Two-Wheel Speed at the National Corvette Museum

 

Museum presents exhibit featuring Motorcycles over the years

Corvettes may be the best thing on four wheels, but what about our two-wheel friends? Starting on Saturday, September 21, the National Corvette Museum presents a unique exhibit featuring over 40 amazing motorcycles of various makes, models and eras. The bikes on display range from the classic American Harley to foreign bikes such as Kawasakis and Yamahas.

Some of these two-wheel speedsters include:

1975 Harley Davidson Prototype MX 350 (on loan from Cody Tellis of Bultacowest)
In 1975 Harley Davidson was looking to get into the dirt bike market.  Some 200 250cc machines were produced but only one 350cc was made.  This is that bike.  Rediscovered in Waco, Texas where the factory used to test their machines, the prototype was said to ride like a hobby horse and the project was scrapped.  Bultacowest was called a number of years ago by an aging lady who wished to sell her Harley to the business to be restored; when informed that Bultacowest didn’t restore Harleys, she asked that the establishment allow an old lady to tell her story.  Understandably once this amazing story was shared, they bought the bike!

1966 Bridgestone Special Racer 175cc (on loan from Phil Wheeler)
This is the original motorcycle that won the 1966 Daytona Sportsman 200 Road Race, confirming Bridgestone as a threat to the BIG FOUR (Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki). This motorcycle was ridden by Dwayne Williams who was victorious over at least 23 contenders of various manufacturers. The winner of this race gained bragging rights as having the best motorcycle built in speed and endurance. Most authorities agree that only 150 SR175 racers were ever produced and less than 10% of those remain today.

Pratt & Miller Motus MST-R, developed with Corvette ties (on loan from Motus Motorcycles)
The Motus MST series of comfortable sportbikes were developed with the help of Motus partners, Pratt & Miller Engineering, who support GM's successful Factory Corvette Racing, Cadillac Racing, Daytona Prototype, Camaro GT, NASCAR, and IndyCar efforts.  Drawing on this racing heritage, the MST's have chromoly space frames, extensive use of carbon fiber and real American muscle. 

This particular prototype has the world's first gasoline direct injected (GDI) 4 stroke motorcycle engine and the first V4 ever used on an American motorcycle. The 1650cc (100ci) V4 "Baby Block" engine is heavily inspired by LS small block design using a 90 degree V, cam-in-block, OHV with pushrods, and hydraulic lifters.

1967 Triumph Bonneville T120R, world land speed record holder in 1966 (on loan from Keith Bemerer)
Named the “World Landspeed Record Holder” in 1966 when two Triumph engines were strapped together and raced at Bonneville Salt Flats, UT.  Triumph started production on the “Bonneville,” bike in 1959. This particular motorcycle was purchased in 1968 and has been in the Bemerer family since.

1928 Indian 101 (on loan from Brent Askins)
The Scout 101 was one of the fastest and most popular bikes of its time.  Today it is one of the most collectible. A true barn find from the summer of 2011, the bike has never been painted or restored cosmetically, but is mechanically sound and is ridden regularly. The barn this prize was found in held a variety of bikes, mostly antique scooters. Another wooden building on the property held many cars, including four Corvettes - a ’63, ‘62, ‘58 and a prized ‘54.

 “At the National Corvette Museum, we strive to bring new and innovative exhibits to our facility. While our main focus is and will always be the Corvette, America’s Sports Car, we love shaking things up a bit and introducing something new to our visitors,” said NCM Executive Director, Wendell Strode.  “No two visits to the Museum are the same, and with exhibits like this featuring motorcycles, we hope to bring in folks who might not have otherwise visited.  This exposes them to the Corvette lifestyle and creates new enthusiasts,” Strode added.

The Museum will continue to welcome motorcycles in 2014 with the grand opening of the Motorsports Park.  The Park is currently under construction and plans to host events not only for Corvettes, but also motorcycles and other model cars. For more information on this project, please visit the NCM Motorsports Park website.

This exhibit will run from Saturday, September 21, 2013 through Friday, January 3, 2014. For more information on this exhibit and a peak at a few of the bikes on display, please visit our website.

Chevrolet Begins Shipping 2014 Corvette Stingray

All-new Stingray Coupes rolling out of Bowling Green plant for dealers nationwide

Chevrolet today began shipping the all-new 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe to dealers.  

