Corvette lovers roar into Atlantic City for Convention Center event

ATLANTIC CITY — When John Casadia first laid eyes on a 1959 Corvette, he knew he had to have one. It only took him 45 years to get it.

“It was out of sight, of course, to a high school kid,” said Casadia,of Mayfair

Court in Vineland. “Then you go to college and you can’t afford it. Then you get married, and you can’t afford it. Then you get a house. ...

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But when the former Vineland High School girls swim coach retired, it was time to’Vette up

“I wanted one from this particular era,” Casadia said of his ’59 model. “I bought it sight unseen. I drove it for six months, then I started restoring it.”

To this day, he said, “I drive it all over. I even drove it here.”

Here, of course, was the second annual “Strictly Corvette” show at the Atlantic City Convention Center, where ’Vette lovers from across the country have come together to celebrate the legendary Chevrolet sports car in all its forms.

Click here for the photo gallery.

“This show is pure Corvette,” said showrunner Kenny Shaw, of New Orleans Avenue in Egg Harbor City. “Even to be a vendor, you must have Corvette-related items. We probably turned down 200 booths.”

Even with that kind of requirement, there are about 200 vendors at this year’s show, including the Corvettes Unlimited

club from Vineland, sharing the 300,000 square feet of space with about 275 Corvettes.

The Corvette has been with us for 50-plus years, making it the subject of an ongoing development program that few cars can match. Performance is formidable in the basic coupe, and improves with the new Grand Sportoption package. For the money, there is no better blend of style and speed.Base Price: $49,880 – $107,830