Corvette Delivery Dispatch with National Corvette Seller Mike Furman for May 3

Criswell Chevrolet’s Mike Furman delivers new Corvettes to his customers who come from all across the country to work with the nation’s top individual Corvette seller.

Thanks for joining us today. Mike has some great photos of happy customers taking delivery of their new Corvettes and he shares some background on each of them. He also has a great collection of throwbacks and vintage pics for you to scroll through, so let us know your favorites at the end in the comments.

You can see all of Mike’s posts and pictures through the week on his CorvetteFurman Facebook Page.

~ “Nobody on the pit wall at Nassau Speed Week in December 1963 was supposed to know that the three lightweight Corvettes lined up under the tropical sun were actually a secret. Their existence was the result of one man’s stubborn refusal to accept that the car he believed in most could be beaten without even being given a fair chance to fight. Zora Arkus-Duntov, a Russian-born engineer who had escaped occupied Paris during World War II and eventually found his way to a drafting table at General Motors, had spent years coaxing the Corvette from a pretty but underwhelming roadster into something the world could take seriously. When General Motors signed on to an industry-wide ban on factory racing in 1957, Zora did not quietly fold his dreams and go home. Instead, he built five ultra-light, purpose-built Grand Sport Corvettes in near-total secrecy, shaving nearly a thousand pounds from the standard Sting Ray and dropping in a handbuilt aluminum V8, all while technically operating outside the knowledge of GM’s corporate headquarters. When his bosses found out, they shut him down, and the Grand Sports were officially handed off to private buyers so no one could prove GM was still involved. But then, almost miraculously, Zora recalled all five cars to his garage in late 1963, fitted them with new 377 cubic-inch engines, and arranged for them to appear at Nassau under privateer names. A Chevrolet engineer just happened to be vacationing on the island that week with differential coolers in his luggage, just in case. The cars beat Carroll Shelby’s mighty Cobras. When you stand in that 1963 Nassau paddock in your imagination now, surrounded by the salt air and the roar of engines on a Bahamian airfield circuit, and you picture Gordon Butler’s Corvette Sting Ray glinting red in the Caribbean sunlight, you are looking at an era when ordinary production cars carried extraordinary stories of defiance on their hoods.“

~Flashback story in time, let’s go back to 2016. I received a phone call from a gentleman that called himself TJ. TJ wanted to schedule an appt with me to hopefully factory order his first ever dream Corvette, a 2016 Z06 coupe. So he comes in for his appt and at first glance he looked very familiar. We put together the specs for his Shark Gray Z06 factory order and I said please let me make a copy of your drivers license for the deal folder. My suspicions were spot on as TJ is Thurgood Marshall JR. His father was Thurgood Marshall: Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from 1967 to 1991!

The airport I use many times per year, BWI is officially named Thurgood Marshall Airport and there are many buildings and schools named after Thurgood Marshall along with a plethora of books and movies. I was a big fan of his fathers and I’m sure I did a few book reports on him as a kid. The very next day it’s 103 degrees outside and I see TJ wearing a suit walking through our Corvette inventory. I go out to greet him and I said is all ok? He said oh yes I was just making sure with color combo, options etc. It’s 103 degrees outside and he is wearing a suit which was making me uncomfortable with perspiration. Just as we were walking towards the showroom a Mgr was walking by so I introduced TJ to the Mgr. Don couldn’t have been more shocked and instantly told TJ that his mother and TJ’s Father attended 6th grade together in Wash, DC! TJ was shocked and Don had to get up to the other building on campus so the whole interaction took 30 seconds maybe 45. The very next day TJ called in looking to speak with Don. 300+ employees and all TJ knew was he wanted to speak with Don. TJ got through to Don and he just wanted to thank him for the 6th grade memory of his Father, Thurgood Marshall and Don’s Mother spending that one year together in grade school which if my Math is correct it would have been around 1921! Oh and one more thing, TJ and I share the same birthday…except TJ is 4 yrs older. I was just in BWI, Thurgood Marshall Airport three times in the last few months and there is a tremendous shrine of pictures etc of Thurgood Marshall. One of the pictures shows about a 5 year old child, of course that’s TJ…my Corvette customer. TJ still owns his 2016 Z06 and he even attended the Z06 Corvette owners school at Spring Mountain and visits Corvettes at Carlisle each year. When TJ stops in for service annually he comes by my office with either a book or movie on his Father and says ”I want you to read/watch this but there will be no book report!”

