Bowling Green, KY – August 29-31 marks the 2024 National Corvette Caravan and the 30th Anniversary of the National Corvette Museum! Located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, the National Corvette Museum is dedicated to the collection, preservation and celebration of the Corvette legacy. Every 5 years the museum hosts the National Corvette Caravan, a celebration of America’s Sports Car that’s referred to as the world’s largest moving automotive event.

Labor Day Weekend regional caravans will form and join others as they travel across the United States to meet in Bowling Green, Kentucky for four days of festivities at the National Corvette Museum. Each individual caravan has varying departure dates and activities in states across the country.

The weekend will be full of unique experiences curated by the National Corvette Museum, including happy hour, Corvette Casino Night, a book signing with renowned Corvette photographer Richard Prince and author Scott Kolecki, expert sessions, art exhibits, live auctions, a Hall of Fame Roundtable and more. You can find the full agenda here.

National Corvette Museum
350 Corvette Drive
Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101
(270) 781-7973
www.corvettemuseum.org

Museum Hours
Current Hours: Sunday-Saturday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM CST, 7 Days a Week

Upcoming Hours
November 1–December 31
Monday-Friday 10:00 AM-5:00 PM CST
Saturday & Sunday 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM CST

January 1-February 28
Monday – Friday 10:00 AM-5:00 PM CST, Closed Tuesdays
Saturday & Sunday 9:00 AM-5:00 PM CST
Closed Tuesdays in January and February

All times listed are in the Central Time zone. The last admission tickets are sold by 4:30 PM CST. Tickets can be purchased on-site or online. They are closed on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

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The Museum reopened it doors for business on Monday the 13th after power was restored. The Museum stresses that would-be visitors “to only travel when safe to do so.”

The NCM Motorsports Park was not spared from the wrath of Mother Nature though. According to the Corvette Museum the circuit, “sustained significant damage to the property,” and has since been forced to cancel all future events until further notice including the holiday themed “Twinkle at the Track” event.

The same tornado that hit the NCM and NCM Motorsports Park and leveled a large portion of southern Kentucky, also wreaked havoc on the GM Bowling Green Assembly plant which has left the plant closed as of December 13th.

Museum: 350 Corvette Drive
Plant: 600 Corvette Drive
Bowling Green, Kentucky 42101
I-65 Exit 28

Telephone: 270-781-7973
Toll-free: 800-538-3883
www.corvettemuseum.org

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General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant Manager Kai Spande, not only builds new Corvettes, he’s also a long-time classic Corvette enthusiast. He has owned a number of Corvettes over the years and is excited about sharing his latest classic ‘Vette with visitors to the National Corvette Museum, located near the Corvette assembly plant.

“I have owned a number of Corvettes and many other fun cars in my life,” said Kai. “My Corvettes have been: ‘78; ‘65; two ‘99s; ‘69 and ‘73 models. I performed lots of work on many of them, but for the first time, with my 1966, I bought an old Corvette that was ready to drive. Given the limited time I have to work on cars this made the most sense.”

Spande’s passion, beyond the current Corvette, is midyear big-block Corvettes. His ‘65 was a big-block convertible, although it was not an all-original car; the ‘69 was a real L71 optioned 435-hp coupe that he sold to Corvette restorer Kevin Mackay.

“Last year I decided to start looking for another C2 big-block Corvette,” he said. “I was able to locate this Corvette with only 39,000 miles on it. It was originally purchased in the Northeast United States, but was eventually purchased by a doctor in Franklin, Ken. He sold the car to a well-known collector and restorer who restored it to Bloomington Gold standards. It spent the next part of its life in California, until the owner passed away.”

Spande was attracted by the car’s low mileage, its originality and its level of options such as side pipes, a four-speed manual transmission, a 427-cid 425-hp V-8 and knock-off wheels. The power, noise and nostalgia are spectacular with this car.

“In a way, I believe that the C2 era of Corvette is reminiscent of what the new Stingray has done for the Corvette brand,” noted Spande. “At the time, this car was simply off the charts with technology and unparalleled performance–like the 2020 Stingray. The two cars are vastly different, but to me represent the same level of performance for their respective times. Although, the ‘66 is not the rarest Corvette in the world, it is a shining example of a fantastic time in Corvette history.”

