Bowling Green, KY Resident Wins a Corvette

Jason Mills takes delivery of a 2013 60th Anniversary 427 Convertible Corvette

March 21, 2013 was Jason Mills’ lucky day. At 2:00pm his raffle ticket #82 was drawn at the National Corvette Museum making him the winner of a 2013 60th Anniversary 427 Convertible Corvette. As a resident of Bowling Green he didn’t waste any time coming to the Museum to see his new car and getting the paperwork started to take it home. Proving that maybe good luck could be contagious, he’s got a special friend to thank… fellow Bowling Green resident and recent Museum Raffle Car Winner, Barry Cummings.

“When I heard that Barry had won a Corvette several months ago, I thought that maybe I could win, too. I called him on the morning that I bought my ticket to ask him how he did it. Barry told me that he got his tickets online and got them early when the numbers were low. I bought one $250 ticket, one $500 ticket and several $10 tickets. It worked! I’ve already had 50 people text me now that I’ve won, and you can bet that they are already planning to buy their tickets now!”

Jason had actually forgotten about the raffle by the time the big day arrived, so when he got the call from Christy Thomas at the Corvette Museum, he was caught totally by surprise. “I was speechless, which is a rare thing for me. It was exciting. Really exciting.”

This is Jason’s first Corvette and he says he’s keeping it. “I’ve already got two offers to buy it,” he says, “but it’s a keeper. I’m building a house right now, and so tonight I’ll have to call the contractor about adding a garage.”

Jason participated in the Museum’s R8C Delivery Program on Friday, March 22 – a program where new Corvette owners receive VIP treatment as they pickup their car from the Museum.

As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, the National Corvette Museum holds a number of Corvette and other raffles throughout the year featuring various models, ticket prices and odds. Tickets can be purchased at the Museum, by phone at 270-781-7973 or 800-538-3883, online at www.corvettemuseum.org/raffle and even on the road at a number of Corvette and car shows across the country.

NCM Motorsports Park Receives Boost from Local Tourism Office

The National Corvette Museum Motorsports Park project crossed the first of three hurdles to secure $400,000 towards the project from the Bowling Green Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.  On Monday, March 11 Wendell Strode, Executive Director with the National Corvette Museum met with the CVB’s Board of Directors to request money from the special tourism project fund.  The fund is a portion of the hotel tax set aside each year for projects that will help increase the number of people visiting the community and staying in Warren County hotels.

The Museum is planning to construct an autocross/skidpad area and two road courses.  The CVB’s Board unanimously approved the request, with the stipulation that the Museum construct at least one road course.   The NCM has spent $2.7 million on land thus far for the project and has launched a fundraising campaign with a goal of raising an additional $1 million by June 1.  The amount raised will determine how much of the project will be constructed during the initial phase.

The Bowling Green City Commission and Warren County Fiscal Court are expected to approve the grant the week of March 18^th at their respective meetings.

Corvette Raffle Winner Spotlight: Phil Hans

Phil Hans of Middleburg, Florida has been diligently purchasing our Corvette Raffle tickets for the past four years. On Thursday, January 17, 2013, Phil and his wife Lorraine were drawn as the lucky winners of the highly coveted 2013 Night Race Blue ZR1, a part of the General Motors fleet and the personal car of Corvette Exterior Designer, Kirk Bennion. Phil’s Corvette Raffle ticket, #997, was drawn from a sold out raffle pool of 1,994 tickets.

"Although winning the raffle was amazing, it was the staff that made it a really memorable time for the both of us. You have a great product and a superlative delivery team. This was truly an incredible experience and your staff made it that way. I can still remember everyone clapping and cheering as Larry drove me out of Corvette Boulevard in my ZR1 Corvette. I can tell you that smile still hasn't left my face! My dream has really come true thanks to the National Corvette Museum."