“It’s an amazing sight to see the transporters filled with Stingrays heading to customers in all corners of the country,” said Dave Tatman, plant manager of General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly plant. “The pride at Bowling Green is overwhelming and it shows in the tremendous quality and attention to detail going into each one of these new Corvettes.”

Bowling Green Assembly has produced approximately 1,000 Corvette Stingrays for customer deliveries. Most of these vehicles are expected to be delivered to dealers within the next few weeks. To make shipping faster, deliveries are being prioritized for logistics efficiency and may be shipped out of build sequence, which is normal for any new vehicle launch.

The Bowling Green facility underwent a $131-million upgrade to support production of the Corvette Stingray, including approximately $52 million for a new body shop to manufacture the car’s all-new aluminum frame in-house for the first time.  

The lightweight aluminum frame is the foundation for the most powerful standard Corvette ever, with an SAE-certified 455 horsepower (339 kW) and 460 lb-ft of torque (624 Nm) – and 460 horsepower (343 kW) and 465 lb-ft (630 Nm) with the available performance exhaust system. It is also the most capable standard Corvette ever, with Z51-equipped models able to sprint from 0 to 60 in 3.8 seconds, run the quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 119 mph, achieve 1.03g in cornering grip and stop from 60 mph in 107 feet.

Complementing its performance capability with efficiency, the Corvette Stingray delivers the best fuel economy of any sports car on the market – an EPA-estimated 17 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway. No other car offers more than 455 horsepower and greater than 29 mpg on the highway.

The 2014 Corvette Stingray is the seventh generation of the sports car, which has been built exclusively at the Bowling Green plant since June 1981.

Pricing for the 2014 Corvette Stingray Coupe starts at $51,995 including destination. The Convertible is priced at $56,995 including destination. Production of the Stingray Convertible will begin by the end of this year.

National Corvette Museum Announces 20th Anniversary Corvette Celebration and Fifth National Corvette Caravan

The National Corvette Museum (NCM) opened in 1994, boasts over 26,000 members, has approximately 150,000 visitors annually and is one of the top five automotive museums in the country (top 10 in the world).  In celebration of the Museum’s 20th Anniversary, the NCM is proud to announce its fifth National Corvette Caravan in August of 2014.

Starting from various cities throughout America, thousands of Corvette enthusiasts will converge on the home of Corvette for three days of exciting Corvette lifestyle, including the grand opening of the NCM Motorsports Park. Details for the 20th Anniversary Corvette Celebration and grand opening of the NCM Motorsports Park are still in the planning stage, and will be made available via the Museum’s website at: www.corvettemuseum.org.
The Museum’s National Corvette Caravan is being coordinated by Paul Mariano, the National Chair of the 2014 NCM Caravan, in collaboration with Karen Renfrow, NCM Events Manager.  Information and details on caravan routes can be obtained by visiting the 2014 National Corvette Caravan website at www.nationalcorvettecaravan.com. Over 2000 Corvette enthusiasts have already registered for the event as of late July. 

“The Corvette Caravan is just half of the exciting events occurring in August 2014,” says Paul Mariano.  “The thousands of Corvettes coming from all over the United States and Canada will arrive in Bowling Green, KY to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the opening of the NCM and the grand opening of the new Motorsports Park.  New routes and exciting events along the way will offer a fresh perspective to the caravan participants and reach areas previously bypassed by the caravans.  “It is a spectacle not to be missed by any Corvette owner or someone wishing to be one,” added Paul. 
The 2014 National Corvette Caravan will be the fifth caravan hosted by the Museum.  Caravan registration is $5 per person.  Lifetime member registration for the 20th Anniversary Corvette Celebration is free, member registration is $15 per person and non-member registration is $25 per person.
“Excitement is in the air as plans become more finalized for both the caravan and the Museum’s 20th Anniversary Celebration,” said NCM Executive Director Wendell Strode.  “We are so thankful to the caravan volunteers and everybody involved in making this celebration a success, especially all Corvette enthusiasts.  Everyone’s support of the Museum and the Corvette is much appreciated and we hope all Corvette enthusiasts will be able to join us in celebrating this important milestone.”
As part of the celebration the Museum will be marking another important moment in history with the grand opening of the NCM Motorsports Park.  The Museum broke ground on the facility June 28, 2013 which will include a road course, autocross/skid pad area and more.  Progress of the park can be followed at www.motorsportspark.org and a special email list is available for updates regarding the project.
 Details and information on the 2014 National Corvette Caravan are available online at www.nationalcorvettecaravan.com or by calling (800) 53-VETTE. Information may also be obtained by signing up for the national caravan chat list, which offers regular e-mail updates on the caravan, also via the website.
The National Corvette Museum is a non-profit foundation dedicated to educating the public through the preservation of the Corvette’s past, present, and future heritage. Open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT, the Museum is located at Exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY.

