News: How white-haired 'Vette owners helped shape Stingray's design

[Rob]

How white-haired 'Vette owners helped shape Stingray's design

by Mike Colias,
Automotive News

MONTEREY, Calif. -- About four years ago, when General Motors designers were just starting on the seventh-generation Corvette, Ed Welburn had something of an epiphany while watching his local news.

GM's global head of design happened to catch a segment on a Corvette club gathering at a local Chevrolet dealership. He doesn't recall what the story was about. But one detail stood out: All of the club members had white hair.

"That's what really did it for me," Welburn told me this week while riding shotgun as I drove the 2014 Corvette Stingray through barren coastal mountains during Chevy's media test drive here. "I knew that we had to do something that appeals to younger buyers and to more international buyers."

That partly inspired Welburn to conduct an unprecedented global call for proposals from GM designers scattered across studios from Brazil to India to Korea.

Full Story: How white-haired 'Vette owners helped shape Stingray's design

 

[catbert]

I think we all understood what was going through the minds of the GM decision makers when changing the Vette, but it's finally in print, and attributed to the head of design. I think he made the right decision. Many Vette clubs are geezer hangouts. I know mine is. Funny how the cool the Vette guys were when they were thirty, and how not cool thirty years later...me included.

I have noticed clubs in hi-tech areas are decidedly younger, and that's encouraging.

 

[Iroc2Vette]

From what I've read, the average age demographic for the Corvette is 58. At the club I belong to, I can hear the grunting noises as owners get into and out of their cars...

 

[Yoda]

I hope the young'ns bring back the "Wet T-Shirt" contests, beer chugging relay, Norwegian Ski races, Beer Keg Toss, and other fun kahana's that made all those younger years SO MUCH FUN :dance ..

Of course at my age I would not participate, but I would make one !@#@# of a JUDGE


Bud

 

[Tuna]

Yep - Vette owners are part of the Q-Tip crowd - those that have hair anyway.

 

[ltmax]

Old?

Yeah, there's a lot of older owners out there, just like the Harley thing and DeadHeads. Time's passing by for everyone, WTF, eh? But I see we're celebrating a key 60-year old - the Vette! So whatchagonnado? Just be sure to pass along the enthusiasm for the car with complete information and experiences and it will rub off on the younger set. They'll get infected by it's character and capability, and our favorite ride will live on to further greatness
Cheers!

 

[bragusa]

2014 on order

Well, I'm 40 and my hair is 50% white now. Happening early, so let's remember white hair does not mean you're very old. I have heard a few 'midlife crisis' comments. I have wanted one for a very long time. Been a favorite since I was a kid. the reality is that I had to wait to get this vehicle due to other obligations such as having kids. My kids are still fairly young but I work from home now and have decided that I can deal with the lack of seating as my wife only works 2 miles from the house. I could carry a 3rd vehicle, but it just does not seem to make sense with the low mileage we drive. Let's also remember that there are a lot of younger people who cannot spend 50k plus to buy a vehicle like this. I see why older people have traditionally bought these. Too expensive for most young single income and no seating for dual income families with kids.