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We have recently begun insuring a very special Corvette that is part of Americana’s history – Astronaut Neil Armstrong’s 1967 Corvette – 427 Coupe!
After General Motors gifted astronaut Alan Shepard with a white 1962 Corvette to congratulate him on becoming the first American in space, Indianapolis 500 winner and Florida Chevrolet Dealer Jim Rathmann came up with the idea to offer Shepard’s fellow astronauts Corvettes of their own.
Rathmann negotiated a special lease arrangement to put the Mercury astronauts into the cars. For $1 per year, the spacemen could drive the latest model Corvette and then trade it in for a new one. The lease program was popular with the astronauts and proved to be good exposure for Chevrolet, so it continued into the Gemini and Apollo programs.
Armstrong joined the astronaut corps in 1962 with NASA’s second group of astronauts. According to his authorized biography, his first leased Corvette was damaged when a fire destroyed his house. Several years and cars later, Armstrong traded in his 1967 blue Sting Ray for a new Vette.
This special Corvette was recently posted for sale on eBay, and our customer who was the seller, reported that it was purchased by a NASA employee when Mr. Armstrong turned it in, and it was retained by the owner until it was purchased by our customer in February of 2012.
The NCM Insurance Agency is very proud to have the honor of protecting this unique piece of history, and the many collector cars that will be a part of generations to come. We have an amazing opportunity to insure collector cars that bring families together, connect lives, and create memories that last forever. That is our job – protecting the automotive passion. We want to protect your piece of history too! Check us out at www.ncminsurance.com or give us a call at 877.678.7626. Passion and history are our specialty, and we take pride in what we do.
