A new customized 2016 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 pays tribute to members of the U.S. military. Karl Kustoms, a Chevrolet Performance retailer and custom shop, recently completed the build in partnership with Bad Boy Vettes. Nearly every panel of the Corvette has been modified to honor a military branch. Even the underside of the hood and engine bay have been artistically sprayed.
“It is a privilege to take on a custom project like this and use our skills to honor our nation’s military,” Clint Quesinberry, Digital Marketing Specialist. “This Memorial Day, we are proud to recognize those who served.”
The model started its life as a 2016 Chevy Corvette.Photo courtesy of Karl Kustoms
Unique features include detailed lettering of the words “Honor, Duty, Country”, three words given an important place in military history after they were uttered by General Douglas MacArthur in 1962 at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point as part of his farewell address. There’s also imagery of a U.S. Army helicopter firing at a Russian helicopter, a serviceman with a German Shepard, the U.S.S. Iowa battleship, and Arlington Cemetery stones with Medal of Honor recipients from each major conflict.
The car was created as a full-time show car and is currently on display at the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It will remain there through the end of 2021 before traveling throughout the country at a variety of car events throughout 2022.
The customized Corvette is also a contender for the 2021 International Show Car Association (ISCA) Car of the Year.
“We did what we could to take this thing over the top,” said Ed Birmingham, Karl Kustoms Painter. “I sat there for hours doing the detail work. I spent more time than I would normally spend on a hood, but it all paid off.”
