The Apollo Programme Neil Armstrong had a Corvette, and so did Jim Lovell. Alan Bean, Dick Gordon and Charles Conrad, the astronauts on the Apollo 12 programme gladly took advantage of Rathmann's special lease terms as well. ... So sadly, their cars are now about as rare as the astronauts who drove them.

Did Jim Lovell drive a Corvette?

“He was driving his Corvette and going quite fast on very wet roads.” ... James Lovell, commander of the ill-fated Apollo 13, said in an oral history interview he went through about three Corvettes during his time as an astronaut, which was a step up from his family station wagon.

What happened to the Apollo 12 Corvettes?

In the 40-plus years since the Apollo 12 crew returned their "leased" Corvettes, Conrad's and Gordon's have disappeared. (Gordon now lives in Arizona; Conrad died after a motorcycle accident in 1999.)

What did Apollo astronauts drive?

Starting with Project Mercury in the 1960s, a Florida car dealer allowed astronauts to lease Chevrolet cars for $1, which were later sold to the public. The Apollo 15 crew chose red, white and blue Corvettes.

Did Neil Armstrong drive a Corvette?

In the mid 60s, that car was the Chevy Corvette, and there's a very special one still cruising the highways of Florida's Space Coast. That's Neil Armstrong's old sports car! ... He specializes in Corvettes. When he found this one, it was owned by a former NASA employee living in Georgia, but he didn't know its history.

Why Astronauts Like Corvettes - The Car with "The Right Stuff"

What Corvette did Tom Hanks Drive in Apollo 13?

In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks drives a red Corvette while playing Lovell, commander of a 1970 lunar voyage that almost ended in tragedy.

Did Mercury astronauts get Corvettes?

It all started with Alan Shepard. He bought his first Chevrolet Corvette, a used 1953 model, from his father-in-law for $1,500 in 1954. Five years later, when he became one of seven men chosen for NASA's Mercury program, Shepard bought another used Corvette—this time a 1957 model.

Did early astronauts drive Corvettes?

The first American astronauts all drove Chevy Corvettes, helping to create the image of the 'Vette as 'America's sports car'. Astronauts are almost by definition men (and women) who have a special relationship with machines.

Where are the astronauts Corvettes?

All three are on display at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, through July 30. (Alan Shepard, by the way, became the only original Mercury astronaut to walk on the moon when he served as commander of Apollo 14. His 1968 Corvette convertible is also on display at the National Corvette Museum.)

How much is Neil Armstrong's Corvette worth?

An eBay auction for a beat-up 1967 Chevrolet Corvette, purportedly first owned by astronaut Neil Armstrong, ended Sunday evening with a final sky-high hammer price of $250,090. But despite the astronomical bid, the seller may have not sold the first moonwalker's car.

What year is the Corvette in Apollo 13?

The cars of the stars

To begin with, Jim Lovell and his wife Marilyn (Kathleen Quinlan) drive a bright red 1971 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray C3 during a scene in 1970.

What is C3 Corvette?

The Chevrolet Corvette C3 was produced from 1967 to 1982 and is the third generation of the Corvette sports car. C3 Corvettes featured a new body and interior, but the chassis and engines were carried forward from the previous generation C2.

How much did astronauts make in the 60s?

Between August, 1959, and May 15, 1963, they each received $71,428.71 (equivalent to $603,806 in 2020). Their official spokesman from 1959 to 1963 was NASA's public affairs officer, USAF Lieutenant Colonel John "Shorty" Powers, who as a result became known in the press as the "eighth astronaut".

Do astronauts still get free Corvettes?

Al Worden's 1971 454 Corvette coupe still survives with its original weathered paint. Today, modern ethics rules mean that a similar $1 lease program couldn't come back for modern astronauts. But GM did half-jokingly bring the program back for retired astronauts, to whom NASA ethics policy would no longer apply.

What car did Neil Armstrong?

A beat-up 1967 Chevrolet Corvette, which astronaut Neil Armstrong purportedly first owned, has attracted astronomical bids on the online auction site eBay. But did the first man to walk on the moon ever drive it?

When did astronauts stop getting Corvettes?

So many astronauts hopped on board that the cheap Corvette leases continued through the Gemini and Apollo programs until about 1971, according to CorvetteOnline.com. (A red, white and blue version of the Corvette for Apollo 15 appeared on Life Magazine's cover around that time, Corvette spokespeople said.)

How many ZL1 Corvettes were built?

According to Chevrolet production records, only two Corvettes were built with the ZL1 option in 1969. While several owners have claimed to own a ZL1, only one has been able to prove it-until now. This is the true story of the second documented ZL1 Corvette.

What is the C7 Corvette?

The Chevrolet Corvette (C7) is the seventh generation of the Corvette sports car manufactured by American automobile manufacturer Chevrolet. It was introduced for the 2014 model year as the first to bear the Corvette Stingray name since 1976. The first C7 Corvettes were delivered in the third quarter of 2013.

Did Fred Haise throw up?

11. Fred Haise, played by Bill Paxton, really did throw up a little (and just once) in space, but from lingering effects of a virus, not motion sickness. They used Beef-a-Roni for space vomit and, after losing some sort of bet with Hanks, Paxton ate whatever was left in the can.

Who is the highest paid astronaut?

Neil Armstrong's Salary

At the time of the Apollo 11 flight in 1969, Neil Armstrong was paid a salary of $27,401 and was the highest paid of the flying astronauts, according to the Boston Herald. That translates to $190,684 in 2019 dollars.

What is the farthest a human has traveled in space?

The record for the farthest distance that humans have traveled goes to the all-American crew of famous Apollo 13 who were 400,171 kilometers (248,655 miles) away from Earth on April 14, 1970. This record has stood untouched for over 50 years!

Do astronauts get paid extra for going to space?

According to NASA, civilian astronauts are awarded a pay grade of anywhere from GS-11 to GS-14, so the income range is relatively wide. Starting salaries begin at just over $66,000 a year. Seasoned astronauts, on the other hand, can earn upward of $144,566 a year.

What was the worst Corvette?

• 1982 C3.
• 1988 Commemorative Edition.
• 1987 Callaway Twin Turbo.
• 1984 Corvette.
• 1974 LS4 454.
• 1977 C3.
• 1995 Pace Car Replica.
• 1998 Pace Car.

Was the 1968 Corvette a Stingray?

Topping the differences list is the fact that the 1968 Corvette did not carry the "Stingray" moniker. The mid years Corvettes (1963 to 1967) were known as "Sting Rays" and 1969 through 1976 carried the label "Stingray" (right) above the front fender vents. Why 1968 was passed over is not known.

Was there a 1983 Corvette?

The 1983 was meant to be strikingly new, taut, and thoroughly contemporary. Rather than just being a new Corvette, the 1983 model strove to be a better Corvette. ... Chevrolet built a number of prototypes and pilot cars in 1983 to test the fourth generation Corvette before it hit production.