Nate’s garage: September edition

The students at Fallston High School have some nice cars. While out there a couple of days ago, a “Little Red Corvette” – owned by Thomas McFalls – caught my eye. Painted Ruby Red with multiple red highlights, embroidered seats, and special trim pieces, this is an eye-catching car.

The Corvette was originally introduced in 1953, as American G.I.s coming back from the war imported European sports cars with them. General Motors (GM) sensed a potential market and introduced the Corvette, based on being just as fast and nimble as anything European. They succeeded.

The Corvette would go on to be one of the most popular cars not only in America, but in the world. The style and speed would prove that America could build fast cars. 40 years later, GM would acquire Lotus Motor Company and bring the Corvette back to its European inspired roots.

The Corvette boasts the LT1 V8 with 205 horsepower, all of which is sent directly to the rear wheels through a six speed, propelling you from 0-60 in 5.6 seconds onwards to a top speed of 163 miles per hour – plenty fast for you to have a friendly conversation with your neighborhood police officer! This model also pioneered the “passive keyless entry” as a new standard feature. So, whenever your car senses the key in your pocket and unlocks, you have this car to thank.

Thomas’s Corvette is a 1993 40th anniversary edition from the Robert G Bohli Collection. This means that the car gets special trim pieces, embroidered 40th anniversary seats, and 95 more horsepower, boosting the 0-60 time to 4.9 seconds and the top speed to 179 miles per hour. It’s quite the birthday celebration as well as being a 1 of 965 car due to the specification.

The Corvette was found in a little bit of disarray, but Thomas took the time and effort to find the correct parts and restore it to its former glory, which is good, seeing as, the Corvette is a massive piece of not only automotive history, but American history, as Thomas isn’t alone in owning a Corvette. Astronauts Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper, Buzz Aldrin, Gus Grissom Alan Bean, Charles Conrad, Richard Gordon, and Neal Armstrong all owned Corvettes. Thomas should be praised for finding such a vital piece of our history, restoring it, keeping it in good shape, and driving it.