West Coast Corvette (WCC) Company History

The Beginning: 1982–1984

West Coast Corvette's roots trace back to 1982 when founder Craig Chapman left his job as a body technician at California Corvettes and started his own business, Chapman Auto Works, operating out of a modest building in Anaheim, California.

In June 1984, Craig partnered with a coworker to officially launch West Coast Corvette (WCC). The company's first location was a small 800-square-foot shop on Harbor Boulevard in Anaheim California, where they shared space with another automotive business and rented spray booth time as needed. Within a year, the business had outgrown the facility and relocated to a 2,500-square-foot building in Fullerton.

Shortly thereafter, the partnership dissolved, and Craig continued building WCC independently.

Building a Reputation: The Restoration Years

As demand grew, WCC moved again, this time to a 5,000-square-foot facility in Orange, California. During this period, the company became one of Southern California's premier Corvette paint and body shops.

WCC earned a reputation for restoring and refinishing some of the rarest and most collectible Corvettes in the country. The quality of its work was recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including honors from NCRS (National Corvette Restorers Society) and Bloomington Gold, two of the highest achievements in the Corvette restoration world.

Expansion into Service, Sales & Parts: 1992–1997

In 1992, WCC relocated into a significantly larger facility and expanded beyond restoration work. The company added Corvette mechanical service, Corvette vehicle sales, and parts and accessories.

What began as a restoration business evolved into a complete Corvette destination.

In 1997, WCC fully entered the Corvette parts and accessories market, launching a highly successful chrome wheel exchange program. Customer demand quickly expanded the business beyond wheels into a full catalog of Corvette performance parts, accessories, and appearance products.

Becoming a National Brand

To support its rapidly growing parts business, WCC joined the dot-com boom, launched its website, began producing printed catalogs, and invested in a custom semi-truck and trailer to travel the country attending the largest Corvette events in America, including:

  • Bloomington Gold
  • Corvettes of Carlisle Events
  • National Corvette Museum Events
  • Major NCRS Gatherings
  • Numerous Regional and National Corvette Shows

This nationwide presence dramatically accelerated growth and helped establish WCC as one of the largest Corvette parts and accessories companies in the United States.

Birth of SR1 Performance

In the late 1990s, WCC launched its own proprietary wheel brand called SR1 Performance.

The lineup included:

  • Three-piece forged aluminum wheels
  • One-piece cast aluminum wheels
  • Custom Corvette wheel packages

SR1 quickly gained recognition throughout the Corvette community and became a respected performance brand.

As the company grew, SR1 expanded far beyond wheels to include performance upgrades, billet aluminum accessories, licensed GM products, interior accessories, custom-engineered Corvette components, and much more.

Over time, SR1 Performance evolved into WCC's flagship private-label brand.

Product Development & Innovation

WCC continually invested in developing proprietary products rather than simply reselling aftermarket parts.

One of its most successful initiatives was the development of custom-fit car covers engineered specifically to outperform competitors in fit, protection, and quality. What started as Corvette-specific covers eventually expanded into more than 100 vehicle-specific fitments covering numerous automotive brands.

This commitment to innovation helped establish WCC as more than a retailer—it became a product development company focused on creating unique solutions for automotive enthusiasts.

Growth Through the 2000s

By 2008, continued growth required another major move into a significantly larger facility.

During this period, WCC expanded its warehouse operations, increased proprietary product development, acquired additional brands, embraced the rapid growth of e-commerce, and established a significant presence on Amazon.

The company's focus increasingly shifted toward nationwide direct-to-consumer sales and private-label product development.

Diversification into Luxury RVs

In 2015, WCC expanded into the luxury recreational vehicle market, adding high-end RV sales to its operations.

The RV division grew rapidly and became a significant contributor to the company's overall success.

By 2019, warehouse capacity and RV showroom requirements drove another major relocation. At that point, WCC made the strategic decision to discontinue Corvette service and vehicle sales, allowing the company to focus on:

  • Parts and accessories
  • E-commerce
  • Licensed product development
  • Luxury RV sales

The move once again provided substantially larger warehouse space and a larger showroom dedicated to the RV business.

Modern Product Development & Licensing

Over the past 4 decades, West Coast Corvette has evolved beyond traditional retail and distribution to become a leading developer of proprietary automotive products.

Today, the company designs, engineers, and markets hundreds of products under its SR1 Performance brand while also maintaining licensing relationships with some of the most recognizable automotive manufacturers and brands in the world including Jeep, Dodge, Ram, GM and Chevy. These partnerships allow WCC to create officially licensed products for enthusiast markets while bringing unique, exclusive products to customers nationwide. 

Many of these products are developed exclusively by WCC and are unavailable through competing retailers.

The company's product development team specializes in identifying gaps in the marketplace and creating innovative solutions for automotive enthusiasts. From custom-fit car covers and storage solutions to interior accessories, performance products, and vehicle-specific upgrades, WCC continues to expand its catalog through original product development rather than simply reselling existing aftermarket products.

Leveraging decades of enthusiast knowledge and modern e-commerce expertise, West Coast Corvette has become a recognized leader in bringing new automotive products to market through Amazon, direct-to-consumer channels, and traditional distribution networks.

West Coast Corvette Today

Today, West Coast Corvette remains a family-owned and operated company built on over four decades of passion for the Corvette community.

What began as a small paint and body shop has evolved into a multifaceted automotive business known for:

  • Corvette expertise
  • Proprietary automotive product development
  • The SR1 Performance brand
  • Custom-fit vehicle covers
  • Licensed automotive products
  • Advanced e-commerce operations
  • Nationwide distribution and fulfillment

Continuing the Legacy

Today, West Coast Corvette is far more than a Corvette parts company. Through the SR1 Performance brand, proprietary product development, licensed automotive products, and advanced e-commerce operations, the company continues to serve automotive enthusiasts across North America.

Operating from its headquarters and distribution facility in Orange, California, West Coast Corvette combines nationwide fulfillment capabilities with a dedicated customer service, sales, and will-call center that continues to support local enthusiasts and long-time customers.

What began as an 800-square-foot body shop in 1984 has grown into a nationally recognized automotive products company with a reputation for innovation, quality, and customer service.