- via Nst.com - https://www.nst.com.my/cbt/2018/01/327619/corvette-ode-era-excess

Space Age Supercars: Why Astronauts Drove Corvettes

The first American astronauts all drove Chevy Corvettes, helping to create the image of the 'Vette as 'America's sports car'.

3y ago
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Astronauts are almost by definition men (and women) who have a special relationship with machines. They typically are ex-test pilots, people who like high speeds and the machines in which they are achieved. So it's no wonder then, that the men who train everyday to fly spaceshuttles out of the reach of earth's gravity go home in a car to match their jobs. In 1960's America, that could only be one car - the Chevrolet Corvette. And because in the 1960's every child wanted to become an astronaut and every adult wished they'd become one, the Corvette was America's most desired sports car.

The Mercury Programme

The Mercury programme was the NASA project to get the first American into space. And when they succeeded in making Alan Shepard the first American to leave our planet, everyone in America and it's surrounding area knew who he was. And this gave GM an idea. Alan Shepard was not only the first American to go into space, he was also a passionate Corvette guy, even before he started on the Mercury program. He arrived at Cape Kennedy in a '57 Corvette, but after he'd gone to space and came back again, GM gifted him a nice little present for his bravery - a brand spanking new white '62 Corvette. And with that very clever product placement, a special bond between astronauts and Corvettes was born.

via Corvetteforum.com - https://www.corvetteforum.com/how-tos/slideshows/5-facts-about-the-astronaut-corvette-program-468953#1-the-inspiration-behind-the-program

via Corvetteforum.com - https://www.corvetteforum.com/how-tos/slideshows/5-facts-about-the-astronaut-corvette-program-468953#1-the-inspiration-behind-the-program

This special bond was shaped further by an Indianapolis 500 winner named Jim Rathmann, who had opened a car dealership near the Space Center. Rathmann saw the lasting marketing advantages in having astronauts, the most idiolized men in America, driving around in the latest Corvettes. But, with the exception of Shepard, GM couldn't give astronauts cars because NASA couldn't accept gifts or endorsements. So, Rathmann got clever and offered the astronauts the newest Corvette for a very affordable $1 per year. This resulted in 'free' advertising for GM, and Gus Grissom racing Alan Shepard around the Houston area.

The Apollo Programme

Rathmann's special lease terms meant almost all astronauts drove Corvettes. Neil Armstrong had a Corvette, and so did Jim Lovell. Alan Bean, Dick Gordon and Charles Conrad, the astronauts on the Apollo 12 programme gladly took advantage of Rathmann's special lease terms as well. They were good friends outside their jobs too, and because of that they decided to get matching Corvettes, known as 'AstroVettes'.

Courtesy: ClassicDriver.com

Courtesy: ClassicDriver.com

The three 'AstroVettes', which are actually Riverside Gold ’69 coupes with a fancy paintjob, were especially designed for the three spacemen, with black 'wings' on the back and their job initials written on the side, such as ‘CDR’ for Commander Charles Conrad, ‘CMP’ for Command Module Pilot Dick Gordon, and ‘LMP’ for Lunar Module Pilot Alan Bean.

However, because these car were on lease and not gifted, the had to be returned at the end of the year. On top of that, NASA became increasingly worried that the sight of all their astronauts driving around in Corvettes would look like an endorsement. And practically, it was, because every American school boy wanted to have a 'Vette like their heroes. Combine these worries with the end of the moon landings in 1971, and Rathmann's special lease terms came to an end in 1971. Today only one of the AstroVettes, Alan Beans' one, survives. So sadly, their cars are now about as rare as the astronauts who drove them.

via drive2.ru - https://www.drive2.ru/b/505445/

via drive2.ru - https://www.drive2.ru/b/505445/

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