Icon Helmets

American Icon Turns 58 Today, January 17, 1953 Debut The Chevrolet Corvette

The Chevrolet Corvette prototype was viewed for the first time today with great fan fare. The Corvette was named after the fast navy war ship. The debut a sleek and small body muscle car dawned upon the age of rock-n-roll to even be glorified in song of a new age in automotive history. Though American it introduced European style to the masses of America auto buyers. The corvette still in production today is a high performance vehicle sought after and glorified in countless auto posters.

Some argue that the corvette is still a muscle car but I beg to differ to survive it's 58th birthday corvette left it's muscle block ways and became a modern performance sports car in show rooms now. There are no more muscle cars why they were loud, consumed gas like there was no tomorrow and none of the features in better control and steering. A true muscle car was power without the reins in some cases. All muscle cars were known to nose heavy and backside light like an airplane in a nose dive and the wheelbase on most think how much contact you had to earth. Oh, it's like barely having your feet on the ground. The description if you ever driven true muscle cars the exhilaration of going down hill on a bicycle without breaks, as back then it wasn't disc breaks it was drum all around. No anti-lock breaks either compared to today, I'm sorry I miss the slide tactic as you feel the breaks lock and pedal drop to make an emergency shoulder stop if lucky. The reckless danger and exhilaration before seatbelt laws, bicycle helmets did not existed and shoot the football head injuries, I remember football jocks doing jaw shattering head butts and guys crushing beer cans into their foreheads. Yeah, muscle cars came out of era of unbridle reckless lust for thrill without a safety net in sight.

I enjoyed that the corvette has become one of the lone survivors of the muscle car legacy that mayhem of the past. I get excited when I see one really cause I think of my dad's old 66 impala and it's draw of other motor heads the chance to meet owners of corvettes, GTO, Thunderbirds and Mustangs. Yes, even a few Porche and Jaguar owners tried to join the likes, but they realized it's not the same block to hang out. The corvette even has a national museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky and a museum delivery and pickup program for new owners. Though before my time the car has a place in movies and television. Route 66, Stingray and was even endorsed by major stars of Hollywood's golden era. Today, this performance car can top 205 mph though no place legal to drive at this speed, nice to know still has a bit of wild child left.

It's a lot for a 58 yr old still staying strong in the automotive market today adapting today's engineering. It's makes me wonder though when I turn 58 can I pickup some new life under my hood to put in some more serious miles ahead. As the era of American car development is like watching a person grow the teen years had your loud, rowdy and racy teenagers of the muscle car era. Today it's about keeping things in shape going more on less an adult with controlled effort. I wonder if this American icon will see 100 yrs and what it will be like that's the interesting thing. It was debut during the time of great economic boom and seen it's share of economic hardship. It at one time had an identity crises for a period GM molded the Corvette as a kissing cousin to the Carmaro. No, it's not a economy car nor a family vehicle performance is a dirty word in light of being green. If this car can change it's habits from muscle bound block head to todays sports performance vehicle. It most likely can be reivented once again showing sporty edge can live economically and adapt innovation.

When I'm 81 if Corvette is around to turn 100 yrs, I look forward to test drive. Remembering my first joy ride in one in a country field I barely was able to reach the pedals then at age 9 on a 1955 Corvette. Gosh it was fun, the remnants of the circular ruts I made in the field still barely visible today. The car with that toothy front grill was smiling always just like the owner who let a kid take it for a spin. I hope this car can make the mark as it's well on the way of becoming a legacy car for American Automotive Industry.