When Donna W. moved to California from Indiana, her first thought before even contemplating purchasing a home was, “Can we buy a Corvette?” The Indiana weather hadn’t been suited for convertibles, but things were different in the Golden State.
Donna—who insisted on being identified by her last initial—discovered the Chevrolet sports cars from a TV program called Route 66. It featured a 1960 ’Vette, and she’d wanted one ever since. After their cross-country move, she and her husband, Mike, settled for a 1961 until they found the older model.
Today, they’re some of the longest standing members of the Central Coast Corvette Club, having joined in 1988. The group is made up of around 75 Corvette enthusiasts who meet monthly and organize activities together. It began in 1974 as the Lompoc Valley ’Vettes but grew to encompass members as far north as Pismo Beach, prompting its name change.
“It’s a lot of camaraderie. Of course, everybody’s got the same interests, so we’re very group-oriented,” Donna said. “We’ve done so many things over the years together as a group.”
Meet the motorheads
Everyone is welcome to attend Central Coast Corvette Club meetings on the first Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at Home Motors (1601 S. Bradley Road) in Santa Maria. For more information about the club, visit centralcoastcorvettes.com or follow on Facebook.
For its next activity on Aug. 25, the Central Coast Corvette Club is taking a trip to the wild horse sanctuary in Lompoc and donating in the name of a member who passed away. Then the crew will stop by Jalama Beach for lunch.
“We try to do one or two things every month so that we can get out and drive our cars because that’s a lot of fun,” Donna said.
Between the two of them, Donna and Mike have held every leadership position in the group over the past 38 years. This year Donna is one of the club’s two vice presidents, and Mike is the head of publicity.
The Santa Maria couple still owns a white 1960 convertible. They also have a 2000 pewter-colored fixed-roof coupe (Donna’s daily ride) and a silver 2017 model.
Having an inventory gives them options for club excursions. The group coordinates drives through the vineyards and along the coast, trips to car shows, outings to see live theater or sporting events, and cruises to the serene spots that put the Central Coast on the map. Members have traveled around the country, too—including to conventions at the National Corvette Museum in Kentucky—and even internationally. In 2024, the crew took a Mexican cruise to commemorate the club’s 50th anniversary.
“That was a lot of fun,” Donna said.
Solid friendships formed between club members over the years. A handful of couples still remain from the 1980s and ’90s.
“It’s just a sense of community, a sense of family. People watch out for each other,” Donna said.
Mike is among the “motorheads” who act as sounding boards for each other, giving tips on how to fix their cars. Donna said he’d never be the type to bring his car into a shop for maintenance. He’ll always do it himself, and friends are just one call away.
“You’ll just call up somebody and say, ‘Hey, let’s go do this.’ And they’re always there,” Donna said.
Most members have cars from the seventh and eighth generations of Corvettes, made starting in 2014 to the present day. There are a few from the first and second generations, though, circa the 1950s and ’60s. Donna and Mike said they don’t bring their 1960 convertible out often because it isn’t as comfortable, and there’s no air conditioning to combat the valley heat.
Despite a stable membership, Donna said they’re missing folks in their 20s, 30s, and 40s. But there are members in their 80s still driving Corvettes.
Potential members don’t have to own a Corvette to join. Enthusiasts are equally welcomed to monthly meetings in Santa Maria.
“The cars are a lot of fun,” Donna said. “The Central Coast Corvette Club is a great group to belong to.”
Highlight
• The Elwin Mussell Senior Center is hosting a brunch-and-browse event every Saturday from Aug. 29 to Sept. 26. All ages can enjoy brunch, complimentary coffee, and offerings from food vendors and artisans between 10 a.m. and noon. There will also be interactive activities and raffle drawings. Head to 510 E. Park St. in Santa Maria for the fun.
Staff Writer Madison White wrote this week’s Spotlight. Contact her at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in August 20 – August 27, 2026.
