Hot
wheels
New
Corvette club to show off cars
at Regional Business Expo
By
Levi King
Staff Writer
(November 2005) – When Steve Branche moved to
Madison, Ind., with Lowe’s Home Improvement store two years ago,
he noticed that the town had a lot of corvettes for its size. “I
was really surprised to see so many,” he said.
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Photo
provided Corvette
Club members |
Branche had been part of a corvette club in his former
home, Charlotte, N.C., and thought such a group might work in Madison.
“I tossed the idea around for a while, then decided to see if there
was enough interest for a club,” Branche said.
Branche put up fliers around town and the calls and emails rolled in.
The corvette owners held their first meeting in July at Cabana Joe’s
restaurant. Since then, the group, which goes by Vettes of Madison,
has held a car show at Jim Hadley Chevrolet, and several members took
part in a cruise last month to the French Lick Springs Resort.
The club will hold a show in conjunction with this month’s Madison
Area Chamber of Commerce’s Regional Business Expo. From 11-3 p.m.,
Nov. 5, group members will display their cars in the parking lot of
Madison Consolidated High School.
The group now has about 20 members, and meets once a month. “It’s
more of a social group than anything else,” Branche said. Branche
owns a white 1992 corvette convertible with a white top and white interior,
which is a rare combination. Being around other owners, “you start
to see that corvettes are a way of life rather than just a car you drive,”
he noted.
Helen and Mike Cope of Copes’ Car Clinic entered the club with
their 1967 corvette stingray, which they’ve named “Baby.”
Mike has had the car since 1973. “He’d get rid of me before
he’d get rid of Baby,” joked Helen.
Seymour, Evansville and other towns in Southern Indiana have corvette
clubs, so Helen was glad to see the formation of a club in Madison.
“We have a great time getting together and talking about cars,”
she said.
Following one meeting, about 12 corvette owners drove through downtown
Madison together. “I’ll tell you, when people see a line of
corvettes, the heads do turn,” Helen said.
The club’s members range in age from 19 to 70 and up. The cars
are just as varied, spanning the corvette’s entire history, from
1953 to 2005. “The first corvettes were made in 1953, and only
300 were produced,” Branche said. “We’re lucky to have
a member that has one of those originals.”
Branche expects the club to continue to grow, and invites corvette owners
and aficionados from the area to join. The club hopes to present more
shows in the future and participate in parades and other community events.
• For more information, call (812) 265-6600 or email: vettesofmadison@yahoo.com.