsche.

jimmie jam —

Because it only cost half as much as my 911 C2S. Disclaimer: the 911 is twice as fun to drive…

My dad passed Nov of 22′. Before he died he gave me the title of his C5, a 2K coupe he bought when retiring, he was a structures engineer on the C5. I was always a sleeper car/muscle car guy, however the few times he let me drive it I found it to be quite fun, the handling is what really caught my attention.

To answer the question I love my Vette for many reasons. Looks, love the pop up headlights, handling, it’s an American legend, blah blah. First and foremost however are the memories it provides of my dad. I have a small receptacle with some of his ashes in the car, he rides with me everywhere I go. I do love the car, and I would give it and everything else I own up for one more minute with him. RIP pops.

I was never really enamored with the Corvette platform until the C8. Decades, ago, I worked for a Chevrolet dealer in the parts department, and that dealer would occasionally have a ‘vette or two in the showroom. At that time, (end of the 70’s), they just never impressed me. Subsequent versions seemed better, but never practical, as I always coveted and had other toys like boats, motorcycles, and even airplanes. The first time I saw a C8 in person, I was completely impressed, and began my research on them. The more I learned, the more I wanted one, and a spirited test drive was the final step in my addiction – I just had to have one. What caught my attention was the styling and the performance approaching that of vehicles costing way more. What I truly love about mine is the feeling that I am “wearing” it as much as driving it. The vehicle just fits me better than anything I have ever owned, and it is an absolute joy to drive with great acceleration and handling, and the exhaust notes sound awesome. To complete the infatuation, the gorgeous Elkhart Lake Blue color makes it really stand out from the crowd, even among other Corvettes.

When I was in high school all of my buddies had muscle cars except me. We spent our time either riding in them or working on them in a driveway: 67 GTO, 69 Hurst Olds, 69 RS Z28, 70 Z28, and a 72 Trans Am HO. When I was in college I got a good part-time job and bought a used 74 260Z. The older brother of one of my high school buddies was going to the same college so we decided to switch weeks carpooling. He had a 72 Corvette. Over the year we rode together I fell in love with it and vowed to get one when I could afford one. Then life happened. About 15 years later I still had the Corvette dream, got permission from the Boss, and bought my C4 as a daily driver. That turned me into an addict and you can see the Corvettes I’ve owned over the last 30 years in my signature. I was shopping for a 2018-2019 Grand Sport in early 2021 when the market was nuts and realized I could get a C8 for just a bit more than I would pay for a C7 someone else had built. My wife’s only request was to get a convertible – yes mam! I’ve had some health issues since September that have kept me out of my C8 and have thought about selling it but that thought goes away quickly when I walk out and look at it.

BruceV —

It all started around 1970 when I was 13, the guy on the next street from me had a beautiful 1967 Vette. I would walk past that car everyday, some days he would be outside and he would talk with me about the car. He never did give me a ride in it, yes I asked him and he was always busy.

I have been into bikes and cars forever. I was in the car business for about 20 years, over the span of those years I had bought several Corvettes, not for me personally, they were for sale. But of course I had the opportunity to drive them anytime I wanted.

I was a trackday junkie for years but not with cars, motorcycles on track just brings out your adrenaline level like nothing else.

Then one day the realization of continuing riding on track was not worth the risk, my body has been beaten up so much, one good(bad) crash might just be a game changer.

So I retired from the motorcycle fast track if you will.

I needed to try and replace some of the excitement I was missing, I wanted to get some type of sports car. I really like Lambo’s but financially ownership was not realistic.

Started seriously looking at the C8 last spring. Decided it was an awesome car, ordered one from MacMulkin drove it home in December. And basically have parked it since.

Patiently waiting for spring and keeping my fingers crossed that the C8 will hold my attention enough to slowly put 2 wheels in my rearview mirror.

Images: CorvetteForum members