C1 Owned and Loved for Record 60 Straight Years

Gene Stenger Has Owned His C1 Corvette for 60 Years, and That’s a Guinness World Record

The Chevrolet Corvette is a special machine that creates a special feeling and a special bond with its owners. One that can persist for decades and decades. In fact, love for a Corvette can be strong enough to set a world record. Back in 2000, Gene Stenger set a Guinness World Record for the longest continually-owned vehicle with his 1954 Corvette, a car he bought new. (If this sounds familiar to you, the car was actually featured in a Super Bowl commercial once.)

Stenger recently let the fine folks at Hemmings Magazine take his prized Corvette for a spin. Even after all these years, the C1 fires up with no drama, and it takes off with all the gusto you’d expect. Brakes are said to be squishy but effective, and the manual steering rack collected praise for its road feel. We are beyond jealous of the folks at Hemmings.

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If you have never heard of Gene, or his record-setting 1954 Corvette, you owe it to yourself to set some time aside to read the write up. Hemmings does a fantastic job of conveying the history behind the car, and just why Gene kept it so long. From love at first sight, to purchase, to the honeymoon road trip Gene took with his wife — almost every wonderful memory is chronicled.

Of course, the greatest part of this tale is Gene himself. The man never gave up on his car, or his love; he is set to celebrate 60 years of marriage. Even today, at 83-years-young, Gene still loves his wife, Norma, and he still drives his ’54 Corvette at least twice a week, if the weather is nice.

If you ever had a doubt that the Corvette is special, maybe Gene can change your mind.

Via [Hemmings Magazine]