Rare Corvettes and Artifacts Highlight Preservation Work in New Exhibition
BOWLING GREEN, KY, UNITED STATES, March 12, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The National Corvette Museum has opened Driven to Preserve, a new exhibition that puts the behind-the-scenes work of collection care on full display. Visitors step into the routines that protect a collection of more than 120 rare Corvettes and 50,000 Corvette artifacts, seeing how the Museum keeps America’s Sports Car ready to teach, inspire, and endure. From documentation and cataloging to environmental monitoring and interpretive planning, the exhibition shows how preservation happens one decision at a time.
Driven to Preserve also expands the view beyond the showroom floor. Alongside Corvettes, guests will find artifacts and archival materials that carry the human side of the story: the owners, builders, racers, and moments that shaped the legacy. The exhibition explains what happens when a donation arrives, how an object is cleaned, recorded, and prepared for long-term care, and why restoration and preservation require different choices.
“This new exhibition helps visitors see what it takes to keep Corvette history accurate, accessible, and ready to teach,” said Robert Maxhimer, Director of Curatorial Affairs and Education. “From cataloging artifacts and monitoring conditions to the hands-on care of vehicles like the 1962 Corvette rescued from the Sinkhole or engineering development cars, this exhibition shows that stewardship is active work. It is how the Museum protects America’s Sports Car and the stories that come with it for research, interpretation, and the next generation.”
Vehicles Featured in Driven to Preserve
1979 Engineering Development Corvette: Built to test the future of Corvette, this one-of-a-kind 1979 Engineering Development Corvette helped pave the way for the 1980 and 1981 model years. General Motors equipped the car with an experimental chassis and specialized components, including a powered driver’s seat and an experimental center console gauge cluster, to evaluate potential production changes. Just as importantly, this Corvette played a key role in the transition of Corvette assembly to Bowling Green. It was used to validate the new assembly line at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant and to train incoming employees on how to build America’s Sports Car. Its significance was captured on the June 1981 cover of Corvette News, which showed the car at the end of the assembly line. The Corvette came to the National Corvette Museum in 2018 in partially disassembled condition, although most of its original parts remained intact. The Museum’s Vehicle Preservation and Maintenance team completed a careful multi-year reassembly and preservation project in 2021.
1958 Corvette Chassis: Illustrating the structure that supports the car and the work that takes place during a frame-off preservation project, visitors will see what a Corvette looks like after separation of the body and frame.
1967 Corvette Sting Ray: Nicknamed the “Sweat Hog,” this second-generation Corvette highlights how racing history becomes part of preservation. The car earned success on New York roads and circuits, including winning the 1974 Northeast NCCC championship. After multiple racing incidents, the car remains about 85% original today.
1989 Corvette Snake Skinner II: A prototype Corvette ZR-1 built to explore weight reduction and performance testing in response to the Dodge Viper. One of 84 pre-production ZR-1s used for testing and media previews, it later ran the quarter mile in 11.88 seconds.
1962 Tuxedo Black Corvette: One of eight cars damaged in the Museum’s 2014 sinkhole collapse, it was recovered three weeks later and first shown in its damaged state. It was restored in 2017 with a focus on preserving original fiberglass and straightening the frame.
For assets and images, visit: https://corvettemuseum.smugmug.com/Driven-to-Preserve
Taking up residence in the Museum’s Limited Engagement Gallery, the exhibition opens as work continues on the new National Corvette Museum Collections Facility. The 66,000-square-foot facility is under construction on the Museum campus and will support long-term storage, vehicle preservation, and artifact conservation. Once complete, the Museum plans guided tours beginning in Spring 2027, offering guests the rare chance to see the National Corvette Museum collection. The exhibition also supports current collection work, since select vehicles will move to the new building, and the Limited Engagement Gallery provides space for staging and access.
Plan Your Visit
Conveniently located off Interstate 65 in Bowling Green, KY, just an hour north of Nashville, the National Corvette Museum offers something for everyone. Whether you’re a lifelong Corvette enthusiast or a first-time visitor, the National Corvette Museum is about making memories, preserving Corvette history, and building for the future. For more details, visit www.corvettemuseum.org.
About the National Corvette Museum
The National Corvette Museum, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit foundation, is where Adrenaline Meets Tradition? by serving as an educational and research institution with the mission of educating worldwide audiences on the evolution of the Corvette—America’s Sports Car—through the collection, preservation, and celebration of its legacy. Located a mile from the General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant, which has manufactured every Corvette since 1981, the Museum campus features 115,000 square feet of exhibit and event space, more than 120 historically significant Corvettes, 50,000 Corvette artifacts, and the NCM Motorsports Park. For more information or to plan your visit, go to www.corvettemuseum.org or follow the Museum on Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, and X.
Sean Hixson
Sean Hixson & BTLPR
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