All Corvettes Are Red: The Rebirth of an American Legend

by James Schefter

No other American car has the mystique and romance of the Corvette. It has been a legend for over forty years. Early in 1997 General Motors unveiled the fifth-generation Corvette. "All Corvettes Are Red" is the inside story of the people who made that Corvette from drawing board to assembly line. The gap between the fourth- and fifth-generation Corvettes (C4 and C5, in GM lingo) was the longest ever, and the Corvette program came close to dying. Just as serious design work was under way, GM suffered the worst losses in its corporate history, and the C5 program was put on hold. The Corvette was saved by a fiercely dedicated team of designers, engineers, and executives, who pulled together to keep their dream car alive. They overcame internal politics and company-wide budget cuts to produce a new Corvette that is better engineered, better built, and less expensive than its predecessors.

Author James Schefter was granted unprecedented access to every part of GM, including areas that were off-limits to many company vice presidents. He spent eight years witnessing the C5's journey from drawing board to clay model to prototype to production vehicle. He accompanied test drivers across scorching deserts and into snow-packed mountains. As a result "All Corvettes Are Red" is not just the most authoritative book ever written about the Corvette, it is the most revealing account of the inner workings of the U.S. automobile industry.

Genres: Nonfiction, Business

384 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1996

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tremendous.

This book will amaze you - not only the level of corporate rot and dysfunction, but how determined one must be to get around it. It may give you some ideas for your own Intrapreneurship. Another amazing fact is how people and companies just refuse to learn, no matter what is placed in front of them or how obvious reality is.

Don't underestimate the need for a halo project, in either your corporate or personal life. And don't rip the team of crazies, because they're the passionate ones that come up with new Corvettes (and Apple Macs, and Tivoli software, and SR-71s, and so on).

[Jose · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a connoisseur of The Corvette of the highest order I enjoyed reading this book and I am glad I own two copies the hardcover and softcover. What I do not like is the book seems Heavy on the critique of A previous engineer and very pro on the successor. The hardcover has color pictured while the softbound does not. Hardcover dust jacket you take off has red cool c5 on binding you can see thru. Great In-depth and interviews. Highly recommend reading and owning all versions of the book.

[Larry · Rating 4 out of 5]

At last, a book with a story as dramatic as the car it was written about! And, what a BEAUTY! VERY well written.

I never realized that the automobile industry could be so cut-throat, or that the planning and design of a new car was so exhaustive and exhausting. If you love cars, adore the Corvette, and really enjoy a good business biography, this is a MUST READ. Enjoy!

[Michael Roeder · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book detailing the checkered story leading up to the C5 (5th Generation) Corvette. A story of engineering and designers pulling a flagship car from the brink of extinction, creating the best Corvette and probably the best car made by GM in 40 years.

[Bill Greenwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book because of the tremendous insights it provided in to the car making business, plus how it detailed the very troubled gestation and re-birth of one of America's great cars.

[Daniel Heffron · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you are a fan of the car design process, have at it. If you're simply a Corvette aficionado like myself, maybe reconsider spending the time.

It is clear the author spent a lot of time researching the book by attending numerous meetings on the development of the C5 and interviewing the people that gave us that car. The first third of the book is like reading the outcomes of many corporate meetings and organizational changes. The second third starts to pick up momentum and finally gets into the specifics of the design elements of the car (improving ingress/egress, wheel and tire size, should it have a spare tire, etc). The last third covers testing and is like an action movie on the C5 team avoiding spies seeking out car photos.

If the book was less heavily weighted towards the front and more heavily weighted towards the rear, it would be easier to accelerate through it!

[Mariom · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was hard to get pass corporate-political in the beginning. That part should be a bit shorter, more briefly described. At least for me it was quite hard to go through it.

But I liked the parts about designing car, problems they faced - both technical, but as well with parts manufacturers. I had a feeling for most of the book that it's about perfect car… which C5 isn't. I think finish of the book covered that part.

What I was missing - a bit more photos, sketches, etc. There were only few in the middle of the book… would be better have it in the context or at least mentioned in chapters "take a look at photo 6 in the middle of book" or whatever.

[Chris Pohlman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing read. The C5 has always been close to my heart and seeing the struggle that brought this car to life makes me appreciate it and those who designed, engineered, and built it even that much more.

[Brent Richardson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Incredible read for Corvette or automotive fans alike. A true behind the scenes account of exactly how hard it is to design engineer and eventually build a vehicle.

[sid · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so well written, but it does contain some interesting inside stories. The audio engineering is atrocious; it sounds almost as though every second or third paragraph was overdubbed from another session, which is VERY distracting. (and annoying)

[D Reed Whittaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

A tad tedious. Too many characters. Great insight into the complexity surrounding new product development in a highly bureaucratic environment.

[Chris Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

good fun. interesting insight into how cars are designed and the politics inside a large company.