Tire Rack Street Survival Teen Driving School Coming to the National Corvette Museum

Special Event Scheduled for Saturday, September 21, 2013
Time: 8:30am - 4:30pm

Car crashes are the leading killer of American teens from ages 15 – 20, with more than 5,000 teens involved in a fatal crash each year and an additional 196,000 injured.

Simple driving errors, avoidable but common among inexperienced teens, cause the majority of fatal accidents.

• Tire Rack Street Survival®  is a national driver education program that teaches teens the skills they need to stay alive behind the wheel.  Unlike traditional driver’s education programs based on classroom theory and simple maneuvers, the Tire Rack Street Survival®  program improves driver competence through hands-on experiences in real-world driving situations.
• Students will receive a short classroom session and then will learn, hands-on, how to manage everyday driving hazards, obstacles and challenges in a controlled environment on an advanced driving course to ultimately ‘arrive alive.’
• Students learn emergency braking and skid control, how to control proper braking, and how to avoid accidents entirely. In select schools, in addition to spending time in the driver’s seat of parked 18-wheeler to fully comprehend its massive blind spots, teenagers witness the violent detonation of an air bag, which reinforces proper hand placement on the steering wheel.
• Students are taught in their own cars, not specially prepared program vehicles, so the skills they learn can be directly translated to their daily driving experiences. Tire Rack Street Survival®  challenges teenagers to understand how to control a vehicle, rather than just operate one.

Tire Rack Street Survival®  is open to licensed and permitted drivers ages 15 – 21.  Forms, schedules and more information can be found online at www.streetsurvival.org.  The cost is $75 per student and some insurance companies offer premium discounts to graduates. 

The program in entering its 11th year having trained 10,000 new drivers.  93 schools were completed last year and the goal for 2013 is over 100 nationally.

For the 4th year, Michelin North America is supporting the Street Survival program by providing funding for pavement rental for each school throughout the United States.  That is no small task, given that this year the Tire Rack Street Survival schools plan to offer its training to teens all across the U.S.

To view video of the program, please visit http://streetsurvival.org/.
To view pictures from past schools, please visit http://streetsurvival.org/about-street-survival/photo-gallery/.

The National Corvette Museum is located at Exit 28 off I-65 in Bowling Green, KY. For more information on the National Corvette Museum, visit our website at: www.corvettemuseum.org or call (800) 53-VETTE (83883).

Macy's Greenwood Partners with the National Corvette Museum to Sell Licensed Corvette Merchandise

Macy’s Greenwood has partnered with the National Corvette Museum to offer licensed Corvette merchandise in its new leased department within the store. Customers will find an assortment of Corvette merchandise including gift items, home accessories and apparel for men, women and kids, all retailing from $3 to $116. Macy’s Greenwood is currently the only Macy’s store where licensed Corvette merchandise is available.

Macy’s Greenwood is celebrating the opening of their exclusive National Corvette Museum shop with special events and excitement on Saturday, August 24. A display of Corvettes can be seen at the mall entrance of Macy’s as well as in the parking lot outside of the store on August 24, all courtesy of the Corvettes Limited of Bowling Green car club. Customers will be able to meet the owners and ask questions while enjoying popcorn, Cracker Jacks, DJ music and balloon artistry for the kids. With any Corvette Museum merchandise purchase of $25 or more made on August 24, customers will receive a red plaid picnic blanket, the perfect item for fall tailgating.

"Macy’s is excited to partner with the National Corvette Museum by adding a new selection of merchandise to Macy's Greenwood store for the community to enjoy its Corvette heritage and brand" says Terry Busing, Vice-President Store Manager of Macy’s Greenwood. “This partnership with Macy’s is a great way to creatively showcase our hometown’s American icon, the Corvette, and foster pride in the Bowling Green community for a sports car that is only made here” says Wendell Strode, Executive Director of the National Corvette Museum.

