The iconic Corvette 'godfather' is retiring, and in its place, Chevrolet is introducing a spinoff and a high-performance SUV.

• Tadge Juechter, the "godfather" of GM's modern day Corvettes, retired after 47 years with the automaker, with 31 of those years dedicated to Corvette.
• Juechter, 67, was interviewed by CNBC prior to his retirement, discussing his career and the future of Corvette, including plans for an electric version and the possibility of spinning off the brand and creating an SUV.

In 1985, Tadge Juechter's initial experience with Corvette involved investigating whether there were enough Americans who could afford the new high-performance ZR1 model.

Juechter, who retired Wednesday after 47 years with GM, was surprised by the success of the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, which has become a symbol of his legacy.

The "godfather" of the modern Corvette retired a week after introducing the new 2025 Corvette ZR1, the most powerful and fastest version of the car ever produced.

"GM President Mark Reuss thanked Juechter for making Corvette the glorious American sports car it remains and for making their company better, citing the vehicle's recent successes and the contributions of Juechter's knowledge, skills, hard work, and passion."

Juechter's head silhouette will be etched in window locations and the front tunnel reinforcement panel beneath every Corvette starting in 2025.

Juechter, 67, was interviewed by CNBC prior to his retirement, discussing his career and the future of Corvette, including plans for an electric version and the possibility of spinning off the brand and creating an SUV.

Electric Corvette

The Corvette is going electric, but GM hasn't specified a timeline. They previously released a hybrid version called the E-Ray last year.

Although Juechter remained tight-lipped about the specifics of the upcoming Corvette EV, he believes the E-Ray demonstrates GM's ability to successfully electrify the Corvette.

Efficiency is a key aspect of sports cars, and I believe that electrification can be a valuable addition to this. However, we must determine how to incorporate this technology in a way that appeals to our customers.

"Our first step is E-Ray. We think long-term, with a focus on decades. General Motors has committed to 100% electrification, and as engineers, it's our responsibility to find the best path to achieve this goal. As businesspeople, we must also consider the needs of our customers and bring them along with us."

The fan base of the sports car Corvette has shown some "natural resistance" to electrification, according to Juechter.

He said, "Perhaps the E-Ray will convince them that electrification isn't so terrible."

Corvette spinoff and SUV

Analysts on Wall Street believe that GM could increase revenue from the Corvette brand by introducing new models and expanding sales. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas estimated the value of a Corvette sub-brand to be between $7 billion and $12 billion in late 2019.

Whether Corvette should be spun off from parent GM has raised questions.

But Juechter doesn't necessarily believe that's the way to go.

I'm uncertain if we should spin off Corvette from Chevrolet. After all, Corvette is the core of the brand. It's purely a business decision. If you have strong brand equity, you can either keep it in-house or try to commercialize it and make it standalone.

"Historically, General Motors hasn't done that. We value our significant franchises, and this is a crucial one," he stated.

Juechter stated that while the brand has been considering an SUV for several years, he declined to confirm any plans or considerations regarding leveraging the brand for future products.

What is the future of leveraging the mid-engine architecture? That is a question for the future. You can see the models we are rolling out, and we are making the most of this architecture. I work on EVs and am trying to bring some of the performance spirit into the EV space. How this gets applied and branded in the future is a story for another day.

Several brands, including Porsche, Lamborghini, and Ferrari, have produced SUVs and crossovers despite the blasphemy of a performance car brand doing so years ago. Consumer preference has shifted away from traditional car models.

Favorite Corvette

Juechter has been a part of four different generations of Corvette, including the fourth-generation ZR1 and the new mid-engine, eighth-generation of the sports car.

The first Corvette he purchased for himself was the sixth-generation 2006 Corvette Z06.

Choosing a favorite is difficult because it's like deciding which child is your favorite. In fact, it's even harder than that. However, I won't delve into the topic of parenting. Each of these cars that we put our heart and soul into has its own unique charm and appeal.

Juechter stated that he couldn't choose one and would say money talks. He bought the Z06 with his own money and it was special to him.

Juechter initially stated that he had no intention of buying a Corvette, but when he saw a fully customized one being produced at the Corvette factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky, he felt compelled to acquire it.

He sold his car and bought an eighth-generation Corvette Stingray convertible as his "retirement car" since he won't receive any free Corvettes for testing.

""I'm not typically a convertible person, but my wife and I use it for cross-country touring. It's our daily driver, and I don't plan on tracking it. A Stingray is a great choice for a daily driver or cruiser," he said."