This week’s Throwback video features what I believe to be an early ad for the C5 Corvette, but not for the U.S. market. This video is completely without vocals of any kind and the only printed text in the commercial is the crude Corvette logo at the end of the video.
When combined with the fact that the Chevrolet name isn’t used in the spot, I believe that this is likely an early C5 Corvette ad for foreign markets, as the lack of words would allow the company to run this ad in any market and, most importantly, the production quality as a whole seems a bit low for the domestic market – even for a car in the 1990s.
While there are no words in this commercial, we do see a large group of what looks to be the media gathered around the back of a car trailer and when the door drops, the C5 Corvette slowly rolls out of the darkness. The media is so taken aback by the new Corvette that some of them seemingly forget to take pictures, instead simply admiring the new Corvette as it rolls through the rain from one trailer to another.
I suppose that with a car as incredible as the LS1-powered C5 Corvette, you don’t need words to make a memorable commercial.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
