For the past seventy years, the Corvette has been celebrated time and again as “America’s Sports Car” by enthusiasts across the United States and around the globe. Since its introduction in 1953, this iconic sports car has fueled the passsions and the imaginations of countless millions, enticing many to pursue Corvette ownership as part of their personal pursuits and ambitions. It has also become an inseparable part of the “American Dream,” as synonymous as white picket fences and apple pie.
On June 30, 2023, the Corvette celebrated the seventieth anniversary – to the DAY – since the first Corvette rolled off the assembly line in Flint, Michigan. Since that fateful day, the Corvette has evolved thru eight, distinct generations, has been the car of choice for athletes, celebrities, and more than a few astronauts, and has served as the subject matter for songs by Prince, the Beach Boys and more. When Mattel decided that Barbie needed a “dream car”, they didn’t look at the Mustang….NOPE, it was the Corvette from the start. And Barbie has driving a Corvette in all its pink glory ever since.
On Thursday, June 29, 2023, I was fortunate enough to attend an invitation-only grand-opening event at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky for the museum’s latest exhibit “An American Love Affair: 70 Years of Corvette.” The exhibit, which is showcased in the rotunda section of the Museum, features a 28,000,000 pixel, 2,800 square feet video wall that surrounds the spectator with images and video of the Corvette from all eight generations. It tells the Corvette story – thru images and sound – from its inception thru the evolution of the latest models, including the C8 Z06 and ERay models. The rotunda is also packed full of Corvettes from every era, enabling visitors to identify which of the Corvettes present are his or her favorite.
A number of Corvette celebrities were on-hand for this event, including Tom Peters, former Director of Design for the GM Performance Car Studio and 2019 Hall of Fame inductee, Kirk Bennion, Exterior Design Manager for Corvette at General Motors, Harlan Charles, Chevrolet Corvette & Camaro Product Marketing Manager. Ken and Kristen Lingenfelter of Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, and Sharon Brawner, CEO of the National Corvette Museum. But the real star of the show was the video wall itself, which adds an entirely new dimension to the Museum and brings the exhibit space solidly into the 21st century. Even if you’ve been to the Museum before, this latest addition is worth a return trip.
The exhibit opened to the public, appropriately enough, on June 30, 2023, just in time to commemorate Corvette’s 70th anniversary. It symbolizes some of the many changes expected throughout the Museum in the coming years. If, as the say goes, “the best is yet to come”, then we can’t wait to see what Sharon and her team of creative visionaries have in store for us next. This much is certain – Corvette is far from done – and we believe the best IS yet to come.
If you plan on being in Bowling Green, make sure you take time to check out “An American Love Affair: 70 Years of Corvette” at the National Corvette Museum. It’s time to fall in love all over again with the Chevy Corvette!
