07/04/2026
On this Independence Day, we’re celebrating two of the most significant American cars in our care.
Many of our followers are familiar with the connection between NASA and Chevrolet, but for those who aren’t, here’s the story.
Following the successful Apollo 11 mission, a Chevrolet dealer in Florida wanted to thank the astronauts for their historic journey to the Moon. There was just one problem: as government employees, the astronauts couldn’t accept gifts.
Working with GM, the dealer found a clever workaround. NASA astronauts were allowed to lease two Chevrolets each year for the symbolic price of just $1 per vehicle. For many, one of those choices was a Corvette.
Among the cars in our collection is the largely original 1971 454 Corvette belonging to Apollo 15 Command Module Pilot Alfred Worden. When the lease program ended, the NASA Corvettes were returned to GM and sold to the public. Al’s Corvette eventually disappeared from view for decades before being rediscovered abandoned in a field.
After changing hands several times, the car ultimately found its way back to Al’s family, where his grandson, Will Penczak, partnered with fellow space enthusiast Max Kaiserman to begin the mechanical restoration needed to return it to running and driving condition.
Today, the Corvette is back on the road while proudly wearing its hard-earned patina—a remarkable survivor with a story unlike any other.
Alongside Al’s Corvette sits another 1971 model built fewer than 30 serial numbers apart. Known as the Astroclone, this fully restored sister car offers a stunning glimpse of what Al’s Corvette would have looked like when it first rolled off the assembly line.
Two Corvettes. One extraordinary chapter in American automotive and space history.
From all of us at CarVault, we wish you a very happy 4th of July.
