When the Corvette debuted in 1953, reviews were lukewarm and sales were low, causing its company to consider pulling it altogether. The car was plucked from obscurity by a General Motors worker, Zora Arkus-Duntov, who supported it and prolonged its life enough to help it hit pop culture. In a letter to Chevrolet executives, Arkus-Duntov proposed aiming advertising for Chevrolet cars towards teenagers and essentially invented the practice of targeting the youth market.

1963 Chevrolet Corvettes
Barrett-Jackson Auction Company/Business Wire