“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful,” cooed the supermodel—without a trace of apology for the fact that she looked far better than your girlfriend or your wife (or, for that matter, anyone else that you ever knew). 

America’s Corvette similarly (and just as unapologetically) stands head and shoulders above any other domestic production vehicle ever made.  In this far-reaching book, author/photographer Randy Leffingwell celebrates the Corvette’s fiftieth anniversary with a masterfully documented story that begins with the relatively anemic Corvette’s introduction in 1953, and continues through its tire-shreddingly successful fifty-year pursuit of world-class sports car status.

Pro photographer Leffingwell displays his expertise on almost every page, having traveled over 23,000 miles to photograph original ‘Vettes of every year, plus many milestone Corvette race cars, hot rods, and design prototypes.

Along with the simple, yet powerful front cover, one of the first things you’ll notice is the book’s sheer size—because this baby is nothing, if not BIG.  Covering a square foot of coffee table real estate, its 383 pages (all in color), weigh in at almost seven pounds.  As my friend Ray put it, “You’re gonna need a big coffee table.”

The book’s size adds to its powerful visual impact.  Leffingwell’s close-ups, reproduced seemingly life-size, allow you to practically feel the nap of the carpet, the heat of the sun on the upholstery, and the sensuality of compound curves that could only be produced in fiberglass.

Memorable photos include a two-page spread of Reeves Calloway’s $150,000 Corvette roadster at speed—an image so effective you might find your hair messed up from the breeze.  Photographing the earliest Vettes, Leffingwell’s creative camera angles gave me a renewed appreciation for their beauty.

The photograph of  Charles  Snyder’s “Astoria Chas” 1967 Stingray drag racer, with its 30 year-old shoe polish ET and class markings still on the window, hauntingly illustrates the very real and human story of its owner, killed by a mortar round in Viet Nam in 1968.

Therein is the surprising strength of this book.  This Corvette story is, ultimately, not just one of fiberglass and metal—but also a story of the hopes, dreams, and vision of many men.  The author weaves a tale of the human drama (both inside and outside of G.M.) that raised the Corvette to its current status.

Conflict and compromise in the name of progress are revealed, such as a pivotal moment during the planning phase of the first Stingray, when engineer Zora Duntov realizes that, “because [stylist Harley] Earl’s department had created it, the car belonged to design, not to engineering.”  Nevertheless, engineering input accounted for the landmark 1963 model’s many significant technological breakthroughs.

Crisp, clean, and thought-provoking writing (“The Corvette could only have come from General Motors.”) accompanies memorable quotes, such as this 1986 gem from Chevrolet’s chief engineer Don Runkle; “We could obviously build a $100,000 Corvette and blow away the [Ferrari] Testarossa, but I’m not sure what the point of that exercise is.  That just shows that you can do it. Our goal is to do it at 25 percent of the price.”

I’m sure Runkle would agree that Corvette: Fifty Years also provides a good value.  This beautifully designed book is available (product # XCTV50, discounted to $44.99) by calling Amos Advantage (1-800-572-6885), or by visiting them at www.amosadvantage.com.