A Corvette summer

The Sept. 1 issue of OCW features Corvettes, so the staff has been talking 'glass all week long. Here are couple sneak peeks at 'Vettes featured in the Sept. 1 issue:

A 1963 Corvette roadster with nearly 500,000 miles.

Larry Lang's 1955 Corvette roadster, in his family since 1969.

Assembling the Corvette issue inspired us to create a special offer for OCW readers featuring a couple 'Vette books and a download. If you're looking for more on 'Vettes, here's the skinny:

CORE CORVETTE PACKAGE

Every red-blooded American dreams of dropping the top and cruising America’s forgotten blue highways, and most picture the experience from behind the wheel of America’s sports car, the Corvette.The Must-Have Corvette Package includes:

The rumble from under the fiberglass hood and the wind-in-your-face feeling is anything but forgotten in this Corvette package we have prepared for you. From the start of America’s “fiberglass fancy” with the 1953 Corvette to the rocketing C6, this core package of Corvette necessities provides fiberglass fans the Corvette experience from an easy chair or Route 66.

1. "Corvette Masterpieces: Dream Cars You'd Love To Own""Corvette Masterpieces" — a big, heavyweight hardcover book with large, lavish photos on America’s featherweight — captures the most fabulous 'Vettes ever made. Author Jerry Heasley, photographer and writer for numerous Corvette magazines, shares his unmatched access to countless off-limits private collections to show truly spectacular 'Vettes, making this book different than any other Corvette title ever published.

2. "Corvette: The Great American Sports Car"

The more than 500 images from Jerry's numerous photo shoots include:

• Photo shoots of both coveted '69 ZL1 'Vettes of lore and legend!

• Celebrity cars of Johnny Carson, Burt Reynolds, Dinah Shore, John Cougar Mellencamp, Roy Orbison, Alan Jackson, Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt and others.

• The original Waldorf Astoria Corvette that debuted the new sports car in 1953.

• Test mule Corvettes that tested the V-8 for 1955.

• Famous Mako Shark and CERV-1 show.

• GM executives styling cars originally owned by Bunkie Knudsen and Harley Earl.

• Callaway, Baldwin-Motion, Ligenfelter and other specialty cars.

• '57 air-box "fuelies", "split-windows," "big-tank" cars, the '68 "shark bodies" and the neck-snapping C6 'Vettes of today.

A fantastic book filled with fantastic 'Vettes and fantastic ideas for your own 'Vette!

Picking and choosing the perfect ‘Vette has never been as easy as through Corvette: The Great American Sports Car. Every year of Corvette production from 1953 to 2011 is illustrated with color photographs, lively historical perspective and the all-important data to Corvette fans.

3. Standard Catalog of Corvette, 2nd Edition Digital Download

All six decades of Corvette production are shown in the soft cover book with more than 225 photographs from ace photographers Jerry Heasley and Tom Glatch, making it easy to easy to find the perfect ‘Vette, or to just keep the year-to-year changes straight and readers’ knowledge on Corvette history sharp. Its 6x9-inch size also makes it perfect for carrying in your ‘Vette’s glove compartment.

Sleek, stylish and powerful, the Corvette has been the quintessential American sports car for nearly 60 years. This download is packed with updated pricing, fabulous photography, production information, VIN numbers, engine and interior codes, options and more. The user-friendly design and comprehensive coverage provide easy-to-find answers to any Corvette question.Corvettes may only seat two, but this package includes three great tools for the 'Vette enthusiast. The retail price of each item when individually ordered is $71.98, but you can get the Core Corvette Package for $45 when ordered in this package — that's savings of 37 percent!