To Those Who Labored: CorvSport Celebrates The Bowling Green Assembly Workers
For Labor Day 2024, we present a full photo gallery and tour videos of the Corvette assembly line over the last 70 years
A long line in the St. Louis plant completed the assembly and trimming of the glass-fiber bodies of the 1953 Corvettes.
We enthusiasts have been enjoying this three-day weekend for decades, and this year, as I prepared to give a nod to the men and women who assemble our beloved Corvette, I looked a little deeper into this day that has been a legal holiday for over 130 years. It was an interesting look into the history of a day many of us take for granted, as we are hyper-focused on how we are going to best utilize the extra day off from work. As the trade union and labor movements grew in the late 19th century, trade unionists proposed a special day to celebrate labor. On June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September the day to honor and recognize the American labor movement and the work and contributions of laborers to the development and achievements of the United States. For a deeper dive, check out the full feature from our Department of Labor here.
As we visit some cool photos and tour videos of the Corvette assembly line over the last 70 years, let’s take a moment to extend a big thanks to the men and women who are among the last cogs in the machine that has turned dreams into reality for the nearly two million Corvette owners.
The Corvette Assembly Line Over The Years
A long line in the St. Louis plant completed the assembly and trimming of the glass-fiber bodies of the 1953 Corvettes.One of the first generation Corvettes being assembled at the factory.The first production Corvette rolls off the assembly line in Michigan on June 30, 1953. (Image courtesy of GM Media.)Second-Generation Corvettes on the assembly line in St. Louis, Missouri.Photo Credit: “woodsdesign” via Corvette ForumPhoto Credit: “woodsdesign” via Corvette ForumPhoto Credit: “Ryans67vette” via Corvette ForumPhoto Credit: “Ryans67vette” via Corvette ForumThe 500,000th Corvette rolled off the production line on March 15, 1977. It can be seen today at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.The first production Corvette after it was rolled off the assembly line in Bowling Green on June 1, 1981.Production of the 1981 Corvette at the all-new Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant began on June 1st of that year. (Image courtesy of GM Media.)The pairing of a C4 Corvette body to its chassis. This photograph shows the Corvette components as they’re about to be mated together at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant.1986 Corvette Assembly Line, Bowling Green, Kentucky. (Image Courtesy of GM Media.)The 1 Millionth Corvette rolls off the assembly line on March 1, 1992.The Last C4 rolled off the assembly line in Bowling Green, Kentucky on June 20, 1996.Photo is credited to the Corvette ForumC6 Corvettes coming off assembly line at Bowling GreenBrand new C7 Corvettes roll off the assembly line. With the re-design of the plant, paint application will now be one of the final steps in the Corvette’s assembly process.Corvette Stingrays at the GM Manufacturing Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.The 2017 Corvette Stingray being assembled at the Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.An assembly line worker is diligently attending to a C7! Image Courtesy of NCMStarting in March 2015, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 customers can take part in the exclusive Engine Build Experience at the new Performance Build Center within the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. The $5,000 package allows customers work alongside skilled engine assembly technicians (like Steve Stinson, pictured) to build the 650-hp, LT4 engine that will go in their new Corvette Z06.A Corvette chassis makes its way down the assembly line at the Chevrolet manufacturing plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.Several C7 Corvette Stingrays on the production line at the Corvette Manufacturing Plant in Bowling Green, KentuckyCorvette Stingrays being transported from the GM Manufacturing Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky.Early press photo of the Mid-Engine Corvette prototype at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in late-summer 2019.The Corvette Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky has been the birthplace of the Corvette since 1981, when GM moved production there from St. Louis, Missouri.The Corvette Manufacturing Plant in Bowling Green is now running double shifts thru November in an effort to fulfill as many 2020 C8 Corvette orders as possible.One of the first shipments of the 2020 Mid-Engine Corvette to dealerships across the United States.The 2021 Corvette travels down the assembly line of GM’s Bowling Green Manufacturing Plant.Corvette C8 production line at Bowling Green FactoryA C8 Z06 rolls down the assembly line, image courtesy of savagegeeseInside the Bowling Green Assembly Plant/Image Credit: Yahoo Finance
Assembly Plant Videos
Video Preview: “1963 Corvette Production Line Assembly Plant St.Louis.”
Video Preview: “60-minute movie that describes the design process, building process, and everything relating to the new 1997 C5 Corvette.”
Video Preview: “The Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Bowling Green, Kentucky, has been the home of the Corvette since 1981. In 2017, the plant underwent major renovations and has since been closed to public tours. Several public presentations by plant representatives over the past year have provided the content for this video. The compilation of photos and video clips has been organized in what I believe to be a logical order of plant operations. I am optimistic that plant tours will resume by mid-2019, but hopefully this video will provide a glimpse into what the newly retooled assembly process looks like.”
Video Preview: “On this feature of the FRAME, we explore the Production line of the most iconic variants of the Chevy Corvettes, including the C7 and the C8 Stingray, produced in Kentucky, USA, at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant.”
Video Preview: “We take a trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky, to explain how the C8 Corvette is made. With help from Engineering and factory, we detail the complexity of modern assembly, supply chain, and how American manufacturing is alive and well. The business and finance of dedicated sports cars is always a complex topic. However, the mid-engine Corvette is a rare success story. Fans of all brands ranging from Ferrari, Porsche, Ford, Toyota, and BMW will learn something in this video.”
As always, readers, a big thanks from the crew at CorvSport for continuing to join us on this adventure of all things Corvette! If you want to keep up to date with all the fresh Corvette news and maintain a pulse on the lifestyle and culture of this exciting, iconic brand, CorvSport has the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 171,000 followers (52,000 since January 2023!). Come join other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello, Douglas B.
