As he prepared to unveil the seventh-generation Corvette
this weekend - an event akin to the naming of a new pope in the sports-car
world - General Motors executive Mark Reuss told a story familiar to legions of
Corvette faithful over six decades of production.
Reuss coveted the car as a teenager, back when the Vette
versus Porsche debate ignited the same fury as disco versus rock. He bought one
in his 20s, a used silver 1969 model with a big-block 427 engine, and took his
future wife on their first date. Then he married and sold the two-seater to
make room for a family.
Such nostalgia is pervasive among Corvette buyers. The car's
heritage means even more to GM as it attempts to rebound from the
bailout-and-bankruptcy era. 
