2002 Chevrolet Corvette Z06
Personal story and photograph submitted by owner Bill Jacob - courtesy of the National Corvette Museum website - for participation in the National Corvette Museum 2008 Historic Motorama II.
My name is Bill Jacob and I was born in 1950 and I am a baby boomer. I am a Corvette Museum lifetime member #561 and like many of our Motorama participants, I grew up during the Buzz and Todd years of Route 66. I remember my best friend and I pretending to be Buzz and Todd and re-telling each Route 66 episode the day after it aired. I even went out and purchased tapes and CD's of the old black and white Route 66 episodes with commercials. Like most kids growing up in the 60's I dreamed of owning a Corvette. I was lucky enough in 1969 while in the U.S. Navy to purchase a 1961 solid axle car which I owned until 1972. I sold it because the ride to work (34 miles each way) was too harsh. I think every gear head has a story like that in their history. To only know then what I know now.
In 1997, after raising two wonderful boys and with the blessing of a wonderful wife I got back into the Corvette hobby full force. I purchased, from my now best friend and accomplice on this Motorama trip, a medium blue metallic 1988 coupe. I was the second owner of this car that was driven daily, but kept in perfect condition by Tony McBride another member of the Corvette Museum and multiple corvette owner. My family moved to Connecticut in 2000 from Louisville Kentucky and in 2002 I was looking for a mid year to go with my '88. After looking at what seemed like 20 cars with no luck, my wife said why don't you get a new one. Did I mention that I have a great wife? The '02 Z06 had just come out in the fall, and the thought of 405 HP in a C-5 was very enticing. In February 2002, I purchased my Motorama car from O'Neill Chevrolet in Avon, Connecticut.
I have had wonderful times with this car including taking part in the 50th anniversary Corvette Celebration in 2003, with the New England caravan. We went through Bristol, Virginia and drove on the Bristol Motor Speedway (what a kick). The 50th anniversary event was a once in a lifetime experience and my wife and I will never forget it. The Corvette Museum team did a great job orchestrating a very memorable week. This car has almost 18,000 miles on her and is all original. I still feel the C-5 is one of the best built Corvettes ever. I look forward to taking the Z06 to an National Corvette Restorers Society (NCRS) event when it gets old enough to qualify as the original owner. How cool it will be to know the car is totally original when the judging occurs.
I did get my mid year Corvette in 2003; she is a 1966 Milano maroon coupe that I love to take to cruises and car shows. Thanks for listening to my story.
When GM celebrates the beginning of its next 100 years on September 16, 2008, 55 Corvettes will be on display outside its World Headquarters at Detroit’s Renaissance Center. The Corvettes are in fact the Historic Motorama II, a caravan from the National Corvette Museum (NCM) which is comprised of one example from each of the 55 years of Corvette production. The caravan will depart from the National Corvette Museum on September 10th with stops along the way. People attending the GMnext Day activities on September 16th will be able to view the Corvettes before and after the official program.
Look at the next Historic Motorama II Corvette participant, representing a cross-section of Corvette enthusiasts from across the country.
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