Are there really that many more Corvette enthusiasts than there were last year? This years Carlisle event would make you think so. A record crowd of 55,745 showed up, putting 2,224 Corvettes on the show field, most of them in the Fun Display. The parking area had another 3,000 crammed in, and the gates were closed by 10:30 Saturday morning. Looks like this show has become one for the early birds, too.
If you were looking for a Corvette to take home with you, the options were dizzyingabout 700 on the For Sale lot! And all sorts of special Corvettes abounded. Chips Choice featured eight spectacular styling concept cars from years gone by and the always impressive tuner Corvettes. Mike Yagers CERV I was there, along with the 59 Sting Ray Racer, the Mako Shark, the Manta Ray, the Astro II, the Reynolds Aluminum Corvette, the Aerovette, Cerv III, and the Sting Ray III, all courtesy of General Motors. Thanks to Carlisle Productions and General Motors for letting us photograph them before they were set up inside. Callaways C12, Lingenfelters LPE 500 Stage I, SpecterWerkes GTR and the GTR Racecar, Doug Rippies C500/RSR and the DRM Racecar, SkunkWerkes SR-5, and Chuck Malletts 435 and his One Lap C5 all contributed to the excitement. Of course, the Z06 was there in all its glory. What a collection of Corvettes!
But thats not all. The chassis of the very special 53 Chip Miller and Al Wiseman are restoring for auction for the 50th anniversary celebration bash was on display, too. And Ben Labaree was still on the stump for the American Cancer Society with Sandys Corvettes Conquer Cancer C5. Thanks to artist Lee Bivins for donating his portrait of the C5-R to the cause, at this years Benefit Auction.
More than a dozen GM engineers were on hand to answer questions about the Corvette, from Chief Engineer Dave Hill and Plant Manager Wil Cooksey to Corvette Design Engineer Steven Stringfellow and Grant Nelson, Quality Engineering Manager. Of course, there were many other dignitaries and the usual informative seminars, and Barrett-Jackson has capably stepped up to the auction plate, now that weve lost Bob Gold. They did an excellent job. See auction results from Bob Kroupa below.
Corvettes at Carlisle always offers the Corvette enthusiast a good weekend. Next year, though, be sure to get there early!