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February 1: John DeLorean becomes head of Chevrolet on this date in 1969

Strange to think today that the promotion of a new head of Chevrolet would be national news, but when John Z. DeLorean got word from his boss on this date in 1969 that he would get the role, the job was the equivalent of running the nation's largest carmaker. DeLorean's stint at Chevrolet would last just over four years; in that time he led the division to record sales, but also struggled to launch the Chevy Vega and butted numerous heads inside General Motors. Among his lesser known decisions, DeLorean killed off an experimental car championed by Zora Arkus-Duntov — a rotary-powered, mid-engined Corvette with gullwing doors. See if you can spot the embryonic DeLorean DNA in the Aerovette below: