The Corvette has enduring and undeniable sex appeal. Driving down the street, it attracts both adoring and envious looks from passers-by. Mustangs want to race you all the time. Driving on a race track it will go toe to toe with most other sports cars and give many of them a run for their money.
One of the best things GM has done (other than build the Corvette) is to build a Corvette museum across the street from the assembly plant. Corvette enthusiasts flock to this place; it is hallowed ground for die-hard Corvette zealots and Pete is one of those people. He owned 4 Corvettes in his lifetime (pictured above) and when we sat down to put together a retirement bucket list, this is the first place that went on the list.
Driving up to the museum is an experience in itself as you pass by the enormous assembly plant with so many employees' Corvettes (assumed) parked outside.
We spent 4 hours exploring the exhibits and easily could have spent all day. For those that wonder how we could possibly spend all day looking at Corvettes, there is more than "just Corvettes". From the history of Zora Duntov, the Godfather of the Corvette, to the birth of the Corvette, to the sinkhole exhibit, to the racing history. There is so much to read, view, and watch. Here are some cars on display
The sinkhole exhibit was positively heartbreaking. In 2014, a sinkhole opened up under the museum swallowing up eight extremely rare, historic Corvettes. (Luckily it happened in the middle of the night and no one was injured.) The hole was 30' deep or about the height of a 3-story building. They pulled all 8 cars out and only 3 of these cars could be restored. The remaining 5 cars are a total loss and displayed in the same condition as they were taken out of the hole. Many of the cars were on loan from personal collections. Our Sinkhole Video
Here's a little tidbit that most non-Corvette people don't know: you can order your Corvette directly from Chevrolet and take delivery of your new car from the museum the day it rolls off the assembly line. Quite a few people take advantage of this as there were 10 deliveries just on the day we were there. Here's a shot of some of the cars awaiting their new owners.
The Corvette Museum built the Motorsports Park race track in 2013 across the street from the museum. Here you can drive or ride in a brand new Corvette or drive your own car on the track. The day we were there, there were several Corvettes out on the track running around the 3.2-mile track, testing their limits.
And last, but not least, here's Romin at the NCM
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Peace, Pete & Lori
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