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DETROIT — Tadge Juechter, known as the “godfather” of the modern Corvette, recently retired after nearly 47 years at General Motors (GM). His career culminated with the unveiling of the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the most powerful and fastest Corvette ever produced.
A legacy of high performance
Juechter’s journey with GM began in 1985, evaluating the feasibility of a new high-performance Corvette model. Nearly four decades later, the 2025 Corvette ZR1 marks a significant milestone, both for the brand and as a fitting conclusion to Juechter’s career.
During the unveiling of the new ZR1, GM Chairman Mark Reuss praised Juechter: “All the great Corvettes of recent years and decades have one thing in common: you. Your knowledge, skill, hard work and passion have made the Corvette the great American sports car it remains.”
Towards an electric Corvette
GM has announced that an all-electric Corvette is in the works, though no specific timeline was given. Last year, the hybrid version of the car, called the E-Ray, was introduced as the first step toward full electrification. Juechter believes this transition is crucial to the future of the Corvette.
“Electrification can be a wonderful addition to cars. We embrace efficiency in everything we do, including sports cars,” Juechter said. “E-Ray is just the first step. We’re thinking long-term, and our job as engineers is to figure out how to get there.”
Brand expansion and new models
Wall Street analysts have suggested that GM could better leverage the Corvette brand by expanding its model lineup. In 2019, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas estimated that a Corvette sub-brand could be worth between $7 billion and $12 billion.
However, Juechter is not convinced that a spinoff is necessary. “Corvette is the heart of Chevrolet. It’s a purely commercial move. General Motors has always embraced its major franchises, and this is a really important franchise.”
A high-performance SUV?
The possibility of a Corvette SUV has been on the table for years, though Juechter has not confirmed those plans. “How we leverage the brand is a question for the future. We are maximizing this mid-engine architecture and working on electric vehicles.”
Juechter’s Favorite Corvette
Over the course of his career, Juechter has been in four generations of Corvettes. His first Corvette purchase was a 2006 sixth-generation Corvette Z06. “It’s hard to pick a favorite. It’s like who your favorite child is. But if I had to pick, I would say the Z06 was very special to me.”
Juechter has since sold that car, but recently purchased an eighth-generation Corvette Stingray convertible as his “retirement car.” “I’ve never been a convertible guy, but it’s our long-distance touring car. It’s going to be my everyday car.”
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