The National Corvette Museum would like to announce that it has been recognized as a 2021 Travelers’ Choice award winner. This achievement celebrates businesses that consistently deliver fantastic experiences to travelers around the globe, having earned great traveler reviews on Tripadvisor over the last 12 months. As challenging as the past year was, the National Corvette Museum stood out by continuously delighting travelers.

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized as a 2021 Traveler’s Choice Award Winner by TripAdvisor. It is a testament to the devotion and dedication of the National Corvette Museum staff, who maintain and continue the mission and vision of the NCM to celebrate the Corvette’s invention and preserve the legendary automobile’s past, present, and future,” said National Corvette Museum Board Chair, Glenn Johnson.

“Congratulations to all the winners of the 2021 Travelers’ Choice Awards,” said Kanika Soni, Chief Commercial Officer at Tripadvisor. “I know the past year has been extremely challenging for tourism businesses. What has impressed me is how businesses adapted to these challenges, implementing new cleanliness measures, adding social distancing guidelines, and utilizing technology to prioritize guest safety. The Travelers’ Choice Awards highlight the places that are consistently excellent – delivering quality experiences time and time again even while navigating changing customer expectations and new ways of working. Based on a full year of reviews from customers, this award speaks to the great service and experience you provided guests in the midst of a pandemic.”

Thank you to all of those who visit and support the Museum, your continued support truly makes it what one TripAdvisor reviews calls, “A place where dreams come true!” Make your plans to visit today!

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Voting for the Best Attraction for Car Lovers category opened on Monday, June 7^th at 12:00 p.m. EDT and ends on Monday, July 5^th at 11:59 a.m. EDT. Each day there is a limit of one (1) vote per person, per category. This means that over the next four weeks, Museum supporters will be able to vote daily with this link.  The National Corvette Museum appreciates the generous support and would love to have your votes again this year!

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The museum’s participation is made possible through funding provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). MAP helps museums strengthen operations, plan for the future, and meet standards through self-study assessment and a consultative site visit from an expert peer reviewer.

The National Corvette Museum has chosen to do a MAP Collections Stewardship assessment in order to improve our abilities to be good stewards of the National Corvette Museum’s Collections.

“We have a large Collection that includes Corvettes as well as small artifact and archival collections. Through the MAP process, we will plan strategically how to better preserve the Collections and make them more accessible to the public while striving to meet museum professional standards,” said Leah Craig, Registrar and Collections Manager.

Since its creation in 1981, the MAP program has served over 5,000 museums. MAP is supported through a cooperative agreement between AAM and IMLS. For more information, including a complete list of museums participating in MAP, please visit www.aam-us.org/map, call 202-289-9118 or e-mail map@aam-us.org. Our website also has information about museums across the country who have previously participated in MAP and other AAM Excellence Programs (such as Core Document Verification and Accreditation).

AAM is the only organization representing the nation’s entire museum community and has been dedicated to promoting excellence within the museum field for over 100 years. For more information about AAM, visit www.aam-us.org. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. To learn more about the Institute, please visit: https://www.imls.gov.

The National Corvette Museum is located off I-65 Exit 28 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and open 7 days a week from 8AM to 5PM CST. For more information on the National Corvette Museum visit corvettemuseum.org.

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Making the cut for 2021 is the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette. The car was deemed a Best Buy because “This level of overall performance and ‘curb appeal’ usually costs thousands – if not tens of thousands – more.” The article also points out that the base-model Corvette can even spring from zero to sixty in only three seconds.

New features for 2021 include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are now standard, Magnetic Selective Ride Control is now available without the Z51 performance package, and there are new interior / exterior color and body-stripe options.

You can read the complete report online here.

Since 1967, Consumer Guide Automotive’s award-winning editorial team has used a rigorous and comprehensive evaluation process to identify the vehicles worthy of serious consideration by consumers. The editors utilize objective criteria, such as price, features, performance, accommodations, fuel economy, reliability records, and resale value, to assess each vehicle.

The key to Consumer Guide Automotive’s annual Best Buy Awards is the careful evaluation of every aspect of each vehicle as it relates to consumers’ real-world driving experience. It is this thoroughness that leads consumers to check Consumer Guide Automotive reviews before buying a new vehicle.

Consumer Guide’s editorial team drives more than 100,000 miles every year evaluating what these vehicles do well—and what they don’t. Whether it is driving through the city, on highways, in rural areas, on long trips, or simply picking up the kids at school, these vehicles are tested in the same way that typical car buyers would use their vehicles.

