Among the many characters responsible for shaping the Chevrolet brand, Betty Skelton is perhaps one of the more interesting. She passed away at 85 years old late this August. And, in honor of her trailblazing spirit we hope lives on forever, we'd like to offer a brief retrospective.

What did an 85-year-old woman have to do with American automaker, Chevy? A lot! She actually began her career in the auto industry in 1956. That would be enough to break social norms in and of itself. Pushing the envelope even further, Skelton entered the auto industry via racing. After setting the women's record for stock-car speed and working as a technical narrator at prominent auto shows, she was hired by Chevrolet to begin test driving the Corvette.

An extremely bright woman, Betty Skelton worked as a technical narrator for the most prominent motor shows in the country and helped Chevrolet get Chevrolet News magazine up and running. Perhaps, her most critical role at Chevrolet however, was via her service as the VP of Women's Market and Advertising - a role she assumed in 1969.

Betty Skelton's pattern of breaking expectations started when she was just twelve years old and took her first solo flight. She earned her pilot's license and became a certified instructor at age 18. Shortly thereafter, she took to aerobatics and earned three consecutive championship titles 1948-1950. She also set a world altitude record in 1953.

Given her significant achievements and contributions to both Chevrolet, the automotive world as a whole, Skelton was inducted into the National Corvette Museum's Corvette Hall of Fame in 2001. For her racing spirit and in-air courage, she is also a member of both the Motorsports Hall of Fame and National Aviation Hall of Fame.

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