Reflecti ons from History and Faith: 70 years of class

By Jeff Olson

For all my adult life, I have been a fan of classic American cars. Some more than others, of course. Like many of you, I have my favorites, and then my very favorite. Mine is the 1957 Oldsmobile. There is no particular reason inherent in that car that initially made it my favorite, but for me it was strangely enough more of a relationship than anything else.

By that I mean it was a family sort of thing, in that my parents bought a brand new one in the spring of 1957. This made it the very first car I can remember riding in and a car that our family crossed the western United States in on vacations and family visits. I can recall having the backseat all to myself (before my younger sister was born), and the back dash served as my own personal racetrack and parking lot for my little race cars. That Oldsmobile and I bonded and it has remained a part of me ever since.

Several months ago, I wrote an article called “My Memories of the Ride.” This article could have the same title for many of you who have your own memories of THE Ride… your ride. Your ride was likely not the two cars I wrote about, but it may just have been another beautiful automobile — such as the Chevy Corvette. For some of you, your ride is still the Corvette as evidenced by the number of them I see around my community and beyond.

As I celebrated the birth of the Ford Mustang in that article earlier this year, I now celebrate the birth of the Chevy Corvette. I hope that my brief treatment of it here will inspire you to do your own research.

In the early 1950s, Chevrolet was experiencing a sales slump. Management’s solution came from design executive Harley Earl. Having noticed many of the GIs returning home from Europe with British sports cars, it inspired in him an idea of creating an American-made equivalent. Under the name “Project able three-speed manual transmission. This innovation gave new life and identity to the Corvette, essentially transforming it from a small roadster to a genuine sports car.

Opel,” the idea was to design a distinctly American sports car, but with a hint of British styling.

Named Corvette after a military naval ship because of its small size and amazing speeds, the new sports car had a fiberglass body, a 235-cubic-inch straight-six engine and a two-speed automatic transmission. It received a warm reception at its debut as a “dream car” at General Motors’ Motorama at New York’s Waldorf Astoria Hotel in January 1953. Seventy years ago this week, June 30, 1953, the first Chevy Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan.

Even with these improvements, it wasn’t until the 1956 model year that the Corvette experienced transformational change with the engine’s capacity increased to 210 horsepower. A second carburetor was made available which raised the output to 225 horses. The front end was also redesigned to favor the Mercedes-Benz 300SL coupe, and the scalloped sides gave it a more distinctive look.

1957 brought even more improvements when Chevrolet enlarged the V-8 displacement to 283 cubic inches and added a fuel injection system which gave it a maximum capacity of 283 horsepower.

Besides having the opportunity to see many beautiful Corvettes, I also learned much about Corvette history. I plan to visit this amazing museum again later this year.

After 70 years, the Corvette remains America’s only mass-produced sports car and the world’s longest-running, continuously produced passenger car. The current generation of the Cor-

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much passion among buyers for the 300 1953 model Corvettes built. It was indeed an inauspicious beginning to what would become in the eyes of many — “America’s sports car.” The 1953 Corvette sold for around $2,500.

By the end of 1953, Chevrolet moved production of Corvettes from Flint, Michigan, to St. Louis, Missouri, but even by the end of 1954 Chevrolet was still struggling to sell the number of Corvettes it had the capacity to build.

Evidently, performance was a key issue. So, in 1955 engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov, considered the “Father of the Corvette”, helped introduce the car to its first V-8. The 1955 Corvettes were equipped with a 265-cubic-inch, 195 horsepower engine with an avail- vette is the C8, which was released in 2020.

The 1958 Corvette came with a new dual headlight design and still more power. The 1961 and 1962 models rounded out the first generation of Corvettes, again with more power and minor design changes. By this time, the Corvette had secured its place in the sports car world which has kept ever since.

Between 1953 and 2023, there would evolve a total of eight design generations of Corvettes, each with new features and innovations which kept the “Vette” at the forefront of American automobile ingenuity and public popularity.

