What Corvette is in the right stuff?
Military pilots often have “the need for speed” that doesn’t stop when they touch ground, and they want a car that will fulfill that need. According to what they drove in the movie “The Right Stuff,” it often took the shape of a Corvette.
Did Alan Shepard buy a car for $1?
Alan Shepard acquired this car from Jim Rathmann Chevrolet in Melbourne, Florida as part of the Astronaut Courtesy Car Program in late 1967. Alan got to lease this car for one year for the cost of $1. He custom ordered it with the highest horsepower option available- the 427/435hp L89 with tri-power & aluminum heads.
Did mercury astronauts get Corvettes?
Mercury and Apollo astronaut Alan Shepard brought his first Corvette to astronaut training in 1952 and after becoming the first American in space, then General Motors executive Edward N. Later, all Mercury 7 astronauts receive the sports cars through the Jim Rathmann Courtesy Car program for astronauts.
Did John Glenn undermine Alan Shepard?
Not only did their personalities clash, but Glenn was outspoken about how he disagreed with some of the astronauts’ alleged infidelity, which would have included Shepard. Things between them were likely only made worse when they were selected as lead astronaut and alternate for the first Mercury flight.
Did John Glenn have a Corvette?
John Glenn – The Only Non-Corvette Astronaut.
Did astronauts get free Corvettes?
In 1961 when Alan Shepard became the first American in space, he was given a brand-new 1962 Chevrolet Corvette as a gift upon his return. (For being the first ever man in space, Yuri Gagarin recieved a Matra Djet. ) So Rathmann set up leases where basically astronauts could lease any new Chevrolet for free.
Who owns Neil Armstrong’s Corvette?
KSC Visitor Complex officials also showcased a Victory Red 2006 Corvette convertible autographed by 27 astronauts, including Armstrong. The owner is Titusville resident Jack Legere, a NASA operations safety specialist who advised Crosby during the preservation process.
Do astronauts get free Corvettes?
What Corvette did Tom Hanks Drive in Apollo 13?
red Corvette
In Apollo 13, Tom Hanks drives a red Corvette while playing Lovell, commander of a 1970 lunar voyage that almost ended in tragedy.
Do all astronauts get a Corvette?
Rathmann’s special lease terms meant almost all astronauts drove Corvettes. Neil Armstrong had a Corvette, and so did Jim Lovell. Combine these worries with the end of the moon landings in 1971, and Rathmann’s special lease terms came to an end in 1971. Today only one of the AstroVettes, Alan Beans’ one, survives.