Automobile Magazine Honors Tadge Juechter and 2014 Corvette Stingray

Tadge Juechter with his father, Mat Juechter at the Museum on November 20, 2013 for the R8C Museum Delivery of Mat's brand new C7

On a recent visit to the National Corvette Museum, Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter took a moment to speak with us about his 2014 Man of the Year award from Automobile Magazine. It is no coincidence that this man’s creation, the 2014 Corvette Stingray, also earned top honors by being awarded the designation of Automobile Magazine’s 2014 Car of the Year.

On receiving this honor, Tadge was humble as always saying, “Well the man of the year recognition is really a symbol of what the team has accomplished. It’s a little embarrassing for me because it's totally a team sport and I'm just the lucky guy who happens to be in charge that gets to pick up this award.”

Born in Laredo, Texas, as part of an Air Force family who frequently moved, Tadge earned degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering and an MBA at Stanford. Working for GM for two summers in college convinced him of one thing: he didn't want to work at GM. Today, he considers the term "GM lifer" a badge of honor.

The introduction of the new 2014 Corvette Stingray was well received by most, bringing in various awards and accolades, but even so, the Automobile Magazine article states, "Corvette critics can be harsh, and those complaints are rarely unfounded. Some will contend that Chevy's engineers should not be applauded for simply fixing all the stuff that was wrong in previous versions. But Juechter's team did far more than finally bolt in decent seats..." The article also hails the car as being full of thoughtful engineering, innovative technology and awe-inspiring design.

“You know, we've been nearly a full year now of almost continuous media coverage, starting with the long lead media previews before we even introduced the car in Detroit,” says Tadge. “So basically last November all the way through now, we've been in the media spotlight, you know kind of feeding out bits of information, and basically showcasing what the car is and I think it really captures people's imagination. Not just the automotive press but also the popular press, the national and international press.”

Watch the interview with Tadge below or on the YouTube website here.

2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition Coupe Unveiled

Sunday, June 30th, is the 60th Anniversary of the first 1953 Corvette to roll off the line at the old Chevrolet Flint Assembly plant.  

 

This weekend, the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, has been celebrating the anniversary with a special display of 2014 Corvette Stingray models.  As a crescendo for the celebration, the 2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition coupe was shown for the first time to those attending the museum celebration.

The 2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition is a celebration of the return of the Stingray. The Edition comes one way and is a fully contented 3LT coupe model

with the available Z51 Performance Package that will be limited to 500 cars. It will feature a unique VIN sequence and a special numbered interior plaque.

The Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition (3LT with Z51 Performance Package) will feature the following content, including custom Corvette Stingray luggage:

Exterior

• Laguna Blue Metallic Tintcoat Exterior
• Visible Carbon Fiber Roof Panel
• Torque Style Chrome Wheels
• Carbon Flash Hood Stinger Stripe
• Stingray Logo Wheel Center Caps

 Interior

• Brownstone Sueded Microfiber Interior with Sueded Microfiber Seat Inserts
• Carbon Fiber Interior Trim
• Sueded Microfiber Upper Interior Trim
• Floor Mats with Stingray Logo
• Sill Plates with Stingray Logo
• Cargo Shade with Stingray Logo
• Special Stingray Premiere Edition Numbered Interior Plaque
• Custom 5-piece Corvette Stingray Luggage Set

Performance

• Seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Match
• Z51 Performance Package
• Magnetic Ride Control
• Performance Variable Tuned Exhaust System

Corvette Stingray Convertible to Debut at Geneva

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible will make its world debut on March 5 at the Geneva Motor Show.

"It's fitting to introduce the new Stingray convertible on the global stage at Geneva because Corvette is the face of Chevrolet the world over," said Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet and Cadillac Europe. "It is an icon that has long been recognized and admired even in countries where it's never officially been offered."

There are Corvette owner and enthusiast clubs in more than 100 countries, and 58 percent of the 1.1 million fans who “Like” Corvette's official Facebook page reside outside the United States.
The Corvette Stingray convertible will deliver the same balance of technology, design and performance introduced on the coupe in January in Detroit.

"Every Corvette is designed at the outset as an open car," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. "The new Stingray is no different, with the coupe and convertible designed to excel in any situation – be it your daily commute, a drive across the continent, or charging through twisting back roads."

Attendees at the Museum's NCM Bash April 25-27 will have the opportunity to see both the coupe and convertible 2014 Stingray up close, and hear from members of the Chevrolet team responsible for the new design.  "Our annual Bash event is a unique opportunity for Corvette and auto enthusiasts to attend seminars with presentations by the engineers and designers of the Corvette as to what's new and different with the car," said NCM Events Manager Roc Linkov.  "Tadge, Kirk Bennion, Harlan Charles, Craig Sass and many others lead a 'walk around' of the car where they talk about each feature and answer questions."