Prior to winning, Phil had plans to trade in his 1994 Admiral Blue Corvette for a 2004 Z06 Special Edition Corvette, and came very close to making the trade only a week before winning our raffle. Phil did end up selling the ’94 recently due to a lack of garage space for his new addition. Since picking up his prize, Phil says that he has been showing it off at every opportunity and has fallen in love with Corvettes all over again.

“I have been a Corvette fan since my youth,” said Phil. “As a farmer growing up in Maryland, I was a bit of a motor head always working on cars or farm machinery, when not doing farming chores. My first Corvette ride was when my cousin stopped by the farm with her Army Ranger boyfriend who had a brand new 1971 yellow Corvette with the LS5 motor and a 4 speed transmission. We ventured out and of course we had to stop by my friend’s house to show off. On the ride back, he stopped that Corvette right in the middle of a country road and said, “you drive.” So, I excitedly got behind the wheel and felt the power and rumble from that car right through my seat, up my spine and in to my head. I was hooked on Corvettes forever from that moment on.”

 

The National Corvette Museum has been turning Corvette dreamers into owners since 1997 when the first raffle was held.  As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, the Museum holds a number of Corvette and Camaro raffles each year, with varying odds and ticket prices, as a means to raise funds for the Museum’s operations.  Those interested in participating may sign up for the Museum’s email newsletter to receive updates on the next chance to participate at www.corvettemuseum.org.  Tickets can be purchased online, by phone and in person.

Chevrolet Lifts Lid on 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible

Pictured: Manchester United's Dwight Yorke (sponsored by Chevrolet)
and Corvette Racing driver Oliver Gavin pose with the new Convertible.

Chevrolet revealed the 2014 Corvette Stingray convertible today at the Geneva Motor Show, featuring an all-new, fully electronic top that can be lowered remotely using the car’s key fob. The top can also be opened or closed on the go, at speeds of up to 30 mph (50 km/h).

“The convertible has been a part of the heart and soul of Corvette since the very beginning in 1953,” said Ed Welburn, GM vice president of global design. “With the all-new Corvette Stingray, we designed and developed the coupe and convertible simultaneously. As a result, the Corvette Stingray offers an open-top driving experience with no compromise in performance, technology or design.”
The Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible arrive in global markets in late 2013, with left-hand-drive models to be offered in Europe, the United Kingdom, the Middle East, Japan and Russia. Changes to Corvettes for export vary only in equipment required to accommodate a respective market’s regulations, such as lighting, headlamp washers and outside mirrors. 

“It's fitting to introduce the new Stingray convertible on the global stage at Geneva, because Corvette is the face of Chevrolet the world over,” said Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet and Cadillac Europe. “It is an icon that has long been recognized and admired even in countries where it’s never officially been offered.”

All of the performance technology and capabilities introduced on the Corvette Stingray coupe carry over to the convertible. The only structural changes are limited to accommodations for the folding top and repositioned safety belt mounts. Central to the Corvette Stingray’s driving experience is an all-new, more rigid aluminum frame structure, which is 57-percent stiffer and 99 pounds (45 kg) lighter than the current steel frame.

All models are powered by the new LT1 6.2L V-8, with an estimated 450-hp (335 kW) and 450 lb-ft of torque (610 Nm). As no structural reinforcements are required for the convertible, both models share almost identical power-to-weight ratios.

The LT1 combines several advanced technologies, including direct injection, Active Fuel Management and continuously variable valve timing to support an advanced combustion system designed to balance power and efficiency. The new Corvette Stingray is expected to improve upon the current model’s fuel economy of 13.6L/100km (EPA-estimated highway fuel economy of 26 mpg).

With the top up, the Corvette Stingray convertible is designed for a refined driving experience. A thick, three-ply fabric top, along with sound-absorbing padding and a glass rear window, contributes to a quiet cabin and premium appearance.

With the top down, the Corvette Stingray’s signature profile is further accentuated. Behind the seat backs, dual black accent panels enhance the character lines of the tonneau cover. Corvette Stingray’s signature “waterfall” design originates in the valley between the nacelles, bringing the exterior color into the interior.

