At a ceremony earlier today, the Corvette Hall of Fame announced its 2022 members-elect.
The Corvette Hall of Fame was established by the National Corvette Museum in 1998 to confer official recognition upon the most influential individuals in the history of the Corvette and honor their achievements. Nominees for the Corvette Hall of Fame are selected by an anonymous panel of Corvette experts and then voted upon by a separate group of 100 anonymous Corvette experts. Since its inception in 1998, the Corvette Hall of Fame has inducted only 75 people.
Each year, a leader is inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame from one of three categories: GM-Chevrolet, Racing, and Enthusiast. The 2022 members-elect are:
GM-Chevrolet – Ed Welburn, Retired VP, GM Global Design
Ed began working at GM in 1972 as an associate designer, and would rise through the ranks to become the first Global VP of Design ever, with a team of 2,500 people in design studios around the world. To foster a sense of teamwork and cooperation between studios, Ed invited all design staff worldwide to submit their ideas for the C7 Corvette. He held the bar high, encouraging his team to make a Corvette that could be called “Stingray” once again.
Racing – Gary Pratt & Jim Miller, Founders of Pratt & Miller Engineering
In 1989, race car builder Gary Pratt and successful businessman/visionary Jim Miller, joined forces to form Pratt & Miller Engineering. In 1996, Chevrolet would approach them about building and campaigning a factory-backed racing effort beginning with the C5 Corvette. Since their debut in 1999, Corvette Racing has added up eight Le Mans wins and 15 Championships, while working with the Corvette production team to advance the street car development through technology transfer. Their efforts have not only advanced the reputation of Corvette but created a worldwide fan base along the way.
Enthusiast – Elfi Arkus-Duntov, The First Lady of Corvette
Known as the First Lady of Corvette, Elfriede “Elfi” Wolff married Zora Arkus-Duntov in February of 1939 just before the outbreak of World War II. Throughout his career with Chevrolet as the Chief Engineer of Corvette, she was a constant companion, impressing everyone with her grace, enthusiasm, and knowledge of Corvette. After his retirement in 1975, Zora and Elfi would attend many Corvette shows together, often sitting for hours to sign autographs. After his passing in 1996, she became a source and principal enabler behind the definitive biography of Zora’s life.
Corvette Hall of Fame members-elect have distinguished themselves not only through their accomplishments but also by their high standards of integrity and character that reflect and enhance the reputation of the Corvette and the National Corvette Museum.
“This year’s members-elect are simply remarkable,” said Sharon Brawner, President and CEO of the National Corvette Museum. “The Corvette has long engendered a very passionate following, and we are thrilled that these deserving individuals have been recognized for their own extraordinary Corvette stories.”
Those interested in attending the induction ceremony of the Corvette Hall of Fame can purchase tickets in June when registration opens for the museum’s anniversary event. Nominations for the 2023 Corvette Hall of Fame members-elect will be open from May 2nd-August 5th, 2022. Learn more at corvettehalloffame.org.
