Shocking news for the Corvette Nation and automotive enthusiasts everywhere as Callaway Cars announces the passing of founder Reeves Callaway this morning. Reeves sustained injuries from a fall in his home on July 11th.
When I first started writing about Corvettes in 2005, one of the posts I did was about the five people in the hobby I was hoping to meet one day, and Reeves was on the list. My wish came true as I got the chance to talk with him on multiple occasions. He was the one of the nicest and friendliest people you could ever have a conversation with, and there is no one that could pull off the look of wearing a sport coat and flip flops like Reeves did.
One of my fondest memories of Reeves came when sitting next to him and his son Pete at the official reveal of the 2020 Corvette Stingray in California, and I remember that he audibly gasped when Mark Reuss announced the price of the Stingray would be under $60,000.
We’ll miss you, Reeves. We are saying prayers for you and your family on this very sad day.
Here is the official announcement from Callaway Cars:
Callaway Cars announces, with deepest sadness, the passing of our Founder and CEO, Ely Reeves Callaway III, on Tuesday, July 11, at his home in Newport Beach, California, from injuries sustained after a fall.
Reeves was a legendary figure in the world of high-performance automobiles. Entirely self-taught, Reeves founded the company in 1977 from his garage in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
His first product success was an aftermarket turbo kit for BMW, which renowned automotive journalist Don Sherman reviewed favorably that year in Car and Driver. The rest was history as Reeves, a Formula Vee champion driver prior to becoming a constructor, moved with his customary speed to open Callaway Cars’ first headquarters in Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Over the four decades since, Reeves and Callaway Cars have continued to earn top accolades from media, the automotive industry, and the global motorsports world as a pioneer of “Powerfully Engineered Automobiles”. His unique performance and design innovations have delivered track and road-going successes for global marques, including BMW, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Land Rover, Mazda and General Motors, who looked to Callaway’s innovation, creativity, agility, and performance to help accomplish their goals.
Reeves is perhaps best known for his work with Corvette, a deep and high-level relationship with the American sports car manufacturer that began in 1987 and culminated with two industry firsts:
• The Callaway Twin Turbo Corvette “B2K” designation, a factory code to signify the GM stamp of approval to permit sale and distribution of the Callaway Corvette via the Chevrolet Dealer network which, in turn, earned Callaway Cars the rare honor of becoming designated a Specialty Vehicle Manufacturer.
• The second was a world-first record: in 1989, Callaway Cars built a Twin Turbo Corvette, dubbed “The Sledgehammer” that blew away all the competition by setting a production-car top speed record of 254.76 mph. Not until 2010, 21 years later, did Bugatti break Callaway’s record by achieving a 267.85 mph in a Veyron Super Sport.
In 1994, Reeves launched a Germany-based racing unit, Callaway Competition, with partners Ernst Wöhr and Giovanni Ciccone. International recognition was achieved by their successes at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and later a European GT racing team which ultimately led to authorization by GM to construct and homologate C6- and C7-generation GT3 race cars for international competition.
Reeves was one of the last and most successful one-man, single-vision practitioners of hyper-performing internal combustion automobiles. It’s a rare-air field that includes the likes of Ettore Bugatti, Ferry Porsche, and Enzo Ferrari, to name a few.
Reeves’ vision, creativity, and innovation encompassed not only automotive engineering, but aviation and aerospace as well with Callaway Carbon, Inc.
A longtime helicopter pilot and Board Director for Kaman Corporation, Reeves was in recent years a founding adviser to a hydrogen-powered and composite-intensive, blended-wing aircraft start-up with funding from NASA and the Air Force.
“Thanks to Reeves’ visionary entrepreneurial spirit, Callaway Cars will continue to innovate and grow in the 21st century, inspired by his unique, extraordinary vision, and by his personal example of integrity, resourcefulness, and leadership as our founder,” says his son Peter Reeves Callaway, the company’s President. “Dad’s passion for making beautifully designed and crafted machines can be seen in each and every project, and we remain devoted to executing to the highest standards, in true Callaway fashion. He was rarely found doing anything other than working towards the next milestone for the company. He was a charismatic leader with a sense of humor that we will all remember through various “Reeves-isms”. I feel fortunate to have grown up working with him and the company.”
Mike Zoner, the Chief Operating Officer of Callaway Cars, remembers him:
“I have had the privilege of working with Reeves and helping him innovate for over 35 years. Reeves always strived to make the finest vehicles and products, and then improve them. His support of our customers, partners, and team members was unwavering. We shall carry his vision and mission forward and continue to grow the company he founded and built into innovative future products that he would applaud as we honor his legacy.”
The first son of Ely Reeves Callaway, Jr., the founder of Callaway Golf, and brother of publisher Nicholas Callaway, Reeves proudly epitomized the entrepreneurial Callaway family tradition of making the finest goods that enhance an individual’s enjoyment, performance and lifestyle.
A true gentleman, he was the devoted father of four and grandfather of two.
His large circle of friends, colleagues and admirers around the world will mourn his passing and miss him deeply.
Further communiqués from Callaway Cars will be forthcoming.
Source:
Callway Cars
Related:
[PODCAST] Reeves Callaway Talks 35th Anniversary of Callaway Cars on the Corvette Today Podcast
[VIDEO] Reeves Callaway Talks About the New Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R
Exhibit Celebrating 35 Years of Callaway Corvettes Now Open at the National Corvette Museum
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That’s sad news. RIP Reeves.
I will say, I was fortunate enough to meet Reeves Callaway at Funfest in Effingham Ill. He was there with his wife, He was there answering questions. It was interesting listening to stories of development and other tales. Now I realize how lucky I was to meet him, he was cordial and very open to talking to Corvette owners. He was a real enthusiast of cars and racing.
It was the only time he was there, as the next year he was in California. Callaway has a display at Funfest nearly every year. Also got to drive one of the cars they had on display, nothing say Corvette like a Callaway. I am sure he will be missed.
My condolences to the Callaway family.
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