July 20th marks 52 years since Neil Armstrong and the Apollo 11 crew took one giant leap for mankind. Not only were astronauts like them able to go where no one had gone before, they were also gifted some of the best performance cars of the time.
Alan Shepard became the first American in space in 1961, and received a 1962 white C1 as reward from General Motors. This started the trend of astronauts being gifted Corvettes after having gone on space expeditions.
Once back on earth, Neil Armstrong sported a 1967 Stingray mode. With 390 horsepower, and a 427 cubic-inch V-8 mated to a four-speed transmission, it was the quintessential Corvette, and looked great in its distinct shade of blue.
The astronauts of 1969's Apollo 12 precision moon landing mission each received brand new 1969 Corvette Stingrays for their valiant trek, making for a truly iconic photo.
Scott Kelly continues the trend of astronauts being paired with Corvettes, though Kelly's 2020 'Vette wasn't gifted to him. This retired astronaut believes the Corvette program should come back—for retired astronauts only!
Posted by
Cameron Chappus
