NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- They came to Nashville from coast to coast, All-American folks from All-American towns to salute the ultimate All-American car -- the Chevrolet Corvette. This was the car's 50th anniversary celebration, an event billed as a once-in-a-lifetime homage. And why not? Chevy's fiberglass-bodied baby is an icon, storied in film, books, music and even a popular old television show--"Route 66" -- in which it really was the central character.

But it wasn't always this way. When the Corvette came out 50 years ago, some sports car purists derided it, particularly because it was equipped with what Chevy called the Blue Flame 6, a pedestrian six-cylinder engine that powered all of its passenger cars at that time. And even worse in the minds of sports car purists, it came with only Powerglide, an automatic transmission.

"The Corvette has gone from not being taken seriously and being treated as a joke by the European press" to a serious sports car to be reckoned with, said Robert Lutz, GM vice chairman and product development chairman for North America, who was on hand for the Nashville festivities.

	2003 Chevrolet Corvette 50th Anniversary Edition.

It would be no stretch to say that an example of every model and color of Corvette was on hand, either driving through the streets of the city or on display on the grounds of Nashville's Coliseum.

Estimates are that at least 10,000 Vettes came for the celebration.

A centerpiece of the festivities was a parade in which there was one specially chosen example of each year of the make, interspersed by marching bands that included -- what else?--Elvis impersonators.

Most of those who were at the celebration remember the first time they were smitten by a Corvette.

More than one owner at the event even proposed to his future spouse in a Vette.

Thomas G. Ferrara of Pound Ridge, N.Y., remembered the first time he saw one: "When I was 13, I remember seeing a 1968 blue Corvette and saying, 'I'm going to own one someday.' "

He eventually owned four, including a 1980 red version that was so meticulously restored and cared for that it was chosen to represent the model year in the parade and at an exhibit at the show grounds.

San Diego resident Bill Bennett "fell in love with the 1958 model. I saw it in the showroom when my brother was there buying an Impala -- the first one they came out with. I looked at that Corvette's speedometer -- it said 160, and I said, 'Wow, I have to have that.' " He's gone through seven Corvettes and has three currently.

What is it about Corvettes that prompts such loyalty?

"It's just the mystique of the car," said W.J. Geng of Mobile, Ala. "And remember, it was the first, true, real American sports car."

Ferrara agreed with him. "It comes down to three things. Speed, great performance for the money and very contemporary styling. And of course, it's American made."

What's unusual is that the love of Corvettes is passed down from generation to generation. The Future Corvette Owner's Association is for those who are as young as 6 on up through the teen years.

As with any object of such intense affection, Corvettes are always scrutinized by the purists on hand who want to be sure that no detail is left untouched -- or done incorrectly -- in the restoration process.

Those owners who may have had doubts about their own cars had plenty of workshops and seminars to attend at the event on everything from fuel injection systems and exterior painting, to chassis restoration and "Bringing a Corvette Back to Life."

If they still have questions, they might want to look up a member of the National Corvette Restorers Society which has information on 1953 to 1986 model Corvettes.

This group has standards that are followed by Corvette loyalists on both restoring the cars and judging them in contests.

"Our standard is to restore the car to 'as delivered from the factory condition' -- not better, not worse," said the group's spokesman, Carlton Colclough.

Their standards and guidelines cover everything from engine paint and factory tags and labels installed at the assembly plant to just about every nut and bolt as well.

The first of five Corvette generations, made in 1953, was distinguished by a solid rear axle, the first V-8 (1955) and in later models a styling feature called a cove decorating its flanks.

The second generation, which arrived in 1963, was the stunning Sting Ray, with its fastback styling, hidden headlights and blistering performance.

In 1968, the third generation was made, with a shark-like profile, T-tops in some models, side pipes on higher performance versions, and a futuristic -- for the time -- interior design.

By 1984 it was time for another change, and a technically sophisticated, futuristic Corvette appeared, featuring a drag coefficient of 0.34, a 24 percent aerodynamic improvement over its predecessor.

This generation included the ZR-1, an ultrahigh performance model with an aluminum V-8 that by 1993 produced 405 horsepower.

In 1997, the current generation of Corvette was unveiled, and many Corvette enthusiasts in Nashville said it was -- and is -- the best Corvette yet, with more refinement, better performance and quality control, as well as more comfort than previous models.