Once about a time…
"Attention Corvette Owners. All those interested in forming a Corvette owners club, please attend the organisational meeting on Wednesday April 8 at 8pm at Stedelbauer Chevrolet Oldsmobile Ltd 97 Street and 132 Avenue".
And that’s how it all started, with an ad in the Edmonton Journal on April 4, 1970. Wednesday night was chosen for the first meeting because Stedelbauer was open every other night until 9pm, except Wednesdays. The Wednesday night meeting tradition continues to this day. Unfortunately Stedelbauer no longer exists – but WE do, matured 40 years and still setting the pace!
The 1970 members were invited to attend a Scavenger Hunt and Bavarian Feast held at the Students Union Building, UofA Campus on August 8. The cost was $7.00 per couple and that included everything. Event prices may have changed somewhat over 40 years and so may have some of the members, but our enthusiasm for North America’s only sports car has certainly not.
In 1974, the Canadian Council of Corvette Clubs (CCCC), Western Region was formed with considerable input from the Northern Alberta Corvette Owners Club (NACOC) membership. It was not surprising then, that in 1975 NACOC was chosen to host the first CCCC Annual Convention with slalom racing at Speedway Park, two socials at the Oilfield Technical Society park and door prizes for everyone. Edmonton’s Mayor was even flown in by helicopter to the Saturday evening BBQ and awards presentation. NACOC has hosted seven Conventions over the past 35 years. In the years when NACOC was not responsible for Convention were hosting our own very successful Northland Corvette Conference, which just happens to be the oldest annual Corvette meet in Canada.
Like the Corvettes we admire, NACOC oozes history and tradition. Our meeting raffle stems from the summer of 1970, when an enterprising member with some imagination suggested that the beer left over from the first road trip to Alberta Beach be raffled off at the Wednesday meeting with the profits to subsidize room rent. Our competition events have historically focussed on Corvette’s own tradition of performance on the slalom track, of excellence at the Concours d’Elegance and of versatility at a road rallye.
Tradition applies socially too. Our list of annual events includes the year end awards banquet, Christmas party, croquet tournament, spring bust-out and of course our Northland Corvette Conference. Although not always held annually, members have also organized: theme parties, garage sales, cruises, technical sessions, road trips, poker runs, parades, hay rides, mall shows, scavenger hunts, house and even garage parties. NACOC members also give back to our community through an annual car show in benefit of the Children's Wish Foundation.
The Club takes pride in the fact that distinguished honorary members include: the late Elfi and Zora Arkus Duntov (acknowledged ‘Father of the Corvette’), Dick Guldstrand (‘Mr. Corvette’ himself) and Reeves Callaway. These legends were treated to our NACOC hospitality right here in Edmonton.
Members’ Corvettes range from the earliest ‘solid axles’ built up to 1962, to Corvettes right off a show room floor. Some are modified, some are stock; some are restored and some are drivers. Explore the mystic of the numbers. If your interest is a resto-mod, an L89, a Sting Ray, the original LT-1, a ZZ 4, a big block, a 2000 km Silver Anniversary Pace Car, other anniversary years, a Z06 or a Bloomington Survivor … drop by and we can make it a reality!