Kai’s Corvette will be displayed in the lobby of the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Ken., for several months. It will be on a turntable for 360-degree viewing. The museum is open daily from 8 am-5 pm Central Time.

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Last summer the National Corvette Museum of Bowling Green, Ken. (www.corvettemuseum.org) acquired a building on Corvette Drive that will be used to showcase Corvette collectibles. The 8,000 sq. ft. facility, which opened in 2002, sits on 7.5 acres adjoining the museum’s property. The building was officially dedicated on June 24 as the Chuck, Sharon and Kimberlee Fast Collections Campus. Members of the NCM Board of Directors were on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tour of the facility.

Chuck Fast is a member of the Museum Board and Motorsports Park Board and said he is happy to be part of the project. “Once we accomplished acquiring the building, I was asked if we would consider sponsoring the collections building itself,” he said during the dedication ceremony. “I ran the idea by Sharon and we decided this would be something our late daughter, Kim, would like to do or have named after her.”

A Corvette enthusiast herself, Kim started racing in the late ‘90s with her dad, becoming both competitive and accomplished at the sport. She became involved in coming to the museum with a caravan. Upon her passing, the Fasts started supporting projects in her name at the NCM Motorsports Park. The projects included purchasing a number of acres and re-naming both the pavilion and the entry road in her honor.

“Kim would be delighted with where the museum is today and she would definitely be one of the first to join the new driving club at the track, that I can guarantee,” said Chuck Fast. “We would definitely have a car here and be part of the action over there. With the collections building, we’ve already agreed that Kim’s Corvette (a 2004 that she got on her 30th birthday) will be coming here when something happens to either of us.”

“We are fortunate to have so many enthusiasts who donate memorabilia and artifacts to the museum; our current Library and Archives has been busting at the seams,” Dr. Sean Preston, museum President and CEO, said. “Thanks to the generosity of the Fast family, we now have a climate controlled, museum-quality facility to house not only pieces of Corvette history, but also several of our team members who are the caretakers of these historic stories.”

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HERSHEY, Pa. _ A tribute to Corvette Racing’s 2017 season will be presented by Michelin Friday and Saturday at the AACA Museum, Inc. in Hershey, Pa. Corvette Racing head, Doug Fehan, and drivers Tommy Milner and Andy Pilgrim, along with other team members will be on hand. The event will benefit the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green, Ky.

The weekend kicks-off on Friday with a reception/dinner followed by a presentation by Fehan and Milner, who will recap the 2017 24 Hours of Le Mans. The evening will close with an autograph session.

Friday dinner tickets are $65 and also include admission to Saturday’sprogram. They may be purchased at: http://www.corvettemuseum.org/explore/events/. Dinner tickets must be purchased in advance.

Events on Saturday begin at 7 a.m. with a Caffeine Behind the Scenes, an exclusive look inside the AACA Museum “Garage”, a casual way to begin the day with lots of cars to enjoy with entrance by donation. Pappa J’s food truck will also be onsite with breakfast items for sale. The Racing program begins at 8:30 a.m. and will end at 2 p.m. Admission for the Saturday program only event is just $25 and may be purchased at the door. The schedule of events includes:

• Fehan and Milner recapping the 2017 Corvette Racing season
• Kai Spande, Corvette plan manager, giving an update on the new paint shop
• Auction of Corvette Racing memorabilia
• Andy Pilgrim reuniting with the C5-R that he co-drove with Dale Earnhardt at the 2001 Rolex 24 Hour, and describing what it was like to be his teammate
• Richard Prince, official Corvette Racing photographer, presenting images from the 2001 Rolex 24 Hour
• Lee Willard, chief Michelin Corvette tire engineer, speaking on the company’s latest Corvette tire technology 
• Andy Moran of Mobil 1 will be discussing their latest lubricant formulations

The weekend will conclude with an autograph session with Fehan and Milner.NCM merchandise and Corvette raffle tickets will be on sale throughout the day along with AACA Museum, Inc. merchandise. Entrance fees include admission to the current AACA Museum, Inc. exhibits along with Corvette Racing Weekend program itinerary. Caffeine Behind the Scenes on Saturday morning is by donation and coffee and donuts will be included, while supplies last.

More on The National Corvette Museum>

About AACA Museum, Inc.

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