Edelbrock Family Foundation Sponsoring Summer Camps at National Corvette Museum

Five Day-Long Camps Slated for July

For the past five years the National Corvette Museum has hosted an automotive-themed “Vette Camp” to introduce kids to the world of cars and Corvette. This summer, the Museum has teamed up with the Edelbrock Family Foundation to bring not one, but five camps combining cars with other exciting themes.

“We have a lot of repeat campers each summer, so we decided to come up with some themed day-long camps to provide variety while still offering some of the favorite automotive activities,” said Museum Education Coordinator, Kellie Steen.  “We think this summer’s camps will attract new campers to the Museum, and give kids the opportunity to pick and choose their favorite topics.  It will also give us the opportunity to host a lot more kids than we have in the past.”

The themes of the camp include Minecraft (July 9 and 30), Sinkhole Science (July 20), Superhero Science (July 27), and Wild Weather (July 31). In addition to the themed activities, campers will have the opportunity to ride in a Corvette, tour the GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant and/or participate in a discussion and Q&A with a Corvette Plant engineer. Each camp is 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. C.T. with early drop off and late pickup available. The cost is $45 per child, per camp and online registration is available at www.corvettemuseum.org.

The Edelbrock Family Foundation was formed with the purpose of bringing together like-minded organizations that share a passion for providing education and training for America’s youth. “We hope to foster a new generation of automotive industry leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators, enthusiasts and more,” said Vic Edelbrock, Jr.  The Edelbrock Family Foundation also supports Hot Rodders of Tomorrow Engine Challenge, Campus Cruisers, Automotive Education Alliance, Patriot Outreach and Rev’ved Up For Kids.

In addition to the summer camps, the funding supports the Museum’s drivers’ education programs.  In 2009 the Museum purchased two educational driving simulators, offering hands-on learning for drivers of all ages. Today, the Museum’s Drivers’ Safety Academy offers a number of courses, from Tire Rack Street Survival to Car Control and Situational Awareness Clinics, older driver courses through AARP, Powder Puff Mechanics and International Driving classes.  Programs utilize facilities at the Museum and NCM Motorsports Park, combining classroom instruction and hands-on training.  For a complete list of classes with descriptions and upcoming dates, visit www.corvettemuseum.org.

Plant Tours Resume at Bowling Green Assembly

Personalized Corvette experiences include Museum Delivery

Chevrolet announced today that public plant tours at the Bowling Green Corvette Assembly Plant will resume on Monday, October 14, giving enthusiasts a personal look at the production of the all-new, seventh-generation sports car.

Additionally, popular customer programs coordinated with the National Corvette Museum, including Museum Delivery, Buyers Tour and the Corvette Photo Album, are available again, offering new owners a variety of ways to personalize their Corvette purchase experience.

The plant tour and customer programs were halted last fall while the plant underwent a $131-million upgrade for production of the 2014 Corvette Stingray.

“We are delighted to invite the public back into our facility, so we can continue our close-knit customer relationships and educate enthusiasts from around the world about the unique Corvette manufacturing process,” said Dave Tatman, plant manager.

Public tours include a one-mile walking tour of the Corvette production line. They are offered Monday through Friday at 8:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. CDT. Tours remain $7 per person and reservations are strongly recommended. Tour guidelines and reservations are available at www.corvetteassembly.com. 

GM’s Bowling Green Assembly Plant has been the exclusive home to Corvette production since June 1981 and has offered tours, in a variety of ways, since its opening. The tour program has evolved over more than 30 years, and through a partnership with Western Kentucky University, approximately 30 student interns serve as tour guides.

Chevrolet began shipping the new Corvette Stingray to dealers on Sept. 18. Pricing for the 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe starts at $51,995 including destination and the Convertible is priced at $56,995 including destination.

Customer experience programs

The popular Museum Delivery, the Buyers Tour and Corvette Photo Album programs enable new Corvette Stingray customers to watch their car travel down the assembly line, take delivery at the museum and receive a leather-bound album documenting the event.

Each program is coordinated by the National Corvette Museum, located across the road from the plant. It opened in 1994 and operates independently as a 501(c)3 not-for-profit foundation.

 “These are truly unique programs and opportunities for customers, because no other manufacturer allows such personal access to the assembly and delivery of their cars,” said Wendell Strode, the museum’s executive director. “They make the magic of Corvette ownership more special with memories that will last a lifetime.”