During the launch of the National Corvette Museum shop at Macy’s Greenwood, customers also will be able enjoy Macy’s Shop For a Cause Day, Macy’s biggest one-day charity shopping event supporting national and local nonprofit organizations. Since 2006, Macy’s Shop For a Cause event has raised more than $45 million for local and national charitable efforts. Customers can purchase $5 savings passes from participating charities and 100% of the proceeds of every ticket sold will go back to charity. Customers can also purchase in-store $5 savings passes that will benefit the March of Dimes. The Shop For a Cause savings pass entitles customers to save 25% (or 10%) off almost all of their purchases on Saturday, August 24^th*. Customers can also register a chance to win a $500 Macy’s gift card that day. *Exclusions apply, including lease departments such as the National Corvette Museum Shop.

NCM Motorsports Park Launches Social Media Contest

FANS ENCOURAGED TO SHARE 'LET'S BUILD IT' PHOTOS

Friday, June 28, 2013 was a new date for the Corvette history record books. The National Corvette Museum - joined by Corvette Racing's Doug Fehan, local officials, the NCM Board of Directors and hundreds of enthusiasts and supporters - officially broke ground on their Motorsports Park project. A social media contest was announced at the ceremony.

"We wanted to give everyone who attended this historic groundbreaking something to remember the event by, yet something that can help keep the excitement growing," said Wendell Strode, Executive Director of the Museum.  "We came up with the idea to do fanclappers. These are becoming a popular noisemaker at sporting events when you fold them into a fan and beat them against your hand.  But… we also want you to take these back home, and use them to spread the word about our project," he added.

The fanclappers features an aerial photo showing the Museum, GM Corvette Assembly Plant, Interstate 65 and the area where the future Motorsports Park will be along with the groundbreaking date. On the reverse side it simply has the NCM Motorsports Park logo, website address and "Let's Build It."

"We will be running a series of social media campaigns where you can win prizes for sharing photos of you with your fan clapper… whether it is at your club meetings, car shows, famous landmarks, cruise ins or other events.  Simply take a photo of the “Let’s Build It” side of the sign at your event or activity, then watch our NCM Motorsports Park Facebook Fan Page for instructions on how you can be entered to win prizes, including a grand prize package including overnight stay in Bowling Green, gas gift card, meals and certificate to participate in autocross at the track," Strode said.

The first Facebook photo contest has been posted on the NCM Motorsports Park fan page. Participants are instructed to upload a photo of themselves holding the "Let's Build It" fanclapper in front of their Corvette (or other auto they plan to drive on the track) throughout the month of July. Voting is open July 8-31, 2013. The top vote getters will move on to the next round, with one being chosen as the grand prize winner by a panel of judges.

The Grand Prize winner will receive a trip to Bowling Green, Kentucky - Home of Corvette. The trip includes a two-night stay at the new Hotel SYNC, $50 gas gift card from Houchens Industries' Shell and Jr. Foods Gas Stations, $40 Mariah's restaurant gift card, $25 Double Dogs gift card and a certificate to participate in an NCM event autocross session.
For more information and to enter, visit http://bit.ly/13sDWSv.

2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition Coupe Unveiled

Sunday, June 30th, is the 60th Anniversary of the first 1953 Corvette to roll off the line at the old Chevrolet Flint Assembly plant.  

 

This weekend, the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, has been celebrating the anniversary with a special display of 2014 Corvette Stingray models.  As a crescendo for the celebration, the 2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition coupe was shown for the first time to those attending the museum celebration.

The 2014 Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition is a celebration of the return of the Stingray. The Edition comes one way and is a fully contented 3LT coupe model

with the available Z51 Performance Package that will be limited to 500 cars. It will feature a unique VIN sequence and a special numbered interior plaque.

The Corvette Stingray Premiere Edition (3LT with Z51 Performance Package) will feature the following content, including custom Corvette Stingray luggage:

Exterior

• Laguna Blue Metallic Tintcoat Exterior
• Visible Carbon Fiber Roof Panel
• Torque Style Chrome Wheels
• Carbon Flash Hood Stinger Stripe
• Stingray Logo Wheel Center Caps

 Interior

• Brownstone Sueded Microfiber Interior with Sueded Microfiber Seat Inserts
• Carbon Fiber Interior Trim
• Sueded Microfiber Upper Interior Trim
• Floor Mats with Stingray Logo
• Sill Plates with Stingray Logo
• Cargo Shade with Stingray Logo
• Special Stingray Premiere Edition Numbered Interior Plaque
• Custom 5-piece Corvette Stingray Luggage Set

Performance

• Seven-speed manual transmission with Active Rev Match
• Z51 Performance Package
• Magnetic Ride Control
• Performance Variable Tuned Exhaust System