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“If you’re anything like us, your account balance doesn’t have anywhere near enough commas to make your dream garage a reality. Reconciling your hobbies with life’s responsibilities doesn’t have to mean driving something boring, though. Think of our 10Best winners as enthusiast picks for regular people. This year’s winners include three vehicles with starting prices under $30,000, a full-size truck, a three-row family hauler, and the best deal among luxury autos. We’ve got sports cars, too, of course—three of ’em.”

According to their website, the 10Best starts with a price cap of $90,000 and they invite the most promising vehicles that are new, or significantly changed since the previous years’ competition. They also bring back the previous year’s winners to defend their titles.

The Car and Driver team spends two weeks testing and evaluating the contenders, with 57 on the list for 2021. They focus on the value, fun and mission fulfillment.

“The 10 that took home trophies live up to these ideals better than anything else right now. If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, this list is your starting point. Stick to it and you’re guaranteed to take home a winner.”

Making the cut for 2021 was the 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray. “Styling changes, technology advances, and engines move, but the Corvette remains a performance value for all time.”

Read the complete write up on Car and Driver here.

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Livability selected Bowling Green as one of the Top 100 Places to Live in the United States. This award is given to communities that offer a high quality of life at an attractive cost of living for both individuals and families.

“We are honored to be recognized by Livability as one of the Top 100 Places to Live in the United States. It is a testament to the focus we place on enhancing the quality of life that benefits all our residents, in addition to the focus we place on strengthening Bowling Green’s business community,” said Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Ron Bunch.

“Bowling Green is incredibly diverse and welcoming. With over 85 languages spoken here, Bowling Green is home to international companies, their employees, international students, and families who have chosen to make our community home. This diversity creates a vibrant environment that is attractive to the younger generation. People who are focused on their health by living an active lifestyle also benefit from living in Bowling Green since we have made creating a more walkable community a top priority,” said Bowling Green Mayor Bruce Wilkerson.

In addition to diversity and walkability, Bowling Green has much to offer its residents. Livability recognized those assets including: a great school system, a cost of living that is well below the national average at only 87.8%, Reasonable housing costs with a median home price at just $180,900, and a strong arts and entertainment industry. With international festivals, art galleries, theatre troupes, and an orchestra, Bowling Green offers cultural activities for all ages. Western Kentucky University is also located in the heart of Bowling Green, showing how much the city values its education and youth. When it comes to the automotive sector, Bowling Green stands out by hosting more than a dozen national automotive events each year, including the Tri-Five Nationals and LS Fest. Bowling Green also values sports and is home to the BG Hot Rods, the 2018 MiLB Midwest League Champions.

“Bowling Green and Warren County are attractive to families and companies looking to invest in their future. Our low cost of living makes it possible to live the American Dream: owning a home and investing in education and entrepreneurial ideas. Bowling Green’s strategic location, supply chain access, strong workforce, and available product makes it convenient for companies to thrive in Bowling Green. We are pleased to be recognized by Livability and for the opportunity to bring awareness to our entire community,” said Warren County Judge-Executive Michael Buchanon.

Bowling Green, Kentucky is an extraordinary place to live for people of all ages because of the opportunities in education, careers, and business growth. The Bowling Green Chamber of Commerce actively supports both quality of life and economic initiatives aimed at continuing the advancement of Bowling Green for the betterment of the entire community which has led to Bowling Green being ranked, by Site Selection Magazine, as one of the top Tier-2 Metropolitan Areas in the United States for seven consecutive years.

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Throughout the year, the team at Popular Mechanics got behind the wheels of numerous vehicles – from sports cars to sedans to SUVs, driving them on a variety of roads, streets and highways. Using both their own data, and cross-referencing it with experiences and data from other expert sources including Car & Drive, and reliability scores from J.D. Power, Edmunds and Consumer Reports, the team created their list of the best cars and car developments of 2020.

Topping the list as ‘Car of the Year’ is the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

“The economics of making a mid-engine sports car, it seemed, made it impossible to build one for non-millionaires. But this year, Chevrolet found a way. The new Corvette is a fast, agile, covet-worthy stunner of a car, for $60,000.”

“Usually, this level of presence and performance costs you everyday practicality, but Chevy figured out a way around that, too. The Corvette is livable. Actually, comfortable…. And a four-hour trip in heavy traffic and rain, the kind of drive that would be exhausting in any vehicle, was mostly pleasant.”

Read more on Popular Mechanics’ website here

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Twenty automotive attractions were nominated by a panel of relevant experts which includes a combination of editors from USA TODAY; editors from 10Best.com; relevant expert contributors; and sources for both these media and other Gannett properties. The public was invited to vote daily over a four-week period for their favorite. The Museum earned the most votes and subsequently was named the Best Attraction for Car Lovers for 2020.

