by Chris Mulvihill - 04/14/2022
As I made my way home from a great 12 Hours of Sebring race, it was appropriate to stop at the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green, KY. Opened on Labor Day 1994, it celebrates all that is Corvette. First introduced at the 1953 GM Motorama, Corvette production began in late June 1953. Hand-assembled in Flint, MI, only 300 1953 Corvettes were produced. All were white convertibles with red interiors powered by an inline-six 150HP engine and married to a 2-speed automatic transmission. MSRP for the new 2,840lbs roadster was $3,498. The 1954 model year offered 4 more color choices (with the same powertrain) and sales remained anemic. Production for the 1955 model year moved to St. Louis and an optional 265 cubic inch V8 was offered with a manual transmission. This new powertrain option was a hit with consumers and sales began to increase.
The walking tour of the museum begins with a short movie on Corvette history and how it has become a part of American culture. As you continue through the facility there are examples of Corvettes from all body style eras, a few significant racing Corvettes from the late 1950s and early 1960s along with mid-1960 and early 1970 prototypes. An interesting note on the 1965 prototype as it was designed by Ray Shinoda who later became a Ford Mustang designer on the 1970 Boss 302.
This 1965 rear-engine prototype was designed by Larry Shinoda. The Godfather of the Corvette Zora Arkus-Duntov named it The Ugly Duckling due to the tailIn the early morning of February 12, 2014, a 36-foot-deep sinkhole opened in the main exhibit hall and swallowed 8 Corvettes. All those cars are on display with some too damaged to repair. The museum devotes a section of the main exhibit hall to this event and even has a glass top cover allowing you to peer into the sinkhole.
The restored and unrestored cars that fell into the sinkhole. If a car requires more than 50% of its parts replaced during the restoration, it is considered non-original and was not restoredThe Corvette assembly plant is conveniently located across the street from the Museum. The close proximity allows a ‘museum delivery’ option when ordering your Corvette from the dealer. For those of you who have already taken delivery, the museum has a library and archives department. For a fee, they offer window stickers/build sheets (from 1981 to date) as well as sales brochures and marketing materials. These documents are a must for owners as you should gather as much factory documentation on your Corvette as possible.
There was not a 1983 model produced as the extensive technological certification required could not be completed in time. All forty-three 1983 test mules were ordered crushed with this unit surviving due to the mobile car crusher being inadvertently removed a day early.The NCM Motorsports Park is also located in Bowling Green. This 3.2-mile racetrack offers the opportunity to drive a new Corvette (owned by the track) in a variety of programs. This experience is definitely on my list for later this year.
Chris Mulvihill founded Classiccaradvisors.com in 2007. His passion for cars began as a young boy walking the service area of his grandfather’s Oldsmobile dealership. After graduating from Indiana University, his automobile knowledge expanded to the factory side as a Ford Motor Company Field Manager based in Los Angeles. During his time on the West Coast, he began attending vintage car events where he established deep-rooted friendships in the classic car industry. His interests are in the history of cars, restoration, and maximizing driving enjoyment.
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