[PICS] Throwback Thursday: Corvette Central Celebrates 45th Anniversary

Our friends at Corvette Central are celebrating their 45th anniversary of manufacturing and supplying high-quality Corvette parts to customers around the world. We recently received an email from the company that offers a look back at their history and the journey that began with a guy in the tool and die business who needed parts for his 1958 Corvette.

Jerry Kohn was that young Corvette owner back in 1973 and the first product from the company that would ultimately become known as Corvette Central was a correct reproduction of the C1 Corvette’s grille teeth.

Jerry quickly determined there was a market for his parts, the big problem was how to get the word out to Corvette owners that he had them available. He would soon hit the road and would display them from the trunk of his car at car shows in the midwest. With business ever-increasing, the company would go through a succession of campers, box trucks, and cargo haulers for bringing products, display boards, and customer orders to the shows.

Corvette Central has always been located in Sawyer, Michigan and today the business encompasses a warehouse, manufacturing center, and offices all under the same roof. But their first location was this humble brick building with boarded-up windows that was in total disrepair.

The company would soon become a fixture at many shows like Spring Carlisle with displays that allowed them to show off their various Corvette parts. In the late seventies, reproduction parts weren’t as popular as they are today, but once people saw the quality, they were hooked and Corvette Central’s reputation continued to spread.

Over the years, Corvette Central would be able to survive recessions, floods, and other changes in the business environment while continuing to grow and service customers around the world. You can visit Corvette Central for the virtual timeline that features an insider’s look at the Corvette hobby then and now.

Congratulations to Jerry and Scott Kohn and everyone at Corvette Central on your 45th Anniversary!

Source:
Corvette Central

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