A Trip to the Vette
The National Corvette Museum and Corvette factory in Bowling Green Kentucky is a pilgrimage for any Corvette enthusiast. We recently took one such trip to tour both the museum and factory, and had a great experience.
The Corvette museum, open 8a - 5pm every day, has a great collection of cars showcasing the history of the Corvette, with information about how Chevrolet designed and changed each car over time.
Corvettes waiting for pick-up.
The museum houses the one and only 1983 Corvette, the others destroyed at the hands of GM after new emissions requirements came out before the production run finished. Workers at the plant schemed for years, keeping this one hidden from GM.
The only '83 Corvette in existence.
In 2014, an out-of-nowhere sink hole opened up inside the main floor (video). The museum displays seven of the destroyed Corvettes. The museum restored one of the Corvettes destroyed, as it was the 1,000,000th produced.
Museum site: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/
Another great event was Corvette's new customer delivery/pick up. The delivery and pick up requires an extra fee, but being able to personally pick up your ordered Corvette at the Museum would feel great.
The Corvette Factory Assembly Plant exhibited serious attention to craft excellence and detail. Chevrolet focuses on building their product to a very high quality, and it shows in the new C7 Corvette.
It’s unfortunate we were not able to take photos of the tour, but Chevrolet strictly enforces their rules (no backpacks, purses, cell phones, cameras, open toe shoes, water bottle or beverages). The tour is right on the floor, maybe a ten feet away from the assembly process, and goes a little over an hour. There's plenty of time to see the museum and the plant in the same day.
A guide explains everything about assembly, and the tour follows the entire plant, with the finished product firing up for the 1st time and driving off to the water test room at the end.
They offer three tours a day: 8 am, 11:30 am, and 2 pm.
Tour space is limited, and starting in January of 2016, the plant will require reservations.
To reserve a tour spot, visit the assembly plant site: https://www.bowlinggreenassemblyplant.com/
Note: if you drive a foreign vehicle or a non-GM product you will have to park in the back lot. Front door parking is Corvettes only. The policy is strictly enforced.
