The National Corvette Museum showcases the Chevrolet Corvette, an American sports car that has been in production since 1953. It is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, off Interstate 65's Exit 28 and near General Motors' Bowling Green Assembly Plant, where Corvettes are manufactured. It was constructed in 1994. It was opened to the public in September of that year.[1]
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 Aerial view of the National Corvette Museum | |
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| Established | September 1994 |
|---|---|
| Location | 350 Corvette Drive Bowling Green, Kentucky |
| Type | Automobile |
| President | Sharon Brawner |
| Website | www |
The mission of the National Corvette Museum is to educate worldwide audiences on the evolution of the Corvette – America's Sports Car – through the collection, preservation, and celebration of its legacy. The museum offers captivating exhibits, immersive experiences, Corvette manufacturing plant tours, and unique offerings that engage visitors of all ages and backgrounds in the history of Corvette.
2014 Sinkhole in the Skydome
editOn February 12, 2014, a sinkhole opened under the floor of the Skydome area of the museum at around 5:44 AM local time, causing a portion of the floor to collapse. Kentucky is one of the many states that is notable for having karst topography. Karst topography is the landscape that is formed from the dissolving of rocks such as limestone. In the museum's case, the sinkhole was caused by the dissolving of the limestone in the ground which caused pockets to open underneath the surface. Eventually, the weight of the building caused the top layer of soil to collapse.[2] Eight rare and one-of-a-kind Corvettes, portions of the display stands, rails, large concrete floor, slabs and dirt fell into the sinkhole, causing serious damage to some of the Corvettes. The Corvettes involved have an estimated value of a million dollars.[3][4] The remaining 20 cars in the Skydome were immediately removed from that area. Between March 3, 2014, and March 6, 2014, 5 of the 8 Corvettes were recovered from the sinkhole. The spire area of the Skydome was reinforced before work started on removing the final three buried cars.[5] Multiple multigravity tests were done to ensure that another sinkhole wasn't present or in the making. The results came back clear which allowed for the construction work to begin. For an added precaution, micropiles, or systems of steel rods, were inserted into the ground before the concrete was repoured to help give the building more support.[6] The museum reopened the day after the sinkhole appeared.[7]
An exhibit opened in the museum two years later to tell the story of what happened that day and why it happened. This exhibit gives visitors the chance to virtually recover the cars that were in the sinkhole.[8]
Hall of Fame
editThe museum also sponsors the Corvette Hall of Fame for individuals who have been involved with the Corvette automobile and made significant contributions in their respective fields. Each year, from two to six persons have been inducted into this select group. Members have been divided into three categories: enthusiasts, GM/Chevrolet, and racing.
| Year | Names | Category |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Bill Mitchell | GM/Chevrolet |
| Harley Earl | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Larry Shinoda | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Joe Pike | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Ed Cole | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Zora Arkus-Duntov | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 1999 | Jim Perkins | GM/Chevrolet |
| Dave McLellan | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Dick Guldstrand | Racing | |
| 2000 | John Fitch | Racing |
| Dick Thompson | Racing | |
| Jerry Palmer | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2001 | Gibson Hufstader | GM/Chevrolet |
| Joseph Spielman | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Betty Skelton | Racing | |
| 2002 | John Cafaro | GM/Chevrolet |
| Jim Jeffords | Racing | |
| Myron Scott | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2003 | Noland Adams | Enthusiast |
| Robert Morrison | Enthusiast | |
| 2004 | Ray Battaglini | Enthusiast |
| Darrel Bowlin | Enthusiast | |
| Jon Brookmyer | Enthusiast | |
| Dan Gale | Enthusiast | |
| Terry McManmon | Enthusiast | |
| 2005 | Chip Miller | Enthusiast |
| Randy Wittine | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Don Yenko | Racing | |
| 2006 | Dave Hill | GM/Chevrolet |
| John Lingenfelter | Racing | |
| Gary Mortimer | Enthusiast | |
| 2007 | Doug Hooper | Racing |
| Gordon Killebrew | Enthusiast | |
| Carl Renner | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2008 | Allan and Don Barker | Racing |
| Reeves Callaway | Enthusiast | |
| Maurice Olley | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2009 | Duane Bohnstedt | GM/Chevrolet |
| Tony De Lorenzo and Jer Thompson | Racing | |
| John Hinckley | Enthusiast | |
| 2010 | Grady Davis | Racing |
| Fred Gallasch | Enthusiast | |
| Jim Ingle | GM/Chevrolet | |
| 2011 | Clare "Mac" MacKichan | GM/Chevrolet |
| Ray Quinlan | Enthusiast | |
| Ron Fellows | Racing | |
| 2012 | Andy Pilgrim | Racing |
| Gary Claudio | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Patrick Dolan | Enthusiast | |
| Bob McDorman | Enthusiast | |
| 2013 | Johnny O'Connell | Racing |
| Wil Cooksey | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Werner Meier | Enthusiast | |
| 2014 | Dave MacDonald | Racing |
| John Heinricy | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Jerry Burton | Enthusiast | |
| 2015 | Herb Fishel | Racing |
| Russ McLean | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Rick Hendrick | Enthusiast | |
| 2016 | Bob Bondurant | Racing |
| Ralph Kramer | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Donna Mae Mims | Enthusiast | |
| 2017 | Tommy Morrison | Racing |
| Jim Minneker | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Peter Brock | Enthusiast | |
| 2018 | Burt and John Greenwood | Racing |
| Tom Wallace | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Mike Yager | Enthusiast | |
| 2019 | Briggs Cunningham | Racing |
| Tom Peters | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Dollie Cole | Enthusiast | |
| 2020 | Doug Fehan | Racing |
| Henry Haga | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Wendell Strode | Enthusiast | |
| Mike McCagh | Enthusiast | |
| 2022 | Gary Pratt and Jim Miller | Racing |
| Ed Welburn | GM/Chevrolet | |
| Elfi Arkus-Duntov | Enthusiast |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Antonick, Mike (2006). Corvette Black Books 1953-2007. MotorBooks International. p. 106. ISBN 9780760328941.
- ^ "Kentucky Sinkhole Eats Corvettes, Raises Questions". news.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
- ^ JUSTIN STORY and ROBYN L. MINOR (February 12, 2014). "Local contractor will help remove reported $1 million in Corvettes from sinkhole at museum". Bowling Green Daily News.
- ^ Jeffries, Adrianne (February 12, 2014). "Eight vintage Corvettes swallowed by 40-foot sinkhole inside National Corvette Museum". The Verge. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
- ^ Jones, Matthew (February 13, 2014). "Corvettes disappear into massive hole". BBC TopGear. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ^ Katie Frassinelli
- ^ Everson, Zach (February 13, 2014). "Corvette Museum Sinkhole Swallows Eight 'Vettes: Watch Them Sink". Aol Travel. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
- ^ "Corvette Cave In Exhibit". National Corvette Museum. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
- ^ "Corvette Hall Of Fame". National Corvette Museum. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.