While much of the country spent the bulk of the 2020 spring travel season sheltered at home during the COVID-19 pandemic, staff at the National Corvette Museum used that time to find new ways to engage their audience through digital content, as well as undertake a major overhaul of multiple galleries within the exhibit space of the Museum.

From March 19 through May 8 the Museum debuted 32 episodes of a new ‘Vettecademy’ video series geared towards school-age kids, offering at-home educational and entertaining episodes on various aspects of Corvette. The series was so popular that a ‘Fully Vetted’ series was also launched, offering viewers of any age an in-depth look at various stories behind America’s iconic sports car. Vettecademy as well as all eleven episodes of Fully Vetted are available for viewing on the Museum’s website.

In addition to sharing virtual video content, the Museum also hosted a virtual online car show, with over 1,000 entries, and a virtual Michelin NCM Bash event bringing together live seminar speakers, produced content and live Museum walk-throughs all via Zoom. The event welcomed over 500 live online viewers.

Upon reopening to the public on June 8, visitors were greeted with a new ‘look’ of two galleries within the Museum including a heavily remodeled and digitally enhanced E. Pierce Marshall Memorial Performance Gallery, featuring 180-degree video projection; interactive touch screen kiosks with additional photo, text and video content; integrated artifact displays; and a shiny display floor full of iconic Corvette race cars.

“Thanks to the generosity of E. Pierce Marshall Jr. we were able to completely overhaul the former performance and racing exhibit space into a state-of-the-art gallery that truly showcases important examples of high-achieving track Corvettes,” shared Museum President and CEO Dr. Sean Preston. “Pierce shared a love of Corvette with his father and continues his enthusiasm as an avid Corvette Racing fan and track competitor himself. His C7.R is an exciting centerpiece to this brand-new gallery.”

Continuing the renovations and upgrades, the Museum also gutted the design and engineering area to create a new exhibit in collaboration with General Motors on the history of the development of the mid-engine Corvette. The “Vision Realized” exhibit features iconic prototypes and experimental vehicles including CERV-I, Astro II, XP-895 Reynolds-Aluminum Corvette, XP-819 ‘Ugly Duckling’ rear-engine, XP-987 GT two-rotor Wankel engine, and the Indy Corvette along with artifacts and a comprehensive storyline of how Corvette’s first Chief Engineer, Zora Arkus-Duntov, dreamed of one day offering a mid-engine Corvette as a production vehicle.

“The next generation Corvette has drawn the attention of not only die-hard Corvette enthusiasts, but also fans of other marques. This highly anticipated car and exhibit is something any performance car enthusiast is going to want to immerse themselves in,” shared Sean. “What’s even better is that visitors can observe as new owners take delivery of their 2020 Corvettes right here inside the Museum. It doesn’t get any more exciting than that!”

During the pandemic the Museum also debuted a new exhibit display for the 1954 ‘Entombed’ Corvette which was made possible through a donation by Robin and Mary Vann of East Tennessee. The Corvette Cave-In: Skydome Sinkhole Experience also received an upgrade to the digital technology that powers the sinkhole collapse animation, showcasing the eight Corvettes who fell victim. Finally, visitors to the Museum will browse a special exhibit: “Cartoon Creatures, Kustom Kars and Corvettes: The Art and Influence of Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth” featuring candy-colored fiberglass marvels of the late 50s to mid-60s as well as the subsequent vehicles they would influence, including two Corvettes used in the Transformer films.

“Our goals during the pandemic were to keep as many team members employed as possible and use the time to upgrade our visitors’ experience – taking the Museum to another level,” added Sean. “Our team worked hard to update the facility so that it reflects the look and feel of the next generation Corvette. We are excited for guests to see it for themselves.”

The Museum is open daily, 8am-5pm CT and is located in Bowling Green, Kentucky at I-65, exit 28.

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According to the website, “To borrow a phrase from ‘Top Gun,’ the sexy, C8 Corvette’s alluring exterior is writing checks this dramatic interior is fully capable of cashing.”

The site describes the harmony of metal, plastic, carbon fiber and microsuede as well done, also praising the excellent color matching across materials in a heavily monochromatic color scheme.

“A passerby need only look through the window to recognize the latest Corvette interior takes a monumental leap in styling, quality and materials relative to past efforts.

