Did all the astronauts get Corvettes?
So they made a deal to lease any vehicle to NASA astronauts for the nominal fee of $1.00. Six of the seven Mercury astronauts had a Corvette. John Glenn infamously drove a NSU Prinz. The deal ended because it was of questionable ethics to make a sweetheart deal like that available to government employees.
What happened to the astronauts Corvette?
The three astronauts returned the cars at the end of their lease, and they were sold into private ownership. Three of the six custom Corvettes, including Worden's, eventually ended up with Corvette collector Danny Reed, and two years ago, Penczak convinced Reed to sell the one his grandfather drove.
Who owns Neil Armstrong's Corvette?
In 2012, a retired Brevard County Sheriff's Office commander named Joe Crosby purchased the vehicle from the former NASA employee. Crosby is a Corvette restorer, per Hemmings. He's also member of the Cape Kennedy Corvette Club, the same one Armstrong was part of back in the day (via Haggerty).
How much did astronauts pay for Corvettes?
Rathmann and Chevrolet came to an agreement in 1961 that allowed any NASA astronaut to lease a brand new Corvette for $1. Six of the seven Mercury program astronauts took Rathmann up on the offer, while John Glenn opted for a station wagon instead.
What happened to the Apollo Corvettes?
Unfortunately for Corvette collectors, the astronaut's Corvettes were turned in at the end of the one-year period and were sold to the general public. Once assimilated into the general Corvette population, the astronaut's Vettes disappeared from public view.
How much did Neil Armstrong's Corvette sell for?
An eBay auction for a beat-up 1967 Chevrolet Corvette, purportedly first owned by astronaut Neil Armstrong, ended Sunday evening with a final sky-high hammer price of $250,090.
What was Neil Armstrong's car?
1967 Sting RayA 1967 Sting Ray that Armstrong leased from Rathmann two years prior to walking on the Moon is now owned by retired Florida Sheriff Joe Crosby, who has preserved the car in near-original condition.
What year is the Corvette in Apollo 13 movie?
The cars of the stars To begin with, Jim Lovell and his wife Marilyn (Kathleen Quinlan) drive a bright red 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C3 during a scene in 1970.
What happened to Jim Lovell's Corvette?
Grissom had barely had time to drive the car before his death in the Apollo 1 fire along with Ed White and Roger Chaffee. The car survives today in the hands of a collector, as does Neil Armstrong's 1967 Marina Blue Sting Ray, and Jim Lovell's Silverstone Silver 1968 Corvette.
How much did Alan Shepard's Corvette sell for?
Lot #1420 ALAN SHEPARD'S 1968 CHEVROLET CORVETTE 427/435 CONVERTIBLEAuctionScottsdale 2022StatusSoldPrice$308,000.00Lot1420Year19686 more rows
Who gave the astronauts Corvettes?
Rathmann, a gearhead and former race car driver, who had won the Indianapolis 500 in 1960, approached GM and negotiated a leasing deal for all of the Mercury astronauts. For exactly $1 a year, each of the Mercury 7 astronauts could lease the latest Corvette and trade in for a new one each year.
What happened Molly Cobb?
Karen Baldwin (Shantel VanSanten) and Molly Cobb (Sonya Walger) die in the explosion. Both characters have been huge fan favorites, and it speaks to the power of For All Mankind that the show would dare to kill them off.
Who was the first American to go to space?
Alan Shepard and his 1962 Corvette Photo by General Motors. In 1961 when Alan Shepard became the first American in space, he was given a brand-new 1962 Chevrolet Corvette as a gift upon his return. (For being the first ever man in space, Yuri Gagarin recieved a Matra Djet.)
What car did John Glenn drive?
While all his compatriots commuted in hotted-up sports cars, Glenn trundled back and forth in a diminutive NSU Prinz, a car which had maybe one-tenth the horsepower of the others’ Corvettes. Glenn was unlike the other astronauts.
When did the Corvette gravy train end?
Article content. Though Glenn may not have liked it, the gravy train of free Corvettes rolled until 1971, when GM officially ended the program. Al Worden’s 1971 454 Corvette coupe still survives with its original weathered paint.
How much did GM give astronauts in the 1960s?
In The '60s, GM Gave Astronauts Corvettes For $1 a Year - Now One 'Astrovette' Is In The Historic Register. How cool were astronauts? If you were born in the 1960s or earlier, just about as cool as you could get. They were fighter pilots, they were smart, they had The Right Stuff, and if you were an automobile company that wanted ...
How cool were astronauts?
How cool were astronauts? If you were born in the 1960s or earlier, just about as cool as you could get.They were fighter pilots, they were smart, they had The Right Stuff, and if you were an automobile company that wanted to market a car named after a warship, it made sense to get astronauts in your cars.
Corvette ownership make the first astronauts cool? Or did the Vette become cool because of the astronauts who owned them?
A lot has been written about the early astronauts and their Corvettes. Both share a common history and defined an era when anything seemed possible. These men pushed the boundaries in space and on earth. But did the astronauts make the Corvette cool by their association? Or did the image of them driving Corvettes add to the astronauts’ mystique?
Mark Webb is fascinated by anything automotive and particularly loves cars that are unusual or have a good story. He's owned a variety of cars from 60's muscle, Japanese imports, and oddities like a VW Thing and Porsche 924. After 20 years in the automotive and tech industries, he's a walking encyclopedia of car info and is always on the lookout for his next project or a good road trip
Mark Webb is fascinated by anything automotive and particularly loves cars that are unusual or have a good story. He's owned a variety of cars from 60's muscle, Japanese imports, and oddities like a VW Thing and Porsche 924.
Who was the first astronaut to own a Corvette?
Though we must credit Shepard with being the first astronaut we know of to own a Corvette, former Indy 500 winner and GM dealer Jim Rathmann deserved credit for making sure the guys with The Right Stuff all drove the same car. With a Caddilac-Corvette dealership close to the Space Center in Florida, Rathmann offered astronauts "special" lease terms.
Who drove out with Mercury astronauts?
According to GM, six of the Mercury astronauts took advantage of the arrangement and drove out with Corvettes. Shepard and Virgil "Gus" Grissom famously dueled in their Corvettes, with Grissom upgrading his '67 with faster gearing and room for wider racing tires.
What book did Tom Wolfe write about astronauts?
The association with astronauts was further strengthened by Tom Wolfe's book "The Right Stuff" and in films like Apollo 13 and Terms of Endearment .
Why did GM give the keys to the 1962 Corvette?
After becoming the first American in space 50 years ago this very day, GM handed over the keys to a special 1962 Corvette as thanks for his bravery. And thus began a love affair between Astronauts and Corvettes. Advertisement.
Where is the 50th anniversary of the Shepard's Flight?
On Saturday, May 7th in Cocoa Beach, Florida a parade commemorating the 50th anniversary of Shepard's flight will include 30 or so surviving astronauts in Corvettes from the proper generations. It's worth pointing out that one of the original astronauts did not drive a Corvette.
Did John Glenn drive a Corvette?
It's worth pointing out that one of the original astronauts did not drive a Corvette. John Glenn decided to get a station wagon because he had a family. We're guessing Glenn was also the designated driver for the astronaut's many outings.