The Story of Lady L Corvette

In 1968, the First National Bank of Columbus, Georgia and I held joint custody of a red 1967 Corvette convertible. I was in the US Army, stationed in Fort Benning, which is in Columbus. Miami was home, and more than once, I made banzai runs to South Florida and back over a weekend. On one of those trips, I left at precisely midnight on a Friday. At 7:12 AM Saturday morning, I rolled through the Golden Glades interchange in Miami. The distance was 665 miles, and the seven hours and twelve minutes elapsed time translated into an average speed of almost 91 MPH, and that included stops for gas! Ah, but the things we did when we were young and foolish.

In 1969, I met Lorraine, my wife to be, in California. At the time, my '67 had a front plate inscribed "Misty". This was the name of the car, and it arose from a relationship I had with a young woman in Florida prior to moving to California. The Florida girlfriend had a nickname starting with the letter "T". In her honor the '67 was dubbed Miss "T' which then evolved to "Misty".

I first saw Lorraine, and it was like the line in the movie - "She had me at hello". When our relationship evolved, the one with Miss "T" in Florida faded, and "Misty" came off the '67. Continuing the precedent of naming my car for the love in my life, I wanted my red 327 to honor Lorraine. Following the pattern, I thought of Miss "L" which would then be parlayed into "Missile". If making "Misty" out of Miss "T" was clever, the idea of honoring Lorraine, and at the same time capturing the performance of the Corvette was tantamount to the brush stroke that captured the Mona Lisa's smile. I was ecstatic. Lorraine was not. She did not understand referencing a person to a car, and found no humor in simultaneously being associated with a sports car and a thermo-nuclear weapon. When my brilliant idea became a disaster, I tried to salvage something positive out of the fiasco by suggesting a kinder and gentler "Lady L". The defiant response was "No Way"! She was not lending her identity where another woman had already been. She said if I was so hell bent on putting a reference to her on a car then I should do it with my next Corvette, because it was not going to be on this '67. Lorraine brought two beautiful boys to our relationship, and when we were married in 1970 becoming an instant family of four, my beloved red '67 went away.

Over the years, I always longed for the chance to place "Lady L" on my "Next 'Corvette". Once, we had the opportunity to buy a black '78 "T"-Top that we were baby-sitting for a friend. The boys were nearing college age, and we wisely dedicated the funds to their education instead of getting that '78.

In 1987 - 1991, the company I worked for provided us with two cars that we could select from certain models in the Chrysler line. I opted for red Dodge Daytona Five-Speed Turbo ESs. We referred to these cars as my "Pseudo 'Vettes", but they never were my "Next 'Corvette", and none of them carried "Lady L".

Fast forward to the summer of year 2000. I made special plans for July 3rd, which included bringing both sons and their wives to Tampa to celebrate the 30th anniversary of when Lorraine and I said, "I do". Mark, Tony and their wives did come to Tampa on July 3rd, but tragically it was for an altogether different reason. On that day, we buried Lorraine. A few days before, she lost a gallant two-year battle with breast cancer.

Several days after she passed away, I was performing the horrible task of sorting out her clothing and personal belongings. In the course of this, I came upon an envelope with my name on it. The letter inside began, "When you find this, I will be gone". This letter is a beautiful gift that brings tears every time I think of it. I will treasure it forever. One portion of the letter referred me to money she had set aside. She instructed that this money along with the proceeds of the sale of her car be used to purchase my "Next Corvette". Prior to reading the letter, I knew nothing of this arrangement. She specified the "Next Corvette" be a red convertible like the '67. The purpose in making this gift was, in her words "So I don't have to go through eternity listening to you bitch that the boys and I cost you your beloved Corvette". She admonished me I had damn well not ever name the car for another woman. She retained her humor to the very end.

November 14th was Lorraine's birthday. On that day in the year 2000, I placed a brick on the walk in front of the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The brick was inscribed "In Memory, Lorraine K. Fleming". A few hours before, a replica of a California license tag with the inscription "LADY L" was placed on the front of a 2001 Magnetic Red Corvette Convertible. An option open to purchasers of new Corvettes is to arrange delivery of their car at the NCM, which is in close proximity to the Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant. The staff at the Museum orchestrated the timing of my delivery to take place on Lorraine's birthday.

November 14th was a day of tremendous emotion, and was a bittersweet experience --- Turning the corner and seeing that red C-5 in its rightful place of honor in the National Corvette Museum was an exhilarating moment. The realization of what it represents brought tears. All through the day, beginning with the assembly plant tour and culminating in the drive home, I had the sense that Lorraine was there with me. I sensed her smile, as I stood in stunned silence in front of that beautiful car during those first few seconds after I saw it.

On the drive home, and even though it was about 38 degrees, I put the top down. Ah, but the things we do when we are old and foolish. I wanted to look up at the stars and the clear night sky as I still sensed her presence. Finally, I think I heard her voice saying "Put the lid on it before you freeze your tail end off, you moron". I complied.

The legal license tag on the car is inscribed "MEMRY" which is a fitting complement to "LADY L" on the front.

To some, the Corvette hobby may seem superfluous and shallow, but it transcends the bounds of simply having a mode of transportation. Corvette ownership is a lifestyle.

Every Corvette is unique in its own right, and each owner has a special bond with his or her car. The relationship between a husband and wife is a lifestyle, and something that goes beyond anything I can describe in the span of a few words. Lorraine, my wife and best friend, left me a very special gift. It is one that I will cherish forever, but at the same time would give up without a moments thought if I could somehow bring her back in good health, if only for just a few hours. Not a day goes by that I don't think of my wife, and every time I look at that red convertible, it brings back so many precious memories of the good times we shared together. Mechanical objects do not have a soul, but if ever there were one that did, it would be the Lady L Corvette.

My wife loved music, and the last time she was physically able to leave the house, we went to a live Tina Turner concert. That evening, Ms. Turner sang a song that captured the essence of Lorraine and the Corvette that honors her memory. That song was, "Simply The Best".