~I’m off Fridays but seem to always go in the office for out of state deliveries but since that was all taken care of I decided to really take the day off. But when you’re a Corvette enthusiast like me that happens to sell Corvettes you don’t stray far from the Corvette world. Tony of Tony’s Corvette shop is as I mentioned a mere two miles from my home so I text him this morning if he were able to go on a “quick” ride in my ZR1X (vin 00010). He answered within seconds affirmative. I picked him up and we went for a spirited ride in the countryside. Just him and I and plenty of horses, both on the farms we were passing and in the ZR1X engine compartments (1250+hp). I have known Tony since 1989 as he used to live 1 mile from me and he would work on my C1’s, C2’s and C4’s inside his home shop. Tony has driven every model year Corvette with every engine option and transmission for every Corvette produced from 1953-2026, including the C8 ZR1. But he had never viewed a ZR1X no less driven in one or driven one for that matter. Today he accomplished both and after he picked his jaw off the ground he said GM engineering has reached unparalleled excellence. The car is certainly the star as I always say. Tony said Zora Duntov would have his flabbergasted If he was looking down on today’s mid-engine Corvette. *Mid to late July I will deliver my 7,000th Corvette. Touch base if you’d like to attend the milestone day at Criswell Chevrolet.

~6:47am Saturday morning 5/2/26 ~ I just started to bring down from clean up the first of many Corvette deliveries. Have a great weekend everyone

~C8 Deliveries for the week!

~Michael P. of Lewisville, North Carolina factory ordered from me a Riptide Blue 2026 Z06 coupe. I gave him a sight unseen trade value on his 2020 Camaro ZL1 and today he trailered it to Criswell to switch cars. Equipment: Black Competition seats, 2LZ pkg, sterling silver full length dual racing stripes, red calipers, 10 spoke pearl nickel aluminum wheels, Carbon Aero high wing and ground effects pkg and Custom blue stitching.

~David P. of Sarasota, Florida factory ordered from me his brand new Arctic White 2026 Z06 coupe with the ultra rare Tech Bronze accent pkg. The Spider Tech bronze aluminum wheels are really cool and match great with The tech bronze Jake rear hash graphic and the Tech bronze Jake hood graphic. David is a super nice guy and he certainly checked some great specs. We completed the paperwork process via Fed ex and this week Plycar trucking will load his new Z06 and enclose trailer it to his Sarasota home. Look for this Z06 to turn many heads at the Corvette shows that he attends. Even the two tone Natural/ Black interior matches up great with all the tech bronze accents.

~Tim and Melanie M. of Carbondale, Colorado factory ordered their new Arctic White 2026 Corvette ZR1X Convertible (Vin 177 USA pkg #28) with the Stars and Steel USA pkg. This past Saturday Tim took delivery at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY. This special Corvette was on display all week on the Corvette Boulevard during the Bash event. Tim and his son David did the engine build experience and I included two pictures from a few weeks ago. Tim had Ron Fellows and Johnny O’Connell sign the dash board as Tim said, this limited edition Corvette will never leave his family. Equipment: Loaded. Selling price MSRP $274, 680. Two of the finest folks now own Chevrolet’s 1,250 horsepowerZR1X with top down cruising possibilities at every turn.?????? *Of the 25 ZR1X built in the USA Stars and Steel pkg, 16 are Black and 9 are White.

