1963 CHEVROLET CORVETTE SPLIT WINDOW COUPE In 2011, I finally acquired my first Corvette. It was a lightly used 2010 Blade Silver C6 coupe with only 4,000 one-owner miles. It now has 35,000 miles and has never once been driven in the rain. Then, in 2016 at Mecum Kissimmee, I purchased a superb Bloomington Gold award-winning 1972 Sting Ray C3 coupe in Ontario Orange Metallic as a surprise to my wife, who also always wanted a Corvette. Both of these ‘Vettes are lavishly cared for and are a part of our permanent collection. Fast forward again to July 2019, when the all-new C8 midengine 2020 Corvette was unveiled in Tustin, California, where fellow Mecum TV personality Katie Osbourne and I were there to see the reveal. When the wraps came off, I felt exactly the same as I did when I saw my first Stingray. This new design has once again reset the bar in the storied history of America’s Sports Car, and I seriously gave some thought to actually buying one. After spending countless hours on the Corvette configurator on the Chevrolet website, I finally locked in on a 1LT coupe in Elkhart Lake Blue Metallic with Sky Cool Gray seats. I also chose three options, including performance exhaust, red brake calipers and chrome badges. My order was placed in August 2019 and delivered to my home via Mecum Transport on December 17 after a 16-month wait. My selling dealer was Matick Chevrolet in Detroit, and Alan Johnson handled the order with much care and enthusiasm, as he knew just how significant this car was to me. There were 40,000 first-year C8s planned, but due to a worker strike and concerns surrounding the pandemic, only 20,368 were built. Of course, 2021 models are now in production with only a few minor changes, and demand remains high as the styling, performance and value is irresistible. So, now I have Corvettes from three distinct generations and could not be more pleased or content. And, as Corvettes are among the MECUM.COM • 29 most plentiful of car models at Mecum auctions, there is no shortage of them to further entice me. Since July, Mecum has typically even had new C8s available among the lineups at each auction; they do tend to sell in excess of the sticker price, but with no waiting time to get behind the wheel and drive, many bidders still choose this option. Perhaps in a future column, I will share my first Mustang encounter and eventual purchase as well.
