For his 90th birthday, a 4th Corvette

Chuck Cook knew exactly what he wanted for his 90th birthday. When he picked it up at Cecil Clark Chevrolet last week, the Florida dealership threw him a party.

Cook bought the store’s first 2021 Corvette, a Torch Red midengine C8. It’s the Air Force veteran’s fourth Corvette over 40 years.

“This is my birthday present to myself,” Cook told the Daily Commercial in Leesburg, Fla. “I’ve owned Corvettes since 1981, when I bought my first one. This makes my fourth one in my lifetime. I can’t wait until the pandemic is over so I can get this to all the car shows.”

Cook’s first Corvette was one of the last ones made in St. Louis. He eventually traded it in for a 2001 Corvette, then traded that for a 2014, which he traded in last week.

Cook and his wife, Barbara, were joined at the dealership celebration by friends from the Touch of Glass Corvette Club, of which he is a founding member.