First Lady of Corvette

Elfi Arkus-Duntov and the making of a machine

They called her the First Lady of Corvette. She had already done the harder drive.

A Berlin dancer. A Russian-Jewish engineer. A café in the rain. An open MG out of collapsing France. Fifty-seven years beside the man who turned a showcar into America’s sports car, while the legend kept introducing her as his.

A novel by Margot Dorée

North Star Publishing Group

Kindle Paperback Hardcover Read the story

On Kindle, and as illustrated gift editions in paperback and hardcover, with story watercolors reproduced throughout.

Elfi Arkus-Duntov, National Corvette Museum Hall of Fame portrait — Elfi Arkus-Duntov

Watercolor from the novel: young Elfi and Zora in prewar Berlin on a wet autumn street, the Brandenburg Gate behind them — Berlin, 1935.

Watercolor from the novel: Elfi among the crowds streaming south out of Paris in June 1940 — The harder drive.

Watch

The harder drive, June 1940

Margot Dorée on the June 1940 drive out of France. Press play; the sound starts muted.

Bowling Green

The house that keeps them

The National Corvette Museum. Hall of Fame. Their ashes. Visit if you can. The novel is independent. It is not in the shop.

The museum

Also by Margot

The Woman on the Bonnet

The same author, the same kind of story. The Woman on the Bonnet is out now. Sourced notes on Eleanor Thornton are on the Bonnet blog.

Get The Woman on the Bonnet Bonnet notes

Stay with the story

Leave an address for notes on Elfi, Zora, and new Margot Dorée titles. First Lady of Corvette is out now, on Kindle and in illustrated gift editions.