Museum Delivery: Available as a dealer option, the Museum Delivery program allows customers to take delivery of their Corvette at the museum. Museum schedulers notify customers when their car will be completed and help the customer pick their delivery date. On arrival, customers receive a private tour of the plant. They then take delivery of their new Corvette from the museum showroom, where their car is on display. A personalized demonstration of their Corvette’s features is included.

 

The Museum Delivery option is available under option code R8C and costs $990. The customer must make his or her own travel arrangements to Bowling Green. See corvettemuseum.org for more details.

Buyers Tour: The Corvette Buyers Tour allows customers to watch the assembly of their Corvette at the Bowling Green plant. Museum personnel use a vehicle’s order number to track the build schedule for a customer’s Corvette Stingray and contact him or her when the build date is scheduled. The customer and a guest receive a guided tour of the plant – including viewing areas not included in the general plant tour – often following his or her Corvette from the start of body assembly to the end of the line. Because of scheduling changes that occur day to day at the plant, customers are not guaranteed to see their car’s assembly.

The Corvette Buyers Tour is coordinated through the National Corvette Museum and costs $800. Customers must have a dealer order number from their dealer. See corvettemuseum.org for more details.

Corvette Photo Album: Whether they take delivery of their Corvette Stingray at the museum or at their local dealership, all Corvette customers can purchase a photo album that documents the assembly of their car. The leather-bound album includes more than 20 pages of text and photos devoted to capturing the build process, as well as a letter of authenticity from the National Corvette Museum.

The Corvette photo album is coordinated through the museum. It costs $700 and can be combined with the Buyers Tour for a single-package price of $1,300. See corvettemuseum.org for more details.

GM Corvette Assembly Plant Begins Development of New Onsite Wildlife Habitat

Plant Manager Dave Tatman and UAW Chairman Shane Colvard Plant Tree Together

For 29 years, the General Motors Bowling Green Corvette Plant has been committed to actions that restore and preserve the environment while building America’s favorite sports car – the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette Plant continues to demonstrate its commitment to the environment through its development of a new 75-acre onsite Wildlife Habitat, which will be open to the public in the spring of 2011. At 9:00 am on Friday, November 12, 2010, Plant Manager Dave Tatman and UAW Local 2164 Chairman Shane Colvard will join together to plant the second tree on the habitat. The first tree was planted by WKU’s very own Big Red in conjunction with the plant’s WKU Red is Green partnership.

The Wildlife Habitat project will be broken up into three phases over the next three years:

Phase A began September 27, 2010 and is estimated for completion in spring 2011. Approximately 25 acres will be bush hogged and disked for the grasses and tree planting areas. The initial planting of 400 saplings will be utilized as buffer zones. A driveway and parking area with picnic tables will be placed at the entrance.

Phase B is estimated for completion in spring 2012. During this phase shelters will be placed over the picnic tables, a one-mile walking/running trail will be made, and old tank saddles will be removed. Endangered species will be transplanted into the habitat, and the construction for wetlands will be initiated.

Phase C is estimated for completion in spring 2013. During Phase C the wetland will be constructed, and an additional 12 acres will be planted with wildflower and grasses - bringing the total planted area to 37 acres. The parking lot will expand as needed, and solar technology enhancements will be made. There will be a sink hole path and viewing location for education and Geological purposes.

The Corvette Plant is open to allowing the community to use the Wildlife Habitat for projects and educational purposes. Plant Manager Dave Tatman has been a part of this type of important environmental venture before, although on a much smaller scale. Tatman says, “The Corvette Plant is excited to begin work on the habitat and to give back to the community by opening this natural environment to the public. The opportunities are endless with a habitat like this. We want area schools to bring their classes to the habitat for outdoor teaching sessions. We invite local groups, such as Boy and Girl Scouts, to use the habitat for tree planting projects, restoration of habitat and native wildflowers and grasses, construction of bird/bat houses and butterfly habitats, and more.”

According to Tim Bartee, District Conservationist with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), “The diversity this project will provide will not only be an eye appealing wildlife habitat but will be an excellent resource for educational projects due to the karst geology and cave systems we have in central Kentucky. The project involves cultivating a wildlife habitat and public education - both important to our agency mission of Helping People Help the Land.”

If you have ideas or would like to help with the Wildlife Habitat, please contact Olin Desonier, GM Corvette Plant environmental engineer, at 392-6457.

KY Gov. Ceremonially Signs Bill Naming Corvette Official State Sports Car

Governor Steve Beshear today visited the Corvette Plant in Bowling Green, Ky. to ceremonially sign House Bill 104, which designates the Corvette as the official state sports car of Kentucky.

