Why did all the Apollo astronauts have Corvettes?

Somehow, GM boss Ed Cole got wind of this and wanted to make sure America’s astronaut celebrities were seen driving Chevrolets. So Rathmann set up leases where basically astronauts could lease any new Chevrolet for free. Unsurprisingly, Alan Shepard, Gordon Cooper, Buzz Aldrin and Gus Grissom chose to lease Corvettes.

Did all Apollo astronauts drive Corvettes?

The Apollo Programme Rathmann’s special lease terms meant almost all astronauts drove Corvettes. Neil Armstrong had a Corvette, and so did Jim Lovell. Alan Bean, Dick Gordon and Charles Conrad, the astronauts on the Apollo 12 programme gladly took advantage of Rathmann’s special lease terms as well.

What car did the Apollo astronauts get?

Corvettes
It comes as no surprise that for many astronauts, Corvette was their car of choice. Unfortunately for Corvette collectors, the astronaut’s Corvettes were turned in at the end of the one-year period and were sold to the general public.

Did Mercury astronauts get Corvettes?

Five years later, when he became one of seven men chosen for NASA’s Mercury program, Shepard bought another used Corvette—this time a 1957 model. In coordination with GM, he offered the Mercury astronauts a top-of-the-line car at a very reasonable lease—$1 per year.

Did the Mercury 7 Get Corvettes for $1?

In Episode 2 of Nat Geo and Disney+ series “The Right Stuff,” brash Navy test pilot turned Mercury 7 astronaut Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman) somewhat unwittingly negotiates the deal of a lifetime: long-term use of a brand-new Corvette for $1. McDorman told TheWrap he stalled his Corvette out a bunch of times on set.

Who owns Neil Armstrong’s Corvette?

Joe Crosby
WAAY 31 spoke to the man who now owns the Corvette. Joe Crosby is a soft-spoken classic car nut who loves restoring old cars. He specializes in Corvettes. When he found this one, it was owned by a former NASA employee living in Georgia, but he didn’t know its history.

Did the Mercury 7 really vote?

Mercury astronauts ‘peer vote’ for first – collectSPACE: Messages. Prior to naming Alan Shepard as the pilot for the first US human spaceflight, Bob Gilruth asked the seven Mercury astronauts for a peer vote. To the best of my knowledge, Gilruth never publicly revealed the results.

How much is Neil Armstrong’s Corvette worth?

An eBay auction for a beat-up 1967 Chevrolet Corvette, purportedly first owned by astronaut Neil Armstrong, ended Sunday evening with a final sky-high hammer price of $250,090.

Who was the only astronaut to have a corvette?

Some other astronauts confirmed to have Corvettes included the Apollo 12 crew, who insisted on matching golden cars as a symbol of their friendship; Apollo 1 astronaut Gus Grissom (who died in a launch pad fire in 1967; his car was returned to the dealership and eventually ended up in a private collection); and Apollo 13 commander Jim Lovell.

Who was the owner of the Apollo 12 corvette?

Danny was now the owner of Apollo 12 astronaut Alan Bean’s Corvette. Reed’s pride and joy is fully restored to original standards and is the only Corvette to receive the NCRS Duntov Award of Excellence and the NCRS American Heritage Award. Apollo 15 Astronaut Alfred Worden’s 1971 Corvette

What was the name of the corvette that landed on the Moon?

Al Worden’s 1971 Corvette and Alan Bean’s 1969 Corvette Corvettes have been associated with America’s manned space program from Alan Shepard’s first sub-orbital Mercury flight in the Freedom 7 capsule on May 5, 1961 to the final flight of Apollo 17 landing astronauts Eugene Cernan and Harrison Schmitt on the moon on December 11, 1972.

Who are the astronauts on the Apollo 11?

New 1/6 scale Apollo 11 Astronauts set includes Commander Neil Armstrong, Lunar Pilot Buzz Aldrin and Command Pilot Michael Collins. Set of Three Astronauts Ships FREE (to the Continental U.S.