Corvette Hall of Fame Inductees 2019

Every year, the National Corvette Museum chooses individuals who played an important role in their brand and honor them. Selections of this year have been announced to be included in the 22nd Annual Corvette Hall of Fame Ceremony and will receive the highest honor this year.

The three individuals that were chosen by the museum come from different fields yet have been significant contributions to the success of the brand in the past, present, and future.

Even though the names of the awardees were released as early as January, Corvette confirms that the induction will be celebrated along with the brand museum’s 25th anniversary which will take place from 28th of August until the 31st. The National Corvette Museum was founded in 1994 in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Let's check it out with Philkotse.com

2019 Corvette Hall of Fame

1. Dollie Cole, Enthusiast

Background

Dollie Cole was a lively, opinionated woman who was widowed by the former president of GM (General Motors), Ed Cole. She was a former model who was reported to have sparked the research of airbags.

This happened when she was wearing a fur coat while she was driving and complained that the seat belt was uncomfortable for her and her outfit. She was also driving the first General Motors car that was equipped with airbags as soon as they launched its production in 1974.

It was the brown-toned Oldmobile Toronado which was finally produced for the public in 1973. Dollie was a picture of a woman who was active in the automobile industry and the fast lane.

She also lived her life to the fullest in every area she may have thought possible. She was a brave and courageous test pilot as well as a test driver.

She always had the initiative to help with tasks that no one else could achieve. Asides from that, Dollie Cole was also working as a senior editor for a local publishing company at the time.

She was also the person that people ran to when privateer racing efforts went stagnant. By contacting Dollie, they immediately got some secret help from the GM engineering team.

Dollie was a picture of a woman who was active in the automobile industry and the fast lane

Dollie also had time to provide leadership for a number of charity organizations -- those that adopted orphaned children, abused animals, persons with disabilities, as well as families of fallen officers and veterans who served the country.

She didn’t limit her service to the area just around her. In fact, she was one of the few people at that time that served in both national and local boards. This includes The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, PBS and, of course, the National Corvette Museum.

The National Corvette Museum had the privilege of having her as its chair in the year 2000 until the year 2001.

Dollie’s Contribution to Corvette

Dollie was reported to have taken her position very seriously when she was still seated as the museum’s chairperson, as stated by museum executive director Wendell Strode. He remembers the time when the museum was struggling in terms of finances and other aspects.

Dollie remained calm and, instead of panicking, decided to go for a new strategic business plan that proved strong enough to get the museum running again. Using her contacts in the corporate offices in America as well as GM, she leveraged the museum to open new doors just to generate profit for the sake of the museum.

She was also responsible for lavish fundraising events and such so that the museum would be more visible in the national scene. Dollie was indeed a great leader and deserves the recognition.

Dollie was reported to take her position very seriously when she was the Museum’s Chairperson

2. Briggs Cunningham, Racing

Background

Born Briggs Swift Cunningham, this man was the very definition of the words “an exemplary American sportsman.” Having come from a wealthy family, Cunningham already had the means to fulfill his passion for car racing.

Even though he loved cars, he also had deep interest when it came to the waves. He participated in America’s Cup race in 1958. He used a yacht named “The Columbia” which was solely funded by him.

This active sportsman thrived on automobile competitions against the Europeans. He utilized American technology since he was representing the country. In order to build the best team he deemed fit for the competitions, he handpicked the best of the best people to help him out in his journey.

From building cars to his actual racetrack team, he remained hands-on with the entire process.

Briggs was the definition of the words “an exemplary American Sportsman”

Briggs’ Contribution to Corvette

Briggs and Corvette met at just about the right time since Corvette was the rising icon as America’s sports car then. Cunningham bought three Corvettes for the famous race in France and had them modified especially for the competition.

The results showcased a 1960 Corvette that made history as it won its own class race at Le Mans.

Cunningham bought three Corvettes for the famous race in France

3. Tom Peters, GM/Chevrolet Designer

Background

Tom Peters started sketching when he was a kid. However, it was during his college days when he started to study advertising illustrations and fine arts. That was also when he saw the industrial design of cars and other related products that inspired him to discover where he wanted to be. After Tom graduated in 1980, he was offered a job by Chuck Jordan at GM.

Tom’s work included the ZR-1 Corvettes, the Corvette Indy Car as well as other variants

Tom’s Contribution to Corvette

Tom’s works eventually caught the eye of Corvette’s chief designer Jerry Palmer, who offered him a position on their team. Tom’s work included the ZR-1 Corvette, the Corvette Indy Car, as well as other variants. After some time he received an offer for his own office and was assigned to make a design for the C5 Corvette.

His hard work, talent, and skill led him to be the designing director for the Corvette’s C6. Later projects included the C7 Stingray before he became the director of design for performance car exteriors for Corvette and Camaro.

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