A driver lucky enough to climb behind the wheel will determine immediately the groundbreaking achievement of this new Corvette interior: the premium leather-wrapped instrument panel, the tastefully applied carbon-fiber trim, the handsomely configured push-button transmission that saves precious room in the center console and the microsuede used generously on the instrument panel, center console, door trim, steering wheel, headliner and pillar trim.”

Read the complete write-up on WardsAuto

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Last fall NCRS and NCM announced a collaboration to provide a higher education scholarship. Application submissions opened in January with several being received from across the country. Earning the award was Samuel Amurgis of Columbus, OH, who plans to attend Ohio State University in the fall, majoring in Mechanical Engineering. Samuel is very involved in both school and community activities, including athletics, clubs, mentoring, research projects and entrepreneurship. “His leadership skills, character and work ethic were clearly expressed in his application and short essay,” shared Deb Howard, Museum Education Coordinator. Samuel’s grandparents, Bruce and Deborah Brungard, are members of the Museum.

Samuel Amurgis, 2020 NCRS/NCM Scholarship Recipient

“I would like to thank the National Corvette Restorers Society and the National Corvette Museum for their support,” said Samuel. “By helping kids who are going into a field of study related to automobiles, they are making a difference for the future of cars! I couldn’t be more excited to go to [Ohio State] because of the amazing reputation they have, as well as the many opportunities I will find after graduation. My hope is that once we’re allowed to, I can take a trip to Bowling Green with my Grandpa. He’s the one that started my interest in cars, so I would love to share that moment with you.”

We asked applicants to submit an essay on their vision to attract a new generation of car enthusiasts. Here we share Samuel’s essay.

“I was never a real car enthusiast until recently. Once I reached my 16^th birthday, I began to take an interest in cars because I could finally operate one. My grandpa gave me an old Buick Century that year. I was immensely grateful to have my own mode of transportation, but this car had many problems as well. From windows falling down to a rear-view mirror falling off, this car was certainly not in its best shape. I would ride around in my other friends’ cars and realize how many amazing features and functions they had. Most had been around for years, but I had only just noticed them. From that point on, I had dreamed of combining my favorite features from each car into my own design so that the car would really feel like ‘mine.’

In this new age of customization, nearly everything can be made to one’s liking. One example I like to use for this is one of my other hobbies – video games. Many companies around the globe are developing virtual / augmented reality systems. These systems allow their users to redesign themselves in this new world. Since it runs through the internet, the options for style, features, and even species are practically limitless. Users can customize their looks at any given moment, giving them full power over the experience they wish to have.

This ability to personalize nearly anything, however, doesn’t stop here. It expands to shoes, where Nike allows customers to design their own colors and patterns for their favorite shoes online to then be assembled and shipped. It expands to smartphones and computers, where every screen can have a different background. It even expands to our homes with the idea of ‘Smart Lights’ and Amazon’s Alexa. As we develop more and more technology, our customization only increases.

The point of all of this is that the new generation of car owners enjoy the idea of customization. They have grown accustomed to the idea that things in their life can be made exactly how they wish. If we want to generate more interest in cars, then they should add the ability to be more customizable as well. Not just the body style or paint color, but internal details as well.

Elon Musk’s company, Tesla, has made some good strides in this direction already, which is why they are very popular amongst younger audiences such as my own. They currently have an option to customize various physical aspects of the Model S, X and 3. Sure, other car companies have this too, but it is the non-physical aspects that intrigue me. Due to the high amount of technology found within a Tesla (practically a fully functioning touch-screen computer), there is so much about the software that can be customized. My favorite example of this is that Musk teased that he may release the customization of horn sounds, which I absolutely love.

What I believe car companies should do to inspire new car enthusiasts is to play into their interest. In order to do this, car companies should work on an event where anybody can come in and create and test out their own car.  Through the power of virtual reality, we will reach a point where all aspects are realistic enough that they mirror those of the real world. Once we reach this point, then this event will draw the attention of many from younger generations. The advantages of this event is that customers will be able to hand-tailor their own virtual car, and then take it for a test drive to see how it runs. At this point, they should then be able to place an order for the car to the customizations they decided on. This way, companies can produce a car they know the customer will like because he or she has already tested it out. This event would help draw in new car enthusiasts because they will feel a more personal connection with the car, as it was their creation.”

“NCRS is pleased to financially support this scholarship opportunity through the National Corvette Museum,” said Carlton Colclough, NCRS representative on the NCM Board. “Samuel has a true passion for cars, and he’s the perfect candidate to receive this award. We hope one day he is a Corvette owner and becomes involved with both of our organizations.”

Learn more about the NCRS sponsored scholarship and how to apply for 2021’s award at corvettemuseum.org/scholarship.

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