Has it really been 60 years since the world fell in love with Chevrolet’s Corvette? Fans of “America’s Sports Car” will have a chance to rekindle that romance with a dynamic Corvette 60th anniversary display at the Sept. 19-22 AutoFair at Charlotte Motor Speedway that every die-hard Chevrolet enthusiast and sports car fan will appreciate.
The fall AutoFair features more than 50 car club displays and more than 7,000 vendor spaces that offer a plethora of automotive parts and memorabilia. More than 1,500 collectible vehicles of all makes and models will be available for sale in the car corral that rings the 1.5-mile superspeedway. In addition, up to 200 cars will be auctioned by Dealer Auctions Inc., and kids can enjoy face-painting, bounce houses and other games and entertainment in the huge Play Zone.
The new-for-2014 C7 Corvette Stingray is a technological marvel on par with any European supercar but for a fraction of the sticker price. It also marks the first Corvette generation not available or serviceable through all Chevrolet dealerships. By visiting one of the specially trained and equipped C7 Corvette dealers, an enthusiast can drive away in a two-seat dream machine powered by a 455-horsepower, 376ci V-8 that shifts through a seven-speed manual transmission for $51,000. That drivetrain is cradled in an aluminum chassis and covered by a carbon-fiber roof and hood, all of which have been sculpted into the most aggressive envelope since billionaire Bruce Wayne combined a Stealth fighter with an urban assault vehicle. Zero-to-60 times are in the sub-4.0-second range, and top speed is expected to nudge 200. Even with acceleration in the jet fighter range, the Stingray still manages a miserly EPA highway fuel consumption of 29 miles per gallon – the same as a Honda Accord sedan or Toyota Matrix economy car.
The Corvette 60th anniversary display at the Charlotte AutoFair will feature a 1957 fuelie, ’63 split-window coupe, ’78 Indy 500 Pace Car replica, supercharged ’13 ZR1, anniversary edition Corvettes, 100th Anniversary of Chevrolet 2012 Centennial Edition Grand Sport and many more examples of the “Plastic Fantastic.”
Hours for the Sept. 19-22 AutoFair are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., Thursday through Saturday, and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday. Ticket prices are $10 per day for adults, and children 13 and under are admitted free when accompanied by an adult. Fans who buy a ticket for the first three days get the fourth day free. Parking for the event is $5. For more information on the four-day event, contact the speedway events department at (704) 455-3205 or visit www.charlottemotorspeedway.com.