"Sports car enthusiasts have been in love with the Corvette since it was first unveiled in the Motorama show in New York in 1953," said Gov. Beshear. "For nearly 30 years, Kentucky has been the exclusive home of this iconic sports car. Today, we proudly honor this fine example of American ingenuity by designating the Corvette as Kentucky's official state sports car."

In 1981, General Motors moved production of the Chevrolet Corvette from St. Louis, Mo. to Bowling Green, Ky., where currently 471 employees build the distinctive high-performance vehicles. Approximately 50,000 people visit each year to watch the manufacturing process at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant, which has a tourism economic impact of more than $205 million. This figure does not include the nearly 150,000 who visit the National Corvette Museum, located directly across the street from the Plant, which attracts Corvette enthusiasts from all over the world.

"This is an exciting day for Bowling Green and the entire state of Kentucky as we celebrate the Corvette as the state's official sports car," said Rep. Jody Richards, of Bowling Green. "This passage of this legislation during the legislative session and the ceremonial bill signing that is being held today highlights the importance of the Corvette Assembly Plant to the Commonwealth and especially to the south central region of our state."

"I am pleased that we were able to move legislation through the lawmaking process during the 2010 session to highlight the importance of the Corvette Plant to Kentucky's economy," said Sen. Mike Reynolds, of Bowling Green. "Bowling Green continues to become more of a tourist destination. Therefore, drawing attention to our community and the Corvette's unique role in our American heritage can only boost economic development in our area. The Corvette has become a tangible symbol of our Commonwealth and I am grateful that Governor Beshear has taken the time to come to Bowling Green to make that symbolism official."

Kentucky ranks third in total light vehicle production, placing it at the hub of "auto alley," the strip of middle America that stretches from Michigan into the deep south. In fact, 9.8 percent of all cars and trucks produced in the United States are manufactured in Kentucky. As of early June 2010, more than 64,600 people work in Kentucky's 418 auto-related industries.

Governor Steve Beshear signs House Bill 104 with witnesses GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant Manager Bob Parcell, Warren County Judge Executive Mike Buchanon, Bowling Green Mayor Elaine Walker, Representative Martha Jane King, Representative Jody Richards, UAW Local 2164 Chairman Shane Colvard, Senator Mike Reynolds and Representative C. B. Embry.

Act Designating Corvette as the Official State Sports Car of Kentucky Signed by Governor

Kentucky can now add one more item to its list of state “symbols”… the Corvette. April 26, 2010 Governor Steve Beshear signed House Bill 104 - an act designating the Corvette as the official state sports car of Kentucky.

“Since 1953, the Corvette has been considered America’s sports car. As home to the Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Kentuckians have long considered the Corvette to be Kentucky’s sports car and a great symbol of Kentucky pride and craftsmanship. House Bill 104, which was passed during the 2010 General Assembly, now makes that designation official. It was with great pleasure that I signed HB 104 into law,” said Governor Beshear.

A companion bill (Senate Bill 111) was first introduced by State Senator Mike Reynolds, D-Bowling Green in January. “Bowling Green is becoming more of a tourist destination. The National Corvette Museum is a major part of that and is a definite drawing card for the traveling public. Drawing attention to our community and the Corvette’s unique role in our American heritage can only boost economic development for our area,” said Reynolds.

Representative Jody Richards, D-Bowling Green, is the primary sponsor of HB 104. “I am pleased that we were able to move this legislation during the late hours of the session,” Senator Reynolds said. “I want to commend my colleague, Rep. Jody Richards, for his hard work on pushing this bill in the House.”

Bowling Green, Kentucky is home to both the General Motors Corvette Assembly Plant (the only place in the world Corvettes have been manufactured since 1981) and the National Corvette Museum, a non-profit foundation with a mission of celebrating the invention of the Corvette and preserving its past, present and future since 1994.
"With the Chevrolet Corvette being one of the most recognizable symbols of Kentucky, it only makes sense for the car to be designated as the state's official sports car.

Many people who think of Kentucky, think of Corvette. Our workforce is proud to have been building the Corvette in Bowling Green for almost 29 years," said GM Bowling Green Assembly Plant Manager Bob Parcell.

The act reads as follows:
AN ACT designating the Corvette as the official state sports car of Kentucky.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky:
SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 2 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS:
The Corvette is named and designated the official state sports car of Kentucky.

A ceremonial signing of the act is planned to take place this summer in Bowling Green.