Episode 1 of 6: Technical Director Don Sherman gets nerdy with Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juecther in a C1 Corvette. Binge-watch the whole series here: blog.caranddriv...
OUTSTANDING!!!! Please more videos with the cars and engineers that created them before it is too late. I would love to see a series of 20 minute episodes on significant cars and those that created them, in their own words. Alot of these people are already gone. Please Car and Driver save our history.
My late cousin owned a 54 vette and had it under a plexiglass dancefloor in his discotheque for years!! People came from all over the place to " dance over the vette"!! near Montreal!!
Had a it was called a 1953 and a half white Corvette in need of a whole front, got it ordered from Woods out of LA, this was 1963 and just turning 17 sworn in the Air Force headed for basic in Texas, believing in a few months the front would get shipped and installed. Well as all who share service duty know do not make plans, as the military always has your priority:) Any way after basic and my first tech school in Greenville AFB, Mississippi I came home November 11 due back on duty the 21st of November. Was almost finished so got to driuve a little, had Firestone 500, in cold weather parked out side was driving a dump truck as the tires would get flattened and you had to air them after a few sessions, remember the steering wheel was a huge, the two speed automatic [baby lasale] on the floor and a six cylinder 236 with three horizontal two barrel carter carburetors, progressive linkage carbonator's, carters 2066 I think. It did that yo think in sharp turns I like:) It was mother pearl white, red seats. It was definitely way a head of it's time in 1963 in 1954 sure they thought it a friggin space ship:) Best part was no date could bring a friend:) When I went back on duty Kennedy, the first Irish American president was murdered in broad daylight in Dallas, next couple of years are a blure but ended up hitting a house with the car in 1967 in Maryland back roads. Love the car, was a real eye candy car, but not very fast, but cruising it was fab:) Have a 86 Corvette at 76, they say it's a pig:)
I love corvettes and chevy in general. I got a cruze r/s I want a hot Rod so bad you can find old 70s Lincolns with 460s for cheap. I wanna mark 5 and cut out the cat converters and it's basically a muscle car. the mark iii was.
Most auto pundits panned the 235 for the C1's lackluster performance. The powerglide trans was the absolute worst choice for a car with sporting intent. The 4 speed hydro from GM was already on the parts shelves and available on GMC trucks with a six. Sitting the tri carb setup on a 261 ci truck block also in the parts bin would have @ 170 + hp. move over Jag, we're coming after you! Alas no one at the general got the idea. A 4,5,or 6 speed stick and some decent brakes and suspension. would be soooomuch fun! But I digress--- I am a stove bolt fan from waaaaay back.
Olds, Pontiac, Buick, Caddy would have thrown a fit if Chevy got to have Hydramatic tranny as an option... but it would have made for some cool Chevy's/Vettes... even a 3 speed manual would have been much lighter than those cast iron PowerGlides and Hydramatics... The 348 and 409 should have been available with a pricey Hydramatic option...
It sounds like a real rattle trap. The ergometrics are just awful. I drove a 57 T-Bird that had that same feeling, like you were sitting on the car not in it. I'd love to have that engine in my 54 Belair, it sounded rather healthy. In 54 the stick shift Belair had a solid lifter, and the powerglide had hydraulics. The powerglide engine was rated at 125 HP, ten more then the stick engine.
Could the driver fault this significant Corvette any moor? He almost seemed insecure as if he was justifying his modern interpretation... We as men have become so limp wristed "Tadge" can barley pilot this 54 Corvette what if he had to operate a B-29 superfortress or run a 3k.... It is OK I'm fully confident he can order a mean latte.
He's merely making observations... like C&D asked him to. You don't need to defend a car from half a century ago from comparisons to its modern ancestors... that seems insecure. You also don't question the manliness of someone who had been involved with several generations of Corvette and is the chief engineer of the newest (and best performing) one.
Yes, I fully understand that.. I was being tongue-in-cheek as apposed to seriously critical. I was born eons after the initial construction of the 54' Corvette and have owned pre and post 1967 sport cars,I do not know why I find it so amusing when people are so boggled by vintage cars and their "perceived" lack of amenities or how "archaic" they are and become hypercritical. You can not love this car for the sum of its parts, as car enthusiast we know this about the 54'. It is a lot I placed on this video( I know) as a student of geopolitical events for some reason I see us the modern Americans as out of touch (Oow steering to "heavy") NO!! disrespect to this mans accomplishments. This rant was in the spirit of Mark Twain not a real analysis.....
67Bigsby, I totally understand where you're coming from. It must be a generational thing that younger people can't correlate how wimpy the American male has gotten. I'm a tad over 50 and I see the disparity a half a century has made.
OUTSTANDING!!!! Please more videos with the cars and engineers that created them before it is too late. I would love to see a series of 20 minute episodes on significant cars and those that created them, in their own words. Alot of these people are already gone. Please Car and Driver save our history.
My late cousin owned a 54 vette and had it under a plexiglass dancefloor in his discotheque for years!! People came from all over the place to " dance over the vette"!! near Montreal!!
Can't wait to see the rest.
What a beautiful car. What a great start for a classic car. Beautiful corvette.
Fantastic and iconic first generation Vette!
I watched all of these an absolutely loved it... thank you..
