Lyon Air Museum to host ‘Cars & Cockpits’

Lyon Air Museum, a Southern California showcase for vintage military aircraft and automobiles, will host more than 50 classic and late-model Chevrolet Corvette sports cars as part of a “Cars & Cockpits” event scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 2, from 10-11:30 a.m. at the facility, located on the west side of the runway at John Wayne Airport in Orange County.

The cars will be driven by members of Corvettes Limited, Los Angeles. Based in Arcadia, Calif., Corvettes Limited is one of the oldest U.S. Corvette car clubs. Viewing the automobiles in the museum parking lot is free of charge.

“The Corvette is one of GM’s most iconic brands – and the museum will be playing host to some of the most beautifully designed sports cars ever made in this country,” said Mark Foster, president of Lyon Air Museum. “The public tends to think of the museum as an aircraft venue, but we also have some of the world’s rarest automobiles — such as Hitler’s Mercedes Benz — on display as well. We enjoy the mix, which is why we call these events our ‘Cars and Cockpits.’”

The Corvette sports car from the Chevrolet division of General Motors has been produced for six generations. The first model, a convertible, was designed by Harley Earl and introduced at the GM Motorama in 1953 as a concept show car. Myron Scott is credited for naming the car after the type of small, maneuverable warship called the “corvette.” Originally built in Flint, Mich. and St. Louis, Mo., the Corvette is currently being manufactured in Bowling Green, Ken., and is the official sports car of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Corvettes Limited, Los Angeles, became incorporated in December 1957 in the state of California as a non-profit organization and a member of the National Council of Corvette Clubs. Today, the club has more than 100 members.

The 30,000-square-foot Lyon Air Museum opened in December 2009. The museum has on exhibit some of the world’s rarest operational aircraft and vehicles. In addition to military vehicles and motorcycles, on display are an original 1939 Mercedes-Benz Model G4 Offener Touring Wagon used by Adolph Hitler in Germany and Poland until it was seized by the French Army at the war’s end, a 1941 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Sedan (the last four-door convertible produced by Cadillac) formerly owned by New York socialite Princess Diane Eristavi, and a 1947 Lincoln Continental Cabriolet featuring a long front “bonnet” that conceals a potent V12 engine.

For more information: 714-210-4585, LyonAirMuseum.org