The 2019 NCM Bash Has the Usual Fare – and a Few Surprises!
Saturday, April 27, 2019 – As we do every year, we got up early Saturday morning, jumped in the Corvette and drove an hour north out of Nashville to the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
While we make this trek up to the NCM several times a year, the last week of April is a special circumstance – one which holds the promise of “things to come” for Corvette owners and enthusiasts around the world. Just as the fictional “Willy Wonka” opens his chocolate factory to reveal the delectable secrets contained within, so too does the team behind the Corvette open the doors to the world to share their latest – and greatest – developments from Detroit and (closer to home) the Bowling Green Assembly Plant located just across the street from the Museum. It’s called “the Bash” and with good reason – it’s the NCM‘s “Corvette Party of the Year!”
As in years past, Corvette owners from across the nation made the pilgrimage to be at the Museum for the three day event. The event, known formally as “The Michelin NCM Bash,” is a three-day event hosted by the Museum. This year, it ran from April 25-27, 2019.
The “Bash” is a showcase of the Corvette brand. It features examples of (almost) every new Corvette being produced for the current model year, including special edition models. Vendors such as Mobil 1, Michelin, Adams Premium Car Care Supplies and many others set up shop both in-and-outside the Museum. They solicit their wares to Corvette owners and enthusiasts alike, providing discounts and promotional offers unique to the event itself. Guest presenters are showcased throughout the event, and there is no shortage of recognizable faces from the Corvette team. This year, we attended presentations by Tadge Juechter, Harlan Charles and other members of the design and marketing teams.
Of course, the biggest attraction are the cars. As in years past, the 2019 NCM Bash featured a number of 2019 MY Corvettes, including a couple ZR-1’s and all-four Corvette Racing Driver Edition Corvettes. The Driver Edition Corvette each feature a unique paint scheme and option package developed with direct input from each of Corvette Racing’s four primary drivers – Oliver Gavin, Jan Magnussen, Antonio Garcia and Tommy Milner. The cars are all developed from the Z06 platform and include a number of goodies that make this “special edition” truly unique – especially for those Corvette enthusiasts follow the Corvette Racing program.
The big moment at this year’s Bash actually occurred towards the end of the final day of the three-day event.
Notably absent from the weekends event was any sign of the C8 Mid-Engine Corvette, despite an official appearance of the car in New York just one week earlier. Disappointed fans commented to Bash officials that the notable absence of the car was a big disappointment for many in attendance.
What nobody knew was that GM had a little surprise up their sleeve!
At the end of the Saturday edition of the NCM Bash, spectators were encouraged to step outside to participate in the annual Corvette raffle. While outside, fans were treated to a minutes-long drive-by of the mid-engine Corvette still wrapped in its black and white camouflage. The car was only there for a few minutes, but it has become the talking point of the event – both for those that were in attendance for the drive-by, and the countless more who have since seen the car online.
If you’ve never attended the Michelin NCM Bash in Bowling Green, we definitely encourage you to do so next year. While the event itself may be a cleverly disguised marketing event to promote the latest Corvette offerings, it is also an excellent opportunity to join other Corvette owners and enthusiasts from across the country at a meet-up in the mecca of all-things Corvette. You’ll likely make some new friends, share some good stories, pick up some cool new Corvette “stuff” and see more than a few truly incredible Corvettes!
