I'm the son-in-law of the original owner, Charlie Daniels, who passed away September 1, 2019. I was fortunate to take possession of his 53CE so it can continue to be enjoyed the way it should be. Here is Charlie's story:
My name is Charles (the other Charlie) Daniels. I ordered my car the day after I got the Autoweek containing an article saying they would be made. I had wanted one since I saw photos of the prototype in 2001 and been unsuccessful in ordering one then. It all goes back to when I was 11 years old and saw a white 54 with red interior, and never got over it. I bought a used one 14 years later in 1968--a beautiful car to look at, but truly impractical to own and drive on a daily basis. So I sold it, sadly, always wanting a modern-engineered car that captured that style. And someone finally made it.My completed car -- white with red interior, of course--was delivered to me in June 2002, and here is a photo of it in Steve Pasteiner's AAT lot before it was turned over to me:
Alan Olmstead used that photo and a rear shot of my CE to create the poster pictured on the home page of this website:
I have owned a lot of fun and even beautiful cars, but nothing comes close to lighting me up like this one. I drive it regularly and have every intention of doing so until they have to pry my cold dead fingers from the steering wheel. I have had the pleasure of meeting the owners of the prototype and CE's number #03, #11 (then owned by Chaz Cone, creator of this website), and #12, when they came through Albuquerque on separate Route 66 outings. Larry Bjurlin and I met up in Monterey with our cars at the Historics when Ted was there. Incidentally, I have never known a car to receive so much attention and admiration as this one, year after year.
More about me and my love for (fast) cars
Like the other CE owners I have had a special relationship with cars in general and Corvettes in particular. My CE is and will continue to be a driver, not a garage queen. At least one weekend a month, I can be found at a race track in one of my race cars, which have included a NASCAR-type Monte Carlo Late Model, a Legends car, a Southwest Supertruck, and a Modified:
A few years ago, I sold my oval track race cars and have been racing historic Formula Fords with vintage race groups once a month or so at road course events around the country, including bucket list tracks like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Circuit of the Americas:
My most excellent wife, Randi McGinn (in the trophy photo), is a trial lawyer like I used to be before being elected to a government job, and she has been extremely supportive of my car passions, encouraging me to get involved in racing in the first place and cheering me on in all my car-loving activities. She has even offered to bury me in my CE when my time comes, but I could not do that to the car, so my car-loving grandson, who went on a road trip with me in 2002 to pick up the car, will inherit it instead.
