What is your Corvette story? Why do you like them?

[Anonymous]

Sorry if this is considered "off-topic", but this seems to be the only section of this board people much spend time in. I would enjoy hearing everyone's story.For me, it started in 1987. I was six years old, and my dad bought a brand new '87 maroon red hardtop. He had owned a 1970 green 454 'vette (390 horse!) back in the day, but had to sell it (doesn't that always seem to happen?!) and he had wanted another one ever since. In '87 they were finally coming out of the dismal 70's and early 80's years of low horsepower, and '87 was one of the first years where they finally started to increase the compression ratios (9.5:1 I believe, 240 horse), so he decided it was time. At the impressionable tender age of six, I was in love with it. We lived sort of on the outside of town, with lots of clear backroads, and there was nothing I loved more than when we were cruising together and he would gun it.A couple years later, we went on a trip through the midwest (we live in Michigan), and one of the stops my dad wanted to make was the Corvette factory in Bowling Green. This was when the ZR-1 just coming out, and GM was really pushing it in the advertising. During the tour of the plant, I got selected to install a wheel on a ZR-1, still in the factory racks. I was, of course, ecstatic. I remember walking out that day with a shirt that had a ZR-1 on it, and underneath it said "Life begins.......at 180 mph." Not sure whatever happened to that shirt, but I wish I still had it today.A couple years after that, my dad had to sell his '87 'vette, and it was definitely a sad day. And after that, I kind of moved on to other things.Once I got older I started to get into cars again on my own, and I just recently rediscovered the ZR-1. I didn't really think much about it, because I naturally figured a car ten years old wouldn't be anything special anymore. But as I have researched it and read about it, the ZR-1 truly seems to be one of a kind, and still "the king of the hill" to this day. I am always being impressed by it.Thus, Corvettes are very special to me. To me, the only kind of sports car is a rear-wheel drive, naturally aspirated V8. Once I am out of college, I hope someday I am lucky enough to have one.Brett