As a native of Orlando, Florida, this announcement from Roger Judski hit close to home for me, as occasionally popping into his beautiful spacious showroom over the decades was a favorite treat of mine. Over time, Roger’s Corvette Center became a staple of the Central Florida area, filled not only with a gaggle of Corvettes for sale but also Roger’s personal collection of coveted and rare Corvettes (more on those later!). [Author’s Note: This article is FREE and not behind a paywall. If/when any pop-ups occur, please click to make them disappear and continue enjoying the article. One requires two steps–first, the arrow on the left, then the x on the top right.]
My ritual was simple. After a quick scan of the Corvettes outside, I would enter that side glass door to enter the gates of Corvette heaven–the aforementioned spacious showroom packed with every generation possible, with Roger’s collection tucked in the back corner. After a quick wave to Roger, who was traditionally perched at his corner desk, I’d typically wander around in a daze with eye candy overload. My favorite part of every visit was the brief chit-chat with Roger before I went on my way. No matter what time of the day or the year, Roger was always gracious enough to engage in some Corvette talk.
Back before you could just jump on the internet and go to a website like BaT, Roger had a knack for finding low-mileage gems. And by knack, I mean the tenacious skill to work that phone with his vast network of enthusiasts and brokers–there were no fancy social media connections and Facebook pages back then.
Roger’s gracious and inviting nature and love for our Corvette was exemplified when he offered to let this green newly-hired journalist do an impromptu interview and behind-the-scenes look at his one-of-one Corvette Challenge Series C4 race car–I have that feature linked below.
While the stars never aligned for me to buy one of my 20 Corvettes from Roger, he always treated me on my showroom visits as if my next Corvette could be from him. And, as I transitioned in 2005 to become a licensed used-car dealer myself, I began to appreciate how he treated any guest at his car lot. He never acted like you were an interruption, even if you were just strolling through to admire the Corvettes and chitchat for a couple of minutes.
Roger, your presence and impact on the Corvette community will be missed.
What’s Inside This Edition of CorvSport Covers End of an Era:
- The Official Facebook Post From Roger’s Corvette Center
- A Small Sample of the Sentiment From the Community & Customers
- Five Rare Corvettes From Roger Judski’s Collection
- A Couple of Features From The CorvSport Archives
1) The Official Facebook Post From Roger’s Corvette Center
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“For the past 60 years, Roger Judski of Roger’s Corvette Center in Maitland (Orlando), Florida, has had the pleasure… no, privilege… of helping thousands of Corvette enthusiasts from around the world find their dream Corvette. Focusing only on the finest Corvettes available, he built a solid reputation not only for quality vehicles, but for an open, honest, and trustworthy approach to dealing with customers, soon to become friends. A true family operation, supported by Roger’s brother, David, and nephews David Jr and Danny, the business has became a staple in the worldwide Corvette community.
As a 1973 founding member of the Central Florida Corvette Association as well as a 1994 founding and lifetime member of the National Corvette Museum, Roger considers himself blessed to have been a part in making dreams come true for so many while following his own passion for these iconic all-American sports cars. After all, what should you expect from someone whose birthday is the same as Corvette’s?
But time marches on, so on April 15th 2025, Roger’s Corvette Center will officially close its doors marking the end of an era. Feel free to call or stop by and wish Roger well as he begins a well-earned retirement.
And lastly, a personal note from Roger:
To our local customers and friends, to our Florida customers and friends, to our many customers and friends throughout the United States and Worldwide, I say THANK YOU and wish you unending Miles of Smiles in your Chevrolet Corvette!
Warmest Regards,
Roger Judski”
- You can click on the “f” at the top right corner to join in on the tributes and conversation! As I read through the hundreds of posts across multiple Facebook posts, I noticed something remarkable in today’s online world. I couldn’t find a single negative remark, and you know how the detractors on social media don’t hold back. That is a true testament to who Roger really was.
2) A Small Sample of the Sentiment From the Community & Customers
3) Five Rare Corvettes From Roger Judski’s Collection
(1) 1966 Big-Tank Coupe: A 427-425 HP “Big-Tank” coupe with full frame off restoration to NCRS standards. Click here to see more information and pictures while Roger’s website is still up!
(2) 1967 L-88 Coupe: Documented, matching numbers, all original, 427 cubic inches of L-88 power.
(3) 1968 L-88 Coupe: Like it’s twin from 1967, this ’68 coupe is an all original, matching numbers, L-88 legend.
(4) 1969 ZL-1 Coupe: Rarest of the rare and the crown jewel in Roger’s collection. One of only TWO factory ZL-1 (all aluminum 427) Corvettes ever built. Click here to see more information and pictures while Roger’s website is still up!
(5) 1988 Corvette Challenge Race Car #98: The Corvette Challenge Series Winner for 1998 with only 3,606 “Sunday Driven” miles. Click here to see more information and pictures while Roger’s website is still up!
4) A Couple of Features From The CorvSport Archives
Thank you for joining CorvSport as we celebrate Roger Judski and what he brought to our Corvette community. Are you CORVETTE OBSESSED like we are? The team of renowned authors and contributors at CorvSport hopes you sense our passion for the iconic Corvette, and our vast database of articles and guides should prove it–5000+ features since Scott Kolecki founded CorvSport over 15 years ago! Join the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 171,000 followers (52,000 since January 2023!). Meet other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello. This is Douglas B. signing off–click here if you would like to see more of my features.
