Loading

  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Corvette Museum
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.

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

On 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. 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. 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. 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. The museum reopened the day after the sinkhole appeared.

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.

Hall of Fame

The 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.

Honorees
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

References

  1. ^ Antonick, Mike (2006). Corvette Black Books 1953-2007. MotorBooks International. p. 106. ISBN 9780760328941.
  2. ^ "Kentucky Sinkhole Eats Corvettes, Raises Questions". news.nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on March 2, 2014. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  3. ^ 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.
  4. ^ Jeffries, Adrianne (February 12, 2014). "Eight vintage Corvettes swallowed by 40-foot sinkhole inside National Corvette Museum". The Verge. Retrieved February 12, 2014.
  5. ^ Jones, Matthew (February 13, 2014). "Corvettes disappear into massive hole". BBC TopGear. Retrieved February 13, 2014.
  6. ^ Katie Frassinelli
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ "Corvette Cave In Exhibit". National Corvette Museum. Retrieved March 26, 2022.
  9. ^ "Corvette Hall Of Fame". National Corvette Museum. Archived from the original on October 18, 2022. Retrieved December 31, 2022.

37°00′15″N 86°22′30″W / 37.00417°N 86.37500°W / 37.00417; -86.37500

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=National_Corvette_Museum&oldid=1255028238"