Heroes & Hot Rods: C8 Corvette’s Connection to America’s Astronauts
Heroes & Hot Rods: C8 Corvette’s Connection to America’s Astronauts
Latest Corvette droptop carries on a rich and long-running tradition with roots not just on earth, but also in space.
The fact that Chevrolet was going to build a drop-top version of their groundbreaking C8 Corvette is perhaps the worst kept secret in the automotive world. Obviously, the automaker was well aware of this fact. Perhaps that’s why they teased us with quick shots of the C8 convertible that were included in a video when they unveiled the coupe back in July.
Regardless, there’s no denying the historical significance of the latest Chevrolet Corvette convertible, which is Chevy’s first-ever hardtop in the company’s history. And that’s whyCorvette Forum was on hand to witness its official press unveiling at the appropriate venue of the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Oct. 2. (The public debut took place Oct. 3.)
“The Corvette is the iconic American sports car because of its performance, power, and speed,” announces NASA astronaut Steven Smith from a podium in the Rocket Garden of the Kennedy Space Center, where approximately 100 auto journalists have gathered for the hotly-anticipated reveal of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible. “And the early American astronauts are all thought of as heroes, so it’s not a big surprise that the icons of the space program drove the iconic car of America: the Corvette. It is also not a surprise that once the [$1] leasing program ended that many of us still pursued owning a Corvette,” says Smith, a veteran of four space flights covering 16 million miles.
Smith mentions that his love for Corvettes goes hand-in-hand with his early NASA aspirations and reveals that from a young age he aspired to attain two things: a career as an astronaut, and to become a Corvette owner.
“In September 1975, I came across an ad in a nearby city about 15 miles away,” Smith recalls from the podium. “My dad and I drove up there on September 25 and the gentleman, Dennis, who was the second owner of the car, rolled the door up and there was a beautiful Nassau blue [1966] Corvette,” Smith said. “I got into that Corvette and Dennis took me out on the local freeway … after a couple minutes in that car, we were going 120 miles an hour.”
“For a 16-year-old high school junior, I was like, ‘I’ll buy it,’” he says about the ‘Vette that he eventually came to own and which instilled in him a lifelong respect and love for the Corvette. incidentally, as he recently told the Florida Today, he still owns the vintage Corvette, pictured below with Smith in 1967.
“Waiting for this reveal reminds me of waiting for my second flight on the Endeavor,” adds fellow space traveller Bruce Melnick, who served as a mission specialist aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1990 and as a flight engineer on the Space Shuttle Endeavor in 1992.
‘My Z06 goes from 0 to 100 at about the same time and distance as the Space Shuttle does…and I gotta tell you, that four or five seconds that it happens, the Shuttle is a lot rougher, and the Corvette is a much smoother car.’
“I’ve always been a fan, an enthusiast, and quite frankly, I’ve been quite a bit of a regular Corvette owner,” says Melnick. “As a matter of fact, between my wife, Kim, and I, we’ve owned nine Corvettes. We only have one right now, and it happens to be a 2016 Z06 C7.R Special Edition model, and it is quite a ride.”
“Having had those Corvettes, and having had the experience to participate in Corvette high-performance driving events, running around a bunch of the road courses around the United States, I’ve had the opportunity to experience the performance of these Corvettes. I mean, what a car! And to be able to see how that performance has increased over the years, it’s been just amazing.
“And now, when you look at the Corvettes that we have, my Z06 goes from 0 to 100 at about the same time and distance as the Space Shuttle does,” continues Melnick. “So, that’s really saying something. Of course, one’s horizontal and one’s vertical, and I gotta tell you, that four or five seconds that it happens, the Shuttle is a lot rougher, and the Corvette is a much smoother car, and it’s come such a long, long way.”
#gallery-1 {
margin: auto;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-item {
float: left;
margin-top: 10px;
text-align: center;
width: 25%;
}
#gallery-1 img {
border: 2px solid #cfcfcf;
}
#gallery-1 .gallery-caption {
margin-left: 0;
}
/* see gallery_shortcode() in wp-includes/media.php */
And then, after Melnick demands “Let’s go ahead and launch this road rocket,” the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible is ready for its closeup as not one but three new convertible Stingrays–including a surprise visit by the C8.R race car–roar onto the stage and elicit a hearty reaction of cheers from the gathered crowd of hardened auto journalists who have seen it all when it comes to covering car reveals. But this one no mere reveal, it is history being made, and the reaction from the audience makes that loud and clear.
History of NASA Astronauts’ Connection to the Corvette
The Corvette has enjoyed a special relationship with space travel since nearly the beginning of its existence. In 1961, Alan Shepard, the first American in space, was gifted a white 1962 Corvette for his efforts. Soon afterward, Florida-based Chevrolet dealer Jim Rathmann created a program that allowed Shepard’s fellow Mercury astronauts to lease Corvettes for a mere $1 per year. The program was obviously a huge success, continuing through the Gemini and Apollo programs until 1971.
The Apollo 12 crew chose to order matching Riverside Gold 1969 ‘Vettes with 427 V8 power. All featured custom-painted black wings over the back of their cars, creating a famous group that appeared in multiple magazines, including Hot Rod, during their time. Today, those cars dubbed the “AstroVettes” are wildly valuable. And every bit as celebrated as they were the day they landed in the hands of these space explorers. Motor Trend was able to drive one of these prized possessions, formerly owned by Apollo 12’s Alan Bean, earlier this year.
Thus, it’s no surprise that Chevrolet placed former astronaut Scott Kelly behind the wheel of the C8 at its debut. As a young man, Kelly looked up to those who flew to space before him. Not to mention the cars that they drove. Thus, he’s owned a couple of Corvettes himself over the years.
And if that isn’t enough of a connection, there was even more reason to link the new C8 convertible and America’s space exploration efforts at the car’s unveiling. Namely because 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission, when Neil Armstrong first set foot on the moon. Armstrong, of course, owned a Corvette as well. And James May was lucky enough to drive it on a recent episode of The Grand Tour.
There’s so much history to celebrate here that it’s no surprise GM decided to debut the C8 convertible separate from the coupe. Drop-tops have always been a big part of the Corvette’s DNA as well. In fact, the very first one was a convertible, of course. Now, Chevy aims to build upon that legacy by introducing the most exotic and functional ‘vert to date.
That all starts with the C8’s power-folding hardtop, a big step up from the cloth roofs of the past, which is obviously a good thing. Well, except for the fact that you lose the ability to view the car’s mid-mounted powerplant via the coupe’s window. But perhaps the ability to push a button and manipulate the roof will compensate for that loss.
Regardless, the C8 convertible is still one fine-looking machine. Not to mention a bit of an engineering masterpiece. It certainly couldn’t have been easy to make the folding-top work with the mid-engine design, of course. But we’re guessing that building a new ‘vert was non-negotiable in GM’s eyes. After all, what other cars can lay claim to having such a rich and celebrated history?
ALL THE RIGHT STUFF: Steve Smith (far left) and Bruce Melnick (kneeling) with fellow U.S. astronauts at the Oct. 2 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible reveal.
Photos and video for Corvette Forum by David Ciminelli; Brett Foote contributed to this story
