CRAZY ‘BOUT AN AUTOMOBILE

A visit to the National Corvette Museum

Written by Jeffrey Cohen

Our teenage son is a bit of a car nut. We love to go to Mecum, the car auction in Indianapolis, and any other car-themed events around town that we can find. He is especially enamored of Corvettes. He has an uncanny ability to recognize cars by their vintage and not just Corvettes: “Look, there’s a ’72 Charger”, that sort of thing. He also “builds” me a car, often a new ‘vette, complete with details about the chassis and engine, as we drive to school in the morning.

One day earlier this summer, I surprised him with an impromptu father-son trip to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, that included a visit to the NCM Motorsports Park, a high-performance driving venue next door. Located just off I-65, it’s about a four-hour drive from Indianapolis to Bowling Green, where all Corvettes are also manufactured.

Back on February 12, 2014, the museum made international news when a sinkhole collapsed in the Skydome part of the complex in the small hours of the morning. Thankfully, no one was in the building when it happened, but security cameras were rolling to catch the incident on video. Eight cars were swallowed up by the thirty-foot deep hole, including several irreplaceable classics. After that cataclysmic event, visits to the museum soared as people from around the world were drawn to witness for themselves the destruction and subsequent restoration and rebuilding project. Since then, the sinkhole has been filled and an interactive exhibit has been built atop what was once a gaping chasm.

All eight of the Corvettes that fell victim to the sinkhole are on display, some restored, and some just as they were when they were recovered from the hole. We looked at an outline on the floor of where the sinkhole was, as well as where the cave beneath still lies. You can even peer into the cave via a manhole in the floor. It was like visiting a crime scene.

Visible from some distance away, the museum is a striking landmark topped with a conical yellow roof and bright red spire. Beneath the roof inside the very un-museum-shaped museum, the building uses curved walls, geometric design and full-scale diorama displays to tell the story of the Corvette’s past, present and future. More than 80 vehicles from every era since 1953 are displayed, with each display changing periodically. While some are beautifully preserved production models, many are one-ofa-kind concept vehicles rarely if ever before seen by the public. The museum also features a tremendous collection of automotive memorabilia, informative films, educational exhibits, historical displays, a library and archives.

Upon entering the front lobby, visitors can move on to the Corvette Gateway, an area that will test your knowledge with a series of interactive quizzes. You’ll learn the back story on Corvette – what inspired Chevrolet to develop their own sports car, the influences on the car itself and materials used, how it got its name and more.

To say this was a bucket list trip would be an understatement. My son and I were given an outstanding private tour led by our very knowledgeable guide Mariah Hughes. She took the time to explain every aspect of Corvette’s storied history. We were treated to a spin in the simulator and some interactive displays culminating in a stroll down Nostalgia Alley, where a series of realistic vignettes illustrate the Corvette’s early history. There’s a 1950s Main Street complete with mid-century barbershop, soda shop, toy shop, and the old service station with authentic gas pumps, air tower and garage. Vintage Corvettes line the street along with early advertisements and other memorabilia from the car’s early years.

In addition to the exhibits and interactive features, the National Corvette Museum offers a number of special programs to new and old owners alike, as well as an engine-building and design experience for owners-to-be. You can even have your new Corvette delivered to the museum and pick it up there -- something that’s become very popular with ‘vette enthusiasts.

Ending our visit on a high was the opportunity to take a brand-new 2021 C8 Corvette out on the track. Now I’m not usually a speed demon; live to drive another day is my motto. But how many times does this kind of opportunity arise? With my son firmly fastened in beside me in the passenger seat, we took it easy for the first couple of laps, then I gave it the beans (or at least it felt like it) for the last couple, topping out at just under 115 mph. Now I love my BMW as much as the next guy, but the sensation of that raw horsepower under my right foot was quite exhilarating. I’m sure that if Lewis Hamilton had been behind the wheel we could have gone twice as fast, but that was quite quick enough for us. It was all I could do not to speed home up I-65, such was the adrenaline rush.

No trip with our son could end without Chipotle for dinner, so after leaving the museum we headed south towards Nashville for a few miles. With Spotify playing a suitable country list, we raved about our experience -- the perfect father-son day.