How One Man Defied GM And Saved The Corvette From Extinction In The 1990s

Though an icon of American performance, the Chevrolet Corvette hasn’t always had a secure place in the General’s lineup. Most Corvette historians and enthusiasts already know that it faced cancellation multiple times early in existence, but the story of another potential death knell is just now becoming public more than 20 years after it happened, and the man best positioned to tell that story — the man who defied GM’s order to let the Corvette die — will tell that story this weekend. Related: Remembering the “King of the Hill,” the 1990-‘95 ZR-1 Corvette.  Russ McLean and the 1997 Corvette By the mid-1990s, Russ McLean had already worked for GM for many years - including stints in Spain and in Mexico - and developed a reputation as a cost-cutter and turnaround champ. At the time, McLean noted, GM suffered from a one-two punch of financial difficulties and continuous reorganization, so he decided to isolate the Corvette team from “all that noise.” By maintaining one stable organizational structure independent from the overall GM structure, he said he was able to make necessary changes - improving the Corvette’s quality and reducing overall costs - that in turn led to Corvette making a profit within McLean’s first year.