All Corvettes Are Red

The Corvette, according to Schefter, is an American icon, a democratic sports car beloved of teenagers, mail carriers, Hollywood stars and millionaires since its birth in 1953. In 1988, General Motors resolved to redesign the fourth-generation Corvette on the road since '83, and Schefter's solid report-based on his eight years of confidential access to the project team, and timed to coincide with the launch of the 1997 model-offers a candid look at the tortuous, crazy, unpredictable process of creating a car. A former editor of Popular Science, he delves into the work environment of GM, a company he views as too big, an amorphous, disorderly corporation whose unstable bureaucratic landscape of ever-changing rules and procedures makes it difficult to get things done. The 1997 Corvette stayed on budget and on time, unlike a dozen other GM cars and vans scheduled for release in 1996 and '97-a fact he attributes to the project team's willingness to maneuver around the system. Crammed with an abundance of technical and engineering detail, his book will engage auto enthusiasts, but others may find it an uphill drive. (Jan.)