Preserving a Rare Chapter of Corvette History: The 1993 Black Rose ZR-1

Preservation work at the National Corvette Museum is about more than restoring a vehicle’s appearance. It is about honoring engineering, safeguarding authenticity, and ensuring that rare Corvettes continue to tell their stories for generations to come. One of the Museum’s current preservation projects is a 1993 Black Rose Corvette ZR-1—one of just 11 ZR-1s produced in this color for the 1993 model year. Its rarity alone makes it significant, but the care taken in its preservation is what ensures its legacy endures.

Mechanical Preservation Comes First

Before addressing cosmetics, the Museum’s team focused on critical mechanical systems to ensure the car remains safe, functional, and historically accurate. The fuel pumps, clutch assembly, and brake system have all been replaced as part of this process. These updates are essential to maintaining the integrity of the vehicle while allowing it to be properly maintained and demonstrated in the future. Mechanical preservation is a foundational step. Without it, visual restoration alone would fall short of the Museum’s standards.

Careful Body Preparation and Refinishing

With mechanical work complete, attention turned to the body. Portions of the car were disassembled to allow the team proper access for surface preparation. The finish was then hand-sanded down to primer—a labor-intensive process that ensures the surface is properly prepared and true to original specifications. The refinishing process included two coats of base color followed by two heavy coats of clear. This approach allows for depth, durability, and accuracy while respecting the original character of the Black Rose finish. The vehicle is currently in the wet sanding and buffing stage, where fine adjustments bring clarity and consistency to the final surface.

Approaching Final Assembly

Final assembly is scheduled for next week, marking the last major phase of this preservation effort. Once complete, this rare Black Rose ZR-1 will stand as a carefully preserved example of Corvette’s performance heritage from the early 1990s. Projects like this reflect the Museum’s long-term commitment to preserving America’s Sports Car—not just as an object to admire, but as a living record of design, engineering, and history. Stay tuned as this 1993 Black Rose Corvette ZR-1 returns to full form.

At the intersection of American muscle and science fiction legend, one Corvette blurs the line between road and starship. Now on display at the National Corvette Museum, the 1965 Corvette featured in the 2009 reboot of Star Trek brings cinematic flair and Corvette heritage together in a way only America’s Sports Car can.

This screen-used stunt car plays a pivotal role in the early moments of Star Trek (2009), as a young James T. Kirk sends it screaming across the Iowa countryside with a hover-bike cop in pursuit. The sequence is high-octane and pure adrenaline, ending with Kirk leaping out just before the Corvette launches into a quarry. While its fate in the film was dramatic, the actual car survives to tell its story.

As a 1965 model, this Corvette showcases mid-year updates including blacked-out horizontal grille bars, a reimagined fender design with three vertical louvers, and the introduction of four-wheel disc brakes—a performance milestone for the era. That same year also marked the return of Rochester fuel injection, making the ’65 Corvette a benchmark in Sting Ray evolution.

A deleted scene from the film expands the narrative. The Corvette once belonged to George Kirk, James’ late father. After George’s death, the car ended up with James’ uncle—until the future Starfleet captain found the keys and made the car his own, if only for one final ride.

Now, thanks to a generous loan from Ray Zielinski, this iconic Corvette is part of the Museum’s collection of historically significant vehicles. It’s a reminder that Corvette’s cultural impact doesn’t stop at racetracks or road tours. It spans generations, genres, and galaxies.

The 1965 Star Trek Corvette is a must-see for fans of performance, pop culture, and everything in between. Visit the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, and stand face to face with a Corvette that boldly went where no car had gone before.

In 2002, country music star Brad Paisley bought his first Corvette, a used 1999 C5. Paisley, whose grandfather was a Pontiac salesman, came from a family of car enthusiasts. Once he had the means to buy a performance car, an automobile he could drive for fun, Paisley chose the Corvette, kickstarting his love for America’s Sports Car.

Paisley has a much larger automobile collection now, including a 1961 Roman Red Corvette currently on display at the National Corvette Museum. Corvettes from 1961 featured a restyled boattail rear fascia and, for the first time, four taillights. Paisley’s Corvette also includes white coves on both sides. The red with white coves color combination is a personal favorite of Paisley’s, who owns a Corvette-inspired tour bus decorated with the iconic red and white coves livery.

Along with the 1961 Corvette, the Museum’s display includes several other artifacts on loan from Paisley, honoring his music career and love of Corvettes. One is a Corvette-themed carbon fiber guitar, created by custom guitar designer Bill Crook in 2012. Featuring the Corvette crossed flags and a Z06 emblem, the guitar reflects the innovative use of carbon fiber in modern Corvettes. Next to the guitar is a vinyl record of Fifth Gear, Paisley’s 2007 studio album, which has five number one songs and was certified platinum in 2008. A third artifact is a poster celebrating Paisley’s 20 million worldwide sales, including gold records and images of his studio albums through 2017.

Several of Paisley’s biggest hits reference cars, driving, and the freedom of the open road. In a 2015 interview with Car and Driver, Paisley reflected on the influence of automobiles in American culture, comparing cars to clothing. In that regard, Paisley has “worn” several Corvettes. A collection that started with his 1999 C5 also includes a 2020 Long Beach Red Stingray, which he received through the R8C delivery program at the National Corvette Museum. Yet the 1961 Corvette, with its classic red paint and white coves, is the one that inspired, in Paisley’s opinion, possibly the most attractive and iconic design for any automobile.

Some of the artifacts in the National Corvette Museum’s collection are actually small collections themselves. One notable example is a set of medallions celebrating the Corvette’s 40th anniversary, which was donated to the Museum by George Biederman. Produced by Pacific Mint in 1993, the set includes a total of 60 medallions, each one showing an image of a Corvette and the crossed flags emblem that corresponds to the Corvette’s generation. The medallions are 1.25 inches tall, two inches wide, and .125 inches thick. They are made of sterling silver, although a coating of translucent enamel covers the top of each one. This coating gives the medallions the appearance of large, brightly colored postage stamps. 

Collectors could order the medallions by mail on a month-to-month basis. The set is divided into three cases, each holding 20 medallions. To get the total number to 60, Pacific Mint released two medallions for several Corvette model years, often to represent the coupe and convertible body styles in the set. Other medallions feature special edition or landmark Corvettes like the 25th Anniversary Edition from 1978 and the 1990 ZR-1. The final medallion in the set depicts the 40th Anniversary Corvette, released in 1993. 

 The National Corvette Museum’s automobile collection includes several of the cars featured in the Pacific Mint set, including a 25th Anniversary Edition Corvette donated by Craig and Sharon Conde. This car’s most distinguishing attribute is its two-toned silver paint, which consists of bright silver on the upper surface and dark silver on the lower surface, separated by silver pinstriping. Although the car also came with aluminum wheels and sport mirrors, the silver paint was what ultimately set this Corvette apart from others in 1978. A total of 15,283 25th Anniversary Corvettes were sold, and their production began the custom of General Motors periodically releasing special Corvettes for the car’s milestone anniversaries. As the Corvette turns 72 this month, enthusiasts have no shortage of collectibles celebrating the evolution of America’s Sports Car.  

At the National Corvette Museum, our mission to educate and preserve the legacy of America’s Sports Car doesn’t just live in gleaming fiberglass and chrome—it thrives in the stories, documents, and memories that shape the Corvette community. Our Library & Archives team is driven by that mission every day, and their latest project is a powerful testament to it.