If not for him, the Corvette – and GM – might be dead.
Production of the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible kicked off earlier this month, and one of the first – if not the first – C8 convertibles presented through the Corvette's R8C delivery program went to General Motors' former CEO, Dan Akerson. Akerson joined GM during its 2009 bankruptcy and was named CEO in 2010, and he was later replaced by the current CEO, Mary Barra, in 2014.
On Wednesday our team had the privilege of delivering a 2020 Shadow Gray Stingray to former Chairman and CEO of General...
Posted by National Corvette Museum on Thursday, August 27, 2020
Seeing the new C8 convertible being delivered is surely a great sign for Corvette enthusiasts, but the interesting part about Akerson's visit to take delivery of his new Corvette at the National Corvette Museum is the fact that this was his first trip to Bowling Green. Needless to say that his four and a half year tenure at GM was a challenging time for the automaker, but it's likely that his leadership helped to keep GM afloat so that the mid-engine Corvette could become a reality.
The good news is that you don't have to be a former CEO to get this type of delivery experience. The R8C delivery program is available to all Corvette buyers for just $995, and it includes taking possession of the Corvette at the museum through a unique VIP experience that takes place about two weeks after the car rolls off the assembly line.
This 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible isn't the first Corvette Akerson has owned. In the past, he owned a gorgeous 1958 Chevy Corvette (shown below) that was one of only 510 painted in Regal Turquoise, and his was even rarer being a hardtop convertible model. In January 2013, Akerson put this car up for auction through Barrett-Jackson to benefit Habitat for Humanity Detroit, and it ended up selling for $270,000 to Rick Hendrick.