Additional highlights of the all-new Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible include:

• A sculpted exterior with advanced high-intensity discharge and light-emitting diode lighting and racing-proven aerodynamics that balance low drag for efficiency and performance elements for improved stability and track capability
• An interior that offers genuine carbon fiber and aluminum trim, hand-wrapped leather materials, dual eight-inch configurable driver/infotainment screens, and two new seat choices – each featuring a lightweight magnesium frame for exceptional support
• Advanced driver technologies, including a five-position Drive Mode Selector that tailors 12 vehicle attributes to fit the driver’s environment and a new seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Matching that anticipates gear selections and matches engine speed for perfect shifts every time
• Lightweight materials, including a carbon fiber hood on all models and a carbon fiber removable roof panel on coupes; composite fenders, doors and rear quarter panels; carbon-nano composite underbody panels and a new aluminum frame help shift weight rearward for an optimal 50/50 weight balance that supports a world-class power-to-weight ratio
• Track-capable Z51 Performance Package, including an electronic limited-slip differential; dry-sump oiling system; integral brake, differential and transmission cooling; as well as a unique aero package that further improves high-speed stability.

“We wanted the driving experience of the Corvette to live up to the performance expectations that come with the ‘Stingray’ name,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “Because it was designed from the beginning as an open-top car, the Corvette Stingray delivers an exhilarating, connected driving experience – no matter what configuration you choose.”

Last C6 Corvette Rolls off GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant Line

Today, Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 8:04 a.m., the last 2013 Corvette came off the line at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant. The celebration was short lived, as less than 30 minutes after the last car was built, workers began remodeling the plant to prepare for the launch of the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray.

A total of 215,100 sixth-generation "C6" Corvettes were made at Bowling Green since production began in 2005, the last of which was the exclusive 2013 Corvette 427 Convertible Collector Edition outfitted with the 60th Anniversary design package. This package boasts an Arctic White exterior and a Blue Diamond leather-wrapped interior with suede-microfiber accents.

At the heart of the 427 Convertible is the 7.0-liter (427 ci) LS7 aluminum-block V8, which is handcrafted by skilled engine craftsmen at the GM Performance Build Center. For the LS7 destined for the last C6 produced, the engine was built by Corvette executive chief engineer Tadge Juechter.

The last C6 Corvette will join other historic General Motors vehicles at the GM Heritage Center in Warren, Mich.

“Leading up to the production of the last C6 has been all business,” said Bowling Green plant manager Dave Tatman. “We take our job seriously and consider it the privilege that it is. But you can’t do what we do and not get emotionally attached to the car.”

Even as the team celebrated building the last C6, Tatman said there has been a great deal of anticipation and excitement toward building the all-new Stingray.

“The last C6 rolls off the line at 8:04 a.m. and I’ll have people in here at 8:30 a.m. to start tearing down and putting in new tools,” Tatman said.

The task will require that 120 workers take just four weeks to turn the Bowling Green plant around, completing a job that usually takes months to accomplish. All employees are slated to return to work on March 25, where they will learn the entirely new process required to build the Stingray.

Bowling Green Assembly, which hosts up to 50,000 visitors a year, is currently closed to the public to facilitate the remodeling of the line. Tatman said he plans to reopen the plant to outside tours as soon as possible, knowing that everyone is excited to see this new generation of Corvette built.

“As I always say, we don’t build cars, we build dreams,” Tatman said.

View more images of this historic moment on our Picasa Web Album online here. 

Plans Cruising Forward for NCM Motorsports Park

National Corvette Museum making exciting progress with Motorsports Park Project

Driven by the success of its various expansions and upgrades over the years, the National Corvette Museum is now hard at work on a project that will complete the Museum experience: a Motorsports Park. Exciting progress has been made recently including the approval of the final track design as well as the beginning of the geotechnical engineering on the site.

The Park’s official groundbreaking event is scheduled for Friday, June 28, 2013, during the Museum’s Corvette 60th Anniversary Celebration.  The Grand Opening of the Motorsports Park is planned for Labor Day weekend 2014, in conjunction with the Museum’s 20th Anniversary and the 5th National Corvette Caravan.

