Ed Cole
Chances are that Zora Arkus-Duntov would never have been able to accomplish all he did at GM if it hadn't been for Ed Cole. The latter served as something of a protector for Zora. But Cole also played a central role in assembling the initial team of designers and engineers that developed the Corvette. "Ed Cole is seldom recognized for his monumental contribution to getting the car going." said panelist Dave McLellan. And Cole's biggest accomplishment, one which led to the resurgence of the Chevrolet division in the 1950s and 1960s, was the creation of the small-block Chevy V8. Not only did this engine garner more race wins than any other production based V8, but it is the mainstay of Corvette performance today, with the LS1 engine powering the C5.