Gord and Debbie Christie hail from Prince Edward Island Canada. They tell us that the purchase of their Will Cooksey edition ZO6 was a case of ‘Love at first sight’. Back in the Spring of 2008, Gord had his first look at the special edition Corvette known to many as the ‘Cooksey’ ZO6. Gord was in Moncton, New Brunswick at MacDonald`s Corvette when he spotted this beautiful Crystal red ZO6 in their lot.  He was impressed by everything about this car. The most outstanding aspect of the Z was its color. 

The Cooksey Z was the first of its kind to get a sweet Crystal red metallic paint job. The car also sported the newly released Spyder chrome wheels, 427 badging, and the ‘Cooksey’ stripe. The strip pays tribute to the look of the famous C2 big block ‘Stinger’ hood. 

 
Gord made up his mind that he would own one. Only 505 Cooksey Z's were manufactured. 427 were sold in North America, with the rest going overseas. Number 427 was donated to Barrett Jackson, where it raised big money for the Haiti relief effort.

The Cooksey ZO6 was a tribute to long time Corvette plant manager Will Cooksey. He was known for his outstanding work and high standards. GM honored Will by asking his team to design a special edition Corvette. They came up with a looker that really pressed all the right buttons with both Vette fanatics and car fans.

Three years after Gord first spotted a ‘Cooksey’ he was able to buy one. Gord and Debbie’s ‘Cooksey’ has picked up numerous trophies at shows all over Atlantic Canada. Gord and Debbie have had a blast both showing and driving this car! Gord tells us that "Sometimes ‘love at first sight’ takes a while... but it’s worth the wait".
 
                         


Some interesting facts about The Cooksey ZO6:

The 2008 Corvette 427 Limited Edition Cooksey Z06 C6 was equipped with a special Crystal Red Tint coat and new Spyder design chrome wheels. The interior sported titanium-colored 427-embroidered seats and floor mats and Z06 sill plates.
The hood was adorned with "427" badges and special racing graphics. Inside, Will Cooksey, the now retired Bowling Green Corvette plant manager personally signed each model's armrest.

 

Chevy built 427 of the cars for the North American market and another 78 for everyone else, for a total run of only 505. That number matches the horsepower rating of the LS7.The price tag for this bit of Americana was $84,195 and comes with a certificate of authenticity.


The Cooksey 427 Z06, pays honors the C2 and C3 big-block Stingray's of the mid-1960s. The car featured graphics on the hood and fascia that evoke the style of the
famed "stinger" hood design and graphics that were offered with 1967 models equipped with the 427 engine.
 
Harlan Charles, Corvette product manager said that "Recognizing the tie-in of the original 427 engine and the LS7's 427-inch displacement has been on the Corvette team's mind since the Z06 was introduced." The Cooksey Z could be ordered under order code Z44 for special delivery and pick up at the Corvette Museum, in Bowling Green, Ky.

The Vette Nuts