A Hero’s ’67 Corvette

Owner: Neil Armstrong
Photography by Roger Kallins

Take a leisurely drive down US Highway 1 on Florida’s east coast and you’ll pass through the small town of Titusville. For dozens of miles, this highway makes its way along the shores of the Indian River. If you look across the river at Titusville you’ll spot the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Building) – one of the largest structures on the Cape; home of NASA. For years Cape Canaveral was the center for rockets, space travel and astronauts!

Some towns have superstar athletes. In the Cape Canaveral/Cocoa Beach area, we have superstar astronauts. One of the most famous of those was Neil Armstrong. After all, Neil was the first man to walk on the moon – who could forget, “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Back in 1967, you could often see Neil cruising up Highway 1 in his blue 427 equipped Corvette. He was a huge fan of the Corvette, and loved to drive it. In 1968, Neil traded in this ’67 at Rathmann Chevrolet for a new 1968 model. The second owner of the ’67 purchased the car the next day.

Armstrong’s ’67 Corvette remained in the Cocoa Beach area for the next 31-years. The current owner kept his eye on this car all those years. He tried several times unsuccessfully to get the second owner to part with the car. Finally, in February of 2012, Joe Crosby’s dream came true as he drove home in Armstrong’s ’67 Corvette.

Preservationist Eric Gill has been given the task of preserving this historic vehicle.

Joe Crosby says that this Corvette will never be driven, just displayed at car shows. This Corvette is not only a piece of automotive history; it also represents a piece of American space history. We can be proud to have this historic Corvette right here in Central Florida.

The business end of a Saturn V rocket. This baby kicked out 7,648,000 pounds-force in its first stage. Neil’s Corvette was strong, but not that strong!

 

 

 

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