How far the Corvette has come in 60 years!
Had a it was called a 1953 and a half white Corvette in need of a whole front, got it ordered from Woods out of LA, this was 1963 and just turning 17 sworn in the Air Force headed for basic in Texas, believing in a few months the front would get shipped and installed. Well as all who share service duty know do not make plans, as the military always has your priority:) Any way after basic and my first tech school in Greenville AFB, Mississippi I came home November 11 due back on duty the 21st of November. Was almost finished so got to driuve a little, had Firestone 500, in cold weather parked out side was driving a dump truck as the tires would get flattened and you had to air them after a few sessions, remember the steering wheel was a huge, the two speed automatic [baby lasale] on the floor and a six cylinder 236 with three horizontal two barrel carter carburetors, progressive linkage carbonator's, carters 2066 I think. It did that yo think in sharp turns I like:) It was mother pearl white, red seats. It was definitely way a head of it's time in 1963 in 1954 sure they thought it a friggin space ship:) Best part was no date could bring a friend:) When I went back on duty Kennedy, the first Irish American president was murdered in broad daylight in Dallas, next couple of years are a blure but ended up hitting a house with the car in 1967 in Maryland back roads. Love the car, was a real eye candy car, but not very fast, but cruising it was fab:) Have a 86 Corvette at 76, they say it's a pig:)
Cant wait for the C4
I like doorstops too.
This Automatic, Those breaks, The straight six, The steering wheel.
I.. WANT.. THAT CAR. I am in love.
great series, car and driver!
I love corvettes and chevy in general. I got a cruze r/s I want a hot Rod so bad you can find old 70s Lincolns with 460s for cheap. I wanna mark 5 and cut out the cat converters and it's basically a muscle car. the mark iii was.
The best Corvette!!
Thank you
Thank you! Cool cars and good video!
Beautiful car
Noticed that this event was held at the Marina, CA Airport. Would have loved to come check it out; are non-press even allowed on/near the premise?
Nice video enjoyed it.
Most auto pundits panned the 235 for the C1's lackluster performance. The powerglide trans was the absolute worst choice for a car with sporting intent. The 4 speed hydro from GM was already on the parts shelves and available on GMC trucks with a six. Sitting the tri carb setup on a 261 ci truck block also in the parts bin would have @ 170 + hp. move over Jag, we're coming after you! Alas no one at the general got the idea. A 4,5,or 6 speed stick and some decent brakes and suspension. would be soooomuch fun! But I digress--- I am a stove bolt fan from waaaaay back.
Olds, Pontiac, Buick, Caddy would have thrown a fit if Chevy got to have Hydramatic tranny as an option... but it would have made for some cool Chevy's/Vettes... even a 3 speed manual would have been much lighter than those cast iron PowerGlides and Hydramatics... The 348 and 409 should have been available with a pricey Hydramatic option...
Wow. That was cool.
cool car !
I had a feeling they were looking forward to stop driving the car :D
Cool car
It sounds like a real rattle trap. The ergometrics are just awful. I drove a 57 T-Bird that had that same feeling, like you were sitting on the car not in it. I'd love to have that engine in my 54 Belair, it sounded rather healthy. In 54 the stick shift Belair had a solid lifter, and the powerglide had hydraulics. The powerglide engine was rated at 125 HP, ten more then the stick engine.
Visceral.
It's one of my dream cars. What's the max speed? Also it doesn't have any belts, how do people avoid getting a ticket for not having that “belt” on
Prolly do about 115 - 120 MPH... no seat belts is 'grandfathered' in...
Look at the red thing in his lap at 1:14 and revise your statement
Roundabouts in America!
Will first the generation C1 56 Corvete doors fit on a 55 or a 54 C1 Corvette does anybody know the answer to this question?
Dont fit.
Idle should be under 500 rpm's
luckyyyy!
Could the driver fault this significant Corvette any moor? He almost seemed insecure as if he was justifying his modern interpretation... We as men have become so limp wristed "Tadge" can barley pilot this 54 Corvette what if he had to operate a B-29 superfortress or run a 3k.... It is OK I'm fully confident he can order a mean latte.
He's merely making observations... like C&D asked him to. You don't need to defend a car from half a century ago from comparisons to its modern ancestors... that seems insecure. You also don't question the manliness of someone who had been involved with several generations of Corvette and is the chief engineer of the newest (and best performing) one.
Yes, I fully understand that.. I was being tongue-in-cheek as apposed to seriously critical. I was born eons after the initial construction of the 54' Corvette and have owned pre and post 1967 sport cars,I do not know why I find it so amusing when people are so boggled by vintage cars and their "perceived" lack of amenities or how "archaic" they are and become hypercritical. You can not love this car for the sum of its parts, as car enthusiast we know this about the 54'. It is a lot I placed on this video( I know) as a student of geopolitical events for some reason I see us the modern Americans as out of touch (Oow steering to "heavy") NO!! disrespect to this mans accomplishments. This rant was in the spirit of Mark Twain not a real analysis.....
67Bigsby, I totally understand where you're coming from. It must be a generational thing that younger people can't correlate how wimpy the American male has gotten. I'm a tad over 50 and I see the disparity a half a century has made.
So making money is the answer????
#carforrealmen 2 speeds is enough what do u need 10 for…