~Keith and Carol S. of Appleton, Wisconsin placed their 2nd Corvette order with me, last time was for a 2017 Grand Sport and this time is for a Competition Yellow 2026 Stingray coupe. Yesterday was their special day as the Corvette Museum staff rolled out the proverbial red carpet for their delivery. Equipment: 2Lt, Z51, magnetic ride, yellow calipers, Carbon flash hash stripe, Carbon flash mirrors/spoiler and much more.

~Walter S. of Lebanon, Pennsylvania has followed my delivery FB page for years and today he took delivery of a brand new Red Mist 2026 Corvette Convertible that he found in my inventory. Walter made the deal over the phone and rented a car for the 100 mile drive down to Criswell. Best part will be the ride home which may or may not end up being 100+ miles, think of the song from Supertramp”Take the Long Way Home!”

Walter last bought a used 2016 Corvette, so his new 2026 is Corvette #2 that he has owned and the very first new one that he has purchased. Equipment: 3LT, Natural dipped interior, body color accents, front lift, magnetic ride, edge red calipers, 20 spoke bright machined face forged aluminum wheels, engine appearance pkg, Z51 performance pkg and more.

~Shane and Sarah S. of Auburn, Alabama sought me out as they wanted to order their special Corvette with a smooth Museum delivery. Well yesterday was that day. The Museum staff truly rolled out the red carpet as they took delivery of their Factory ordered Riptide Blue 2026 Corvette Convertible. Equipment: 2LT, CF/Red stinger, front lift, red calipers, performance exhaust, black ground effects pkg, Carbon flash high wing spoiler and much more.

Note sent yesterday before Shane’s Museum delivery…

“Today is finally my day!
8:30 CST @ NCM
Thanks for making it so easy to get my dream car!”
Thank you
Shane S.

And a note after delivery…

“Thank you Mike! Yesterday could not have gone any better! The whole museum delivery experience was truly amazing! A day we will never forget! The 375 mile drive, in my new C8, home to Auburn had me speechless! Thank you again for helping make our dream come true!” SS of Auburn, Alabama

~5/2/26~Martin R. found me on the internet under Corvette sales so he placed a call to me for a factory order. His one and only Corvette was a brand new Bright Red 1990 until today that is. This morning Marty showed up bright and early to drive home his Torch Red 2026 Corvette coupe. Happy to be behind the wheel of a mid engine Corvette that is light years more refined than his previous 1990 Corvette.

Equipment: 2LT, performance exhaust, red engine cover, and front lift.

~ This week’s Top Corvette Barn finds, old Racing stills, Ads and throwback pictures from around the globe!

Drive safely and enjoy the week.

Mike Furman
Criswell Chevrolet
Gaithersburg, MD
301-212-4420 desk direct (not a text line)
Off Fridays and Sundays
"I sell and ship Nationwide and have done so for 47+ years!
[email protected]
CorvetteFurman.com

Click on the link below for Cigar Aficionado magazine article that just came out:
Cigar Aficionado: The Legend of Mr. Corvette

Each day I post up Corvettes stories and delivery videos…follow on Instagram: corvette.furman and Facebook: CorvetteFurman

Mike can deliver new Corvettes at Criswell Chevrolet in Gaithersburg, MD or through the National Corvette Museum’s R8C delivery program. He can also deliver new Corvettes via covered transport direct to your door or a courtesy delivery to the Chevrolet dealer near you.

Related:
Corvette Delivery Dispatch with National Corvette Seller Mike Furman for April 26
Corvette Delivery Dispatch with National Corvette Seller Mike Furman for April 19
Corvette Delivery Dispatch with National Corvette Seller Mike Furman for April 12

 

The nation’s top Corvette seller Mike Furman delivers the new mid-engine 2026 Corvette Stingrays, Z06s, E-Rays, and ZR1/ZR1Xs to customers from all parts of the USA.