A Silver Anniversary Lap Around the National Corvette Museum

From a cutaway C1 Corvette to a few laps around NCM Motorsports Park, Corvette Forum takes you on the ultimate tour.

Recently, I spent a total of two days taking in the sights and sounds of the silver anniversary of the National Corvette Museum. While this is a thrill for any Corvette enthusiast, it was made all the more exciting as this was my first real time exploring the museum through-and-through. There was so much, that it’s only fitting I try to share as much of–well–everything I saw and experienced during my incredible time in Bowling Green.

There were a few exhibits that especially caught my eye, as well as some of the new additions to the growing collection of Corvettes the museum has, and some of the happenings during the museum’s 25th anniversary. Plus, I got to take a incredible few laps around NCM Motorsports Park.

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The first thing to greet everyone upon entering the National Corvette Museum is the sight of legendary General Motors designer Harley Earl looming over the 1953 Corvette chassis No. 003. The car was donated to the museum back in May, and was subsequently made into a cutaway model by restorer Kevin McKay and his team at Corvette Repair. The end result gives gives a rare look at how the first-generation Corvette was put together, Blue Flame inline-six and all.

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As you continue along this gateway area, you get more information and brief history on the run-up to the first-ever Corvette. This features a trio of inspirations: the 1946 Stout Y46–the first car to be built from fiberglass, a signature feature of the Corvette since the start, a 1947 MG TC Roadster–the car that would spur America’s love of sports cars at the end of WWII, and a 1951 Crosley Super Sport, one of the first of America’s own take on what Europe was putting out.

And of course, we can’t forget the name itself. Originally, the Corvette was known as the “Opel” as a way to protect the car from prying eyes. It also wore the “Cougar” name for a while, though little documentation exists today to explain why. Ultimately, America’s beloved sports car gained its permanent name on December 10, 1952, taken from the lightweight and agile warships used since the Age of Sail.

Next, in the “Autorama 1953” portion of the museum, a trio of cars in red, yellow, and white call out to your eyes; parked in front of a typical street of Anytown, USA in 1950s America. The one that stood out, though, is the red Ford Thunderbird in the middle. Though it was more of a personal luxury car than a sports car, it helped inspire Chevrolet to not only keep the Corvette alive, but ultimately beat Ford at their own game.

And they did so with the help of one man: Zora Arkus-Duntov. The “Father of the Corvette” realized the fledgling sports car needed more power to fight off the Thunderbird. So, he took the newly introduced 265 V8 and put it in, replacing the old inline-six. From then on, the Corvette would always have a V8.

Of course, this part of the museum is also the place to pay respects to both Arkus-Duntov and his wife, Elfi, both of whom are interned in their exhibit. The two even attended the museum’s opening in 1994.

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Around the corner awaits a few more exhibits. You check out the matching-numbers ’67 ‘Vette owned by the late Roy Orbison, which was the last car he ever bought prior to his passing in 1988. Orbison drove this red beauty to the studio while recording with supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, and on his 22nd and final album, 1989’s Mystery Girl.

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“To establish the sports car, you have to race it,” Arkus-Duntov’s words can be heard as you enter the world of Corvette racing. This idea been taken to heart through every generation of the Corvette since the 1956 model first roared upon the 12 Hours of Sebring on March 24, 1956. From IMSA and SCCA, to Le Mans and the Nurburgring, wherever a Corvette could turn a wheel in anger, it went.

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One of the coolest exhibits for me was the display that featured some of the prototypes, models, and concepts used in developing the Corvette over the years. There’s the mid-engine rotary ‘Vette, the Indy, and the “Cormaro”–a C5 Corvette disguised as a fourth-gen Camaro used to test how the then-upcoming ‘Vette would handle the real world. And of course, part of the exhibit’s railing is hydroformed, the same technique used to build the C5’s backbone, and in every subsequent Corvette since.

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February 12, 2014 will live in infamy as the day eight special Corvettes inside the National Corvette Museum’s Skydome fell into the earth below. A ton of geological and structural factors not evident at the time of the museum’s construction resulted in the collapse of the cave beneath the floor of the dome.

What was a initially a disaster later turned into an opportunity, though. As soon as the floor was rebuilt, the eight Corvettes were given a special section in the Skydome to themselves for guests to see. The National Corvette Museum saw an surge in visits as a result of the exhibit, helped by the massive media coverage and responses on social media.

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Of the Corvettes to have fallen into the pit of despair only three were restored to what they were prior to the fall; the “Blue Devil” 2009 ZR1 prototype, the 1-millionth Corvette built (a 1992 convertible in white), and the black 1962 C1. The rest–including the 1984 PPG Indianapolis 500 pace car, a 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06, and the 1.5-millionth Corvette ever made (a 2009 convertible)–were left as they were found, as their fall into the sinkhole is as a part of each car’s history as their very existence.

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Continuing with the ‘Vette history, the National Corvette Museum Skydome is now the forever home of the C8 development prototype. Built in 2018, the pre-production Corvette was used to exercise the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic; and even wore the camo every C8 wore before the reveal on July 18.

Oh and what is that under the C8? The yellow line outlines the cave 30 feet under the floor of the skydome, and the red indicates the sinkhole. Both lines intersect at given spots along the way, including (possibly) under the car. Pleasant dreams.

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At last, I arrived at the National Corvette Museum Annex, which held a selection of Corvettes from the museum’s history, including the first one donated to the NCM by Ray Quinlan, plus memorabilia from the museum’s birth. This is definitely the happiest place on Earth. What could possibly top this special visit?

A few laps around NCM Motorsports Park in a Corvette? Oh yeah.

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I hopped aboard a shuttle bus to NCM Motorsports Park during my second and final day at the museum, hoping I could get a ride in a pace car around the 3.15-mile Grand Full Course, one of the handful of configurations the park uses depending on the event.

The track was first proposed in 2007, when enthusiasts wanted a place to exercise their Corvettes. A few land expansions later, the National Corvette Museum tapped track designer Steve Crawford to lay out what would become NCM Motorsports Park, with input from Corvette Racing for how the track should be configured.

My ride around the Grand Full Course took place inside a brand-new silver C7, which led a good-sized group of Corvettes around the bends and straights for a handful of laps over the course of 10 minutes. There’s just nothing like feeling the wind blow past your hair at speed, feeling every turn and dip along the way. There’s even a dip called “The Sinkhole,” of course! Can’t wait to take this on in my own car down the road.

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I started with a cutaway Corvette, and now I end with one. This cutaway C8 (along with cutaways of the LT2 and the Tremec eight-speed) was a part of a handful of C8s hanging out at the National Corvette Museum over the last three days of August, offering the opportunity to see what all will go into this new Corvette once production begins near the end of the year.

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Of course, there was one more thing left to do for my visit to the museum on its silver anniversary: sit inside a C8 Corvette. Three were parked between the cutaway and the main C8 showcase, including the red model with a full tan suede and leather interior that I chose to take in from within for a few moments.

I want one. I’ve been around Corvettes since I was little, and this is the one I’d place in my garage. The only question: which C8? The base model alone is plenty of mid-engine fun to go around, but there’s also the Z06 to consider, along with the ZR1 (if it happens), and a hybrid (if that happens). I guess I’ll wait to see what comes down the road.

Until then, I want to thank the National Corvette Museum and the Ohio Corvette Caravan for having me out to celebrate America’s sports car on the silver anniversary of the greatest place for any Corvette fan. Long may you run.

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Photos and video for Corvette Forum by Cameron Aubernon

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