America's most powerful convertibles
Take a look at the most powerful convertibles ever produced by American automakers.
Joe Biden is looking to rev up his presidential campaign by getting behind the wheel of his 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray to 'vette' himself for office.
The presumptive Democratic nominee has released a new ad promoting American manufacturing that features the classic green convertible.
(Joe Biden)
"I didn't get a chance to flat-shift into second. I was afraid I'd go through those guys," he says, following a shot of him briefly accelerating toward a couple of parked cars.
Biden is the original owner of the car, which was a wedding gift from his father, who worked at a Chevrolet dealership. During his time as vice president, he often lamented that he wasn’t allowed to drive it due to security concerns.
Biden did manage to take the sports car for a spin for an episode of Jay Leno’s Garage just before the 2016 presidential election, but at a secure facility rather than on the road. Biden told Leno that he'd once driven it 160 mph, but his 327-cubic inch model had an official top speed closer to 130 mph.
In the new video, which appears to have been shot along the drive to his Wilmington, Del., estate, Biden says the car brings back memories of his father and his late son Beau.
He rhetorically asks, “How can American-made vehicles no longer be out there?”
According to the Automotive News Data Center, over 10 million vehicles were manufactured in the U.S. in 2019.
“I believe we can own the 21st-century market again by moving to electric vehicles,” Biden continued.
He then says that “they” tell me that they’re making an electric Corvette that can go 200 mph.
Chevrolet has not confirmed plans for such a vehicle, however Maryland-based Genovation sells a Corvette converted to run on electricity that holds the top speed record for street-legal electric cars at 210.2 mph.
The Genovation GXE costs $750,000, plus the price of the donor car it is based on.