Corvette Day celebrates 60 years of sports car
The Petersen Automotive Museum will celebrate the 60th anniversary of “America’s Sports Car,” the Chevrolet Corvette, with a tribute March 1-2.
LOS ANGELES – The Petersen Automotive Museum will celebrate the 60th anniversary of “America’s Sports Car,” the Chevrolet Corvette, with a tribute March 1-2.
Organizers say the most anticipated and significant event of the weekend is the 60th Anniversary Gala featuring speaker Kirk Bennion, the exterior design manager of the Corvette C7 Stingray. Bennion will discuss the C7’s radical departure in style from previous generations, allowing industry experts and enthusiasts alike the rare opportunity to gain insight into the design process and ask questions about one of the most anticipated new vehicle debuts in recent memory.
Other highlights include the Corvette Car Day Show, an exhibit inside the museum featuring the rarest examples of each generation including the very first Corvette “EX-122,” which debuted at the GM Motorama in 1953 and a series of educational panels featuring Corvette legends and industry experts.
The 60th Anniversary Gala is March 1. The Corvette Car Day Show from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on March 2 is free to spectators. The cost for participants is $60 per car and includes two free museum admissions, free parking, a goodie bag and a limited edition medallion created by Mid America Motorworks to commemorate the event.
The Petersen will host three panels throughout two days, each with a cost of $25: The Corvette Values Seminar at 10:30 a.m. March 1; The Racing Panel Discussion at 2 p.m. March 1; and The Corvette Restoration Seminar at 10:30 a.m. March 2.
In addition to the events, a special Corvette exhibit showcasing Corvettes from every generation, along with significant vehicles from history will be on display from Feb. 27 through March 31. Notable Corvettes include:
- 1953 EX-122: the first Corvette shown to the public
- 1956 SR2: an experimental race car
- 1959 Corvette Italia by Scaglietti: an Italian bodied masterpiece rendered in aluminum
- 1960 CERV I: the first mid-engine prototype
- 1964 “World’s Fair” Corvette: customized by GM for the New York World’s Fair
- 1963 Grand Sport and a 1968 “Sundowner” Bonneville Racer: driven by many famous racers including Dick Doane, John Mecom, Alan Sevadjian, Auggie Pabst, Jim Hall, A.J. Foyt and John Cannon
Event sponsors include Mid America Motorworks, Hagerty Collector Car Insurance, Corvette Mike, Intercity Lines and Fender Guitar.
Register or buy tickets online at www.CorvetteDay.org or call 323-964-6325. Some events have limited availability and will sell out.
Also, learn more at www.petersen.org.
'Vette fan? Check out Corvette: The Greatest American Sports Car.