Plans for the Park are moving forward successfully. The track designer, Steve Crawford and civil engineering firm, DDS Engineering, are currently preparing construction bid documents, with a goal of completing that process by May of 2013.

“Good things are happening with more exciting developments on the way, but as always, we can’t do it without the help of our supporters,” said Wendell Strode, NCM Executive Director.  “We are especially thankful for those who have joined the One Acre Club and want to encourage others who are capable of helping us to do so.” The One Acre Club is a program for individuals or groups to assist the NCM in funding the Motorsports Park.

The Museum is currently working toward a goal of raising $1 million by June 1.  While construction on the autocross/skid pad area will begin this summer, construction of the west track as part of the initial development will require additional funding.  “We are ready to move forward with the project, but at what level will be determined by support received from enthusiasts and sponsorships,” said Strode.  “The support thus far is great, but we still need help to make it happen.”

The Museum survives on the generosity of its supporters, and the Motorsports Park is no different.  Each acre purchased sends a powerful message to potential sponsors of how committed Corvette enthusiasts are to making this project happen.  The National Corvette Museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational foundation and is the largest car museum in the world dedicated to a single model.  The planned Motorsports Park will have over one mile of frontage on Interstate 65, the third most traveled north-south Interstate in the eastern United States.  For more information visit www.motorsportspark.org, 'Like' the Motorsports Park page on Facebook, or call 800-53-VETTE (83883).

Corvette Stingray Convertible to Debut at Geneva

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible will make its world debut on March 5 at the Geneva Motor Show.

"It's fitting to introduce the new Stingray convertible on the global stage at Geneva because Corvette is the face of Chevrolet the world over," said Susan Docherty, president and managing director of Chevrolet and Cadillac Europe. "It is an icon that has long been recognized and admired even in countries where it's never officially been offered."

There are Corvette owner and enthusiast clubs in more than 100 countries, and 58 percent of the 1.1 million fans who “Like” Corvette's official Facebook page reside outside the United States.
The Corvette Stingray convertible will deliver the same balance of technology, design and performance introduced on the coupe in January in Detroit.

"Every Corvette is designed at the outset as an open car," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. "The new Stingray is no different, with the coupe and convertible designed to excel in any situation – be it your daily commute, a drive across the continent, or charging through twisting back roads."

Attendees at the Museum's NCM Bash April 25-27 will have the opportunity to see both the coupe and convertible 2014 Stingray up close, and hear from members of the Chevrolet team responsible for the new design.  "Our annual Bash event is a unique opportunity for Corvette and auto enthusiasts to attend seminars with presentations by the engineers and designers of the Corvette as to what's new and different with the car," said NCM Events Manager Roc Linkov.  "Tadge, Kirk Bennion, Harlan Charles, Craig Sass and many others lead a 'walk around' of the car where they talk about each feature and answer questions."

The Bash event is also a great opportunity for autographs from the Corvette elite, road tours, a seminar with members of the Corvette Racing team, car show and much more.  Registration is now open and the complete agenda is available online at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/registration/bash/info.shtml.

Chevrolet will auction the first retail production model of the Corvette Stingray convertible at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach collector car auction to benefit the Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute.

Karmanos, based in southeast Michigan, is a unique, urban-based integrated center of research, patient care and education, dedicated to the prevention, early detection, treatment and eventual eradication of cancer.

The Barrett-Jackson will be held April 4-6 at the South Florida Fairgrounds in Palm Beach, Fla. Bids can be submitted in person at the auction or online at www.barrett-jackson.com.

In January, the first retail production model of the 2014 Corvette Stingray – with the Vehicle Identification Number ending in 0001 – sold at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale collector car auction for $1.05 million to Rick Hendrick, chairman of Hendrick Automotive Group and owner of NASCAR’s Hendrick Motorsports. Proceeds from that sale benefitted the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.