Ignore the titles, what issues is that 5 males have been synonymous with shepherding new Chevrolet Corvettes to market in the course of the American icon’s 71 years: Zora Arkus-Duntov (1967-1975), Dave McLellan (1975-1992), Dave Hill (1992-2006), Tom Wallace (2006-2008), and Tadge Juechter (2006-2023). Juechter, the man when it got here to any media outlet or Corvette fan making an attempt to know the final three generations of Corvette engineering, philosophy, and aspirations, is retiring this summer. When he departs GM’s Renaissance Center in a number of months, it is going to be the tip of a 47-year profession on the firm.
The notice about titles is essential as a result of it factors to how Juechter’s affect reaches past what’s on his enterprise card. The 5 males listed above are generally called Corvette chief engineers, usually as a part of the assertion that Corvette has solely had 5 chief engineers, which is generally true. Harley Earl, the legendary designer who had the original idea for the Corvette, led a workforce of designers working with Maurice Olley as head of chassis growth and Ed Cole, father of the small block V8, as head of powertrain. Arkus-Duntov didn’t join GM until May 1953 — invited by Olley, employed by Cole, after writing GM a letter about how one can fulfill the slow-selling Corvette’s potential — after which solely as an assistant chief engineer, reporting to Olley, who reported to Cole. Arkus-Duntov received promoted to the position of director of excessive efficiency automobiles for Chevrolet in 1957 and was instrumental in growing the C2, however he did not earn the title of Corvette chief engineer until 1967. Before that yr, the title of Corvette chief engineer did not exist, making Duntov the primary.
Take Wallace, who grew to become the Corvette’s car line government and chief engineer on January 1, 2006, however solely held the engineer position for seven months — and Dave Hill’s Wikipedia page would not even give Wallace credit score for that quick stint. In July of 2006, GM promoted Juechter from being assistant chief engineer of the Corvette to chief engineer for the Corvette and the associated Cadillac XLR, reporting to car line government Wallace. Wallace’s tenure as the person accountable for then-current and future Corvette applications received minimize quick by GM’s chapter in 2008. Afterward, Juechter took on the roles of car line director and government chief engineer, two jobs it seems he held till across the mid 2010s.
Ed Piatek received promoted into the position of Corvette chief engineer and designer for C8 Corvette growth. What’s most weird about his tenure is that it is nearly been scrubbed from the report regardless of his repeated appearances supporting the C8’s launch. The Detroit Free Press spoke to him at length concerning the C8 and so did a Hagerty podcast. But seek for him on YouTube, the Corvette-related result’s a single eight-minute video with a one-minute Piatek interview that does not point out his identify within the prolonged description. A 10-minute interview with The Torque Show has been deleted. The solely different dependable mentions are when he verified EPA fuel economy figures for the C8 and when he got moved to GM’s EV division. All of this occurred in 2020. Before and after that yr, he is a ghost on-line, and the one trace of LinkedIn profile we are able to discover for him is extra like an “X Files” evidence exhibit — we solely assume it is him as a result of the Other Similar Profiles field exhibits one other former exec in GM’s EV division.
After Piatek’s transfer, GM promoted Josh Holder to the position of Corvette chief engineer. Holder’s been with GM since 1999, joined the Corvette program in 2002, and stays Corvette chief engineer at present. But even after Holder’s promotion, Juechter was still being called Corvette chief engineer in headlines (his LinkedIn page shows “Chief Engineer/Vehicle Line Director” titles), and we might wager a month’s wage, a donut, and a field of Jake stickers nobody exterior of devoted Corvette followers is acquainted with Holder or Piatek. That’s no slight on the opposite two males, both, each of whom have achieved their elements to ensure the Corvette retains getting higher. It’s solely to indicate how large Juechter’s shadow has been contained in the Corvette program.
It’s not clear who shall be chosen to succeed Juechter in his one or two roles; GM stated it could make an announcement this summer. Based on the place the previous execs have come from, Holder’s within the prime spot for succession, however something can occur.
As for Juechter, soccer supplies the perfect analogy for the approaching finish of this period. When L.A. Rams defensive sort out Aaron Donald introduced his retirement in March, the frequent cry was, “Give that man his Hall of Fame jacket right now” as a substitute of constructing him wait the necessary 5 years earlier than HOF choice. Same for Juechter — you would possibly as properly dangle his plaque within the Corvette Hall of Fame the identical day he fingers in his GM keys.