The Bash event is also a great opportunity for autographs from the Corvette elite, road tours, a seminar with members of the Corvette Racing team, car show and much more.  Registration is now open and the complete agenda is available online at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/bash/info.shtml.

Chevrolet will auction the first retail production model of the Corvette Stingray convertible at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach collector car auction to benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Karmanos, based in southeast Michigan, is a unique, urban-based integrated center of research, patient care and education, dedicated to the prevention, early detection, treatment and eventual eradication of cancer.

The Barrett-Jackson will be held April 4-6 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in Palm Beach, Fla. Bids can be submitted in person at the auction or online at www.barrett-jackson.com.

In January, the first retail production model of the 2014 Corvette Stingray – with the Vehicle Identification Number ending in 0001 – sold at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction for $1.05 million to Rick Hendrick, chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group and owner of NASCAR’s Hendrick Motorsports. Proceeds from that sale benefitted the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.

Yesterday to Today: All-new Corvette Stingray Comes to New York City 60 Years After Motorama 1953 Debut

Sixty years ago tomorrow, spectators lined New York City’s posh Park Avenue, waiting to get a glimpse of the ground-breaking 1953 Chevrolet Corvette on display at the General Motors’ Motorama show. Today, the Corvette is back in The Big Apple, marking the historic milestone with the all-new 2014 C7 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

“The all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray is the most advanced and engaging Corvette in the long, prestigious legacy of this uniquely American success story,” said Chris Perry vice president of Chevrolet Marketing. “It is a car woven into the fabric of American culture and it got its start right here in the Big Apple.”

The introduction of the original Corvette took place at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Jan. 17, 1953. Only 300 Corvettes were built – all of them white with a red interior. The enthusiastic response prompted Chevrolet to accelerate production plans and by late June that year, Corvettes were rolling out of a specialized assembly facility in Flint, Mich. One of these 300 is on exhibit at the National Corvette Museum, along with another piece of important Corvette history that many don’t know about.

 

Although the Corvette crossed flags emblem has seen some variation over the years, it actually had a controversial beginning. The first logo design included an American flag crossing over the checkered flag to emphasize America’s entry into the sports car world. Originally created by Robert Bartholomew, an interior designer at Chevrolet, this emblem was installed on the 1953 prototype that was set to debut in New York’s Waldorf-Astoria during the “Motorama” show. As preparations were made for Corvette's big day, the Chevrolet legal department discovered that it was against the law to use an American flag on any commercially made product. With only four days left before the show, the pressure was on to come up with a new logo, and fast.

 

The designers acted quickly, and looked toward Louis Chevrolet for inspiration. Searching at first for a family crest that could be adapted into a flag they ran into a dead end, as the Chevrolet family didn't have a crest. Getting desperate, they looked to the French origins of Chevrolet’s name for inspiration. They chose the fleur-de-lis, which means “flower of the lily” as it is the French symbol for royalty. Beneath that there are three lines to represent the three Chevrolet brothers. The revised emblem was quickly made by jewelers and installed on the prototype where it has remained on Corvettes ever since.

The actual American flag emblem that was pulled off of the first Corvette for the Motorama show is on display at the National Corvette Museum, on loan from GM.

2014 Chevrolet Corvette is all About the Aero

Purposeful beauty in new design contributes high-speed stability, track capability

The precisely sculpted design of the all-new 2014 Corvette delivers more than just stunning good looks – every line, vent, inlet and surface has been optimized for performance.

“The all-new Corvette integrates more high-performance aerodynamic features than ever before, many taken directly from Corvette Racing,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “For example, the front grill and radiator flow paths reduce lift, improving vehicle stability at high speeds by keeping the car pressed to the pavement. In addition, functional vents increase track capability by channeling air to the brakes, as well as heat exchangers for the transmission and differential.”  

To develop the aerodynamic package, engineers started with data gleaned from years of on-track, high-speed performance from the Corvette Racing program – the most successful program ever in the American Le Mans Series and the 2012 GT Class champion. These techniques were applied to the production car using the some of the industry’s most advanced computer-aided modeling programs to predict and track airflow over, under and through the new Corvette’s body.

“Its sculpted design excites in all the ways that a Corvette has for six decades, with elements carefully shaped in the wind tunnel to increase airflow potential and improve cooling for a system that is as efficient as possible,” said Kirk Bennion, Corvette exterior design manager. “It’s said that form follows function, but in the case of the aerodynamic 2014 Corvette, form and function work cohesively to produce beautiful purpose.”

Chevrolet will introduce the 2014 Corvette on Sunday, January 13, 2013. For more information and video content, please visit www.one13thirteen.com. Enthusiasts can join the conversation about the next-generation Corvette, as well as keep track of new announcements on Facebook (facebook.com/corvette) and Twitter @Chevrolet(#Corvette). Fans that follow the #one13thirteen hashtag on Twitter can look forward to exclusive updates.