Report: Chevrolet Corvette fans, prepare to cringe – sinkhole gives in at National Corvette Museum w/ video

Chevrolet Corvette fans, prepare to cringe in agony as numerous reports have confirmed that a massive sinkhole gave in at the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY, home to the assembly plant of the righteous sports car itself.

At around 40-feet in diameter, the sinkhole consumed with it, a 1962 Corvette, the millionth Corvette ever built (a 1992 model), a 2001 Mallet Hammer Z06, the 1984 PPG Pace Car, a 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette, and the 1.5 millionth Corvette ever. All were owned by the museum itself. Two additional cars were later involved in what appears to be succeeding aftereffects from the sinkhole: a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder and a 2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil.”

Several security cameras caught the first part of the sinkhole, with videos of a quick assessment via mini-helicopter camera rig have been uploaded and shared via YouTube. The National Corvette Museum also shared some photos and a press release. The sinkhole appeared last night while the museum itself stayed open, with this Skydome portion where the sinkhole occured, closed off obviously.

For the video footage and the release, check them out after the jump.

Security Footage:

Surveillance Footage:

National Corvette Museum Media Alert – Sinkhole Erupts in Skydome

We received a call at 5:44am from our security company alerting us of our motion detectors going off in our Skydome area of the Museum. Upon arrival it was discovered that a sinkhole had collapsed within the Museum. No one was in or around the Museum at the time. The Bowling Green Fire Department arrived on the scene and secured the area.
It is with heavy hearts that we report that eight Corvettes were affected by this incident. Those cars include:

1993 ZR-1 Spyder on loan from General Motors
2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil” on loan from General Motors
The other six vehicles were owned by the National Corvette Museum including:

1962 Black Corvette
1984 PPG Pace Car
1992 White 1 Millionth Corvette
1993 Ruby Red 40th Anniversary Corvette
2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette
2009 White 1.5 Millionth Corvette

None of the cars affected were on loan from individuals. We have contacted a structural engineer who is arriving today to assess the existing damage and stability of the surrounding areas. While the Skydome area is closed, the remainder of the Museum is still open.

This year we celebrate our 20th Anniversary and look forward to re-opening the Skydome exhibit area very soon.

The National Corvette Museum is the ‘Gateway to All Things Corvette’ and a member-driven, 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation. Weekly news on the latest Corvette developments, racing updates, event features and raffles are available by subscribing to “NCM eNews” at: corvettemuseum.org/ncmenews. Dedicated to the mission of celebration, education and preservation, the Museum is open seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT – located at Exit 28 on I-65 in Bowling Green, KY.

Chris Chin

Chris Chin is the Editor-In-Chief of egmCarTech and is a regular contributor to Automobile Magazine.

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