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2014 Stingray Interior Gets a Badly-Needed Update

Emsley 1 [1]One of the primary concerns that existed among Vette enthusiasts with regard to the previous C5 and C6 were their interiors; in comparison to many of their Euro contemporaries, the lasts two manifestations of the Corvette marque had interior spaces that looked rather cheap.

GM and Corvette designer Helen Emsley has been just as concerned as we have, and being that General gave her the task of working on the upcoming C7 [2], her career with the corporation is anything but a side note. As we learn from AOL Autos [3], that’s because Emsley is in charge of the ’14 Vette’s interior design, and far from being “effeminate,” she made sure that the Stingray’s interior provided a jet cockpit feel, without sacrificing room for a passenger.

Emsley 2 [4]Helen Emsley’s career with GM actually started in Europe for Opel, and her natural talent for interior design was extended to Australia for Holden. For the last 14 years, Emsley has been dedicated to GM here on the home soil in Detroit, and ironically, it’s her being British, with what she describes as having “no history with an American icon,” that she thinks actually got her in good with the General.

But don’t think for a second that the newest generation of America’s sports car is going to be butchered. As a matter of fact, Emsley made sure that the C7’s interior was made from only real leather, carbon fiber and other premium-grade materials. This in spite of her fears that headlines would chastise the Vette marquee for utilizing the skills of a woman engineer.

The United States is a nation that stands for cross-culturalism and the chance for everyone’s work to stand on its own merit; why should our favorite sports car be any different?!

Emsley 3 [5]