On June 30, 1953, the first Chevrolet Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan. Arriving late in the design year, only 300 of the first year of production were built. The car soon to be a popular model and quickly became one of the most iconic sports cars in the United States. Still in production, the Corvette is currently in its seventh generation and built in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The Corvette also became associated with NASA's early space program as many of the Mercury and Apollo astronauts acquired their own personal Corvette as part of special program ran GM dealer and Indianapolis 500 winner Jim Rathmann offered special pricing on new cars for the astronauts. The Corvette has also been adapted for use in different racing circuits and has also served as the pace car for the Indianapolis 500 thirteen times.