In June 1981, production moved to Bowling Green, Kentucky. I will never forget my experience in visiting the National Corvette Museum there in 2012.

The Corvette brand also remains on the leading edge of technology. Later this year, Chevrolet will release the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, the first-ever “electrified,” or hybrid, version of the iconic sports car. It also features all-wheel drive, another first for the eighth-generation, or C8, Corvette. The price tag starts at about $104,000.

Much more could be said about the Corvette, but for now I will close with a few thoughts from those who have kept a close eye over the years on this American marvel. “But true to the American spirit, there are few car-based problems that a big V-8 and lots of horsepower can’t fix, and the Corvette has followed that timeless formula ever since, much to the joy of car fans from sea to shining sea.”

“One thing we know for sure, the Corvette still inspires both fierce loyalty and excitement, no small feat after seven decades.”

continued from page1 by Power-Play out of Bixby, Oklahoma showcases different types of equipment for each park. The company has extensive experience with splashpads, aquatic play and spray parks. They also have some really interesting and colorful designs, including multi-level structures and set-ups that appear to accommodate kids of all ages.

Mena Mayor Seth Smith said, “We received a $250,000 matching grant from the Outdoor Recreation Grant Program from the Arkansas Department of Parks Heritage and Tourism. Out of the 20 communities awarded, Mena was 1 of 3 awarded the maximum amount of $250,000.

“The Mena A&P Commission is contributing $125,000 with the match since a portion of their tax collection goes to the development of Tapley Park.

“SWEPCO Foundation is making a monetary donation to the splashpad that will be built in Janssen Park.

Mena Water Utilities (MWU) and Redneck Boring broke ground this past Friday, June 16, tapping into the city’s water pipe at the entrance to Tapley Park. They began the process of digging a trench and laying pipe to the location where the splashpad will be created.

MWU Supervisor James Looney said, “We will be done this week on running the water extension and setting the meter for the pad. That is our only involvement at this time. We ordered 1000 feet of pipe. We will run all of that and then may add just a little to get a good location for the fire hydrant.

Although MWU’s work began at Tapley, the splashpad at Janssen may be the first one ready before the end of summer.

“We were going to do Tapley first but we may do Janssen first since it’s a smaller project,” the mayor said. “We’re hoping to get some use of it by the end of summer before the colder temperatures arrive. I’ve got to get with the contractor, RJR Enterprises out of Rogers, Arkansas.”

RJR, of Rogers, Arkansas, is supplying the equipment and services to create the splashpads once the waterlines are in place.

As for Tapley Park, next to the splashpad the city will be adding a restroom and two pavilions. The restrooms will be similar to the new restrooms installed last year at Janssen Park.

When the news of the splashpads appeared on the Pulse Facebook page, there were several people excitedly discussing the subject, over 2,400 post engagements and more than 10,700 impressions.

Smith said, “This will bring more outdoor activities for families to enjoy in hopes of getting everyone outside and away from screens. The splashpads will also give residents the opportunity to enjoy an activity locally instead of going out of town.”

What’s even better, and will help draw a crowd, is the cost. “There will be no fees for admission,” Smith said. “This will be free for the citizens to enjoy as long as it is taken care of and used properly. Any destruction or vandalism done to the facilities will be investigated and punished to the fullest extent allowable by law.”

There were also several questions from the public, including the status of the skate park. Originally, the skate park was going to be created off Mena Street close to Fire Station No. 2. Once it was determined there were no nearby public restrooms, the plan for the skate park was moved to Tapley Park. The location has changed once again.

Smith said, “Once we get the pavilions built at Tapley we’re moving the skate park to McMillan Park.”

With the proposed skatepark in Mena, it will give riders a place to do tricks safely away from the street and moving vehicles. If it’s anything like the Valley Street Skate Park in Hot Springs, it’ll be a popular destination. The mayor is hoping the skate park will be ready to go by autumn.

The end result will be new seasonal activities for families at all three of Mena’s city parks.