Sinkhole Devours Valuable Cars at the National Corvette Museum
Straight out of a scene from a Sci-Fi B-Movie, a giant sinkhole opened up beneath the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, KY at 5:39 a.m., and gulped down eight rare Chevrolet sports cars like a terra firma milkshake. We don’t know if it was caused by Godzilla, The Blob, or some other creature from the Black Lagoon, but this sinkhole created major problems when it collapsed the floor under the Skydome on Feb. 12, 2014. The helpless sports cars stood about as much chance as terrified Tokyoites fleeing from an atomic, saltwater thunder lizard. Estimated to be 40 feet across and 30 feet deep, geologists believe the sinkhole was most likely caused by the system of underground caves, sinking streams and springs in Bowling Green.
Luckily no people were hurt, and there was no additional damage to the Skydome (aside from the massive hole in the floor). However, the fate of the cars that tumbled into this galactic nightmare has yet to be assessed. The National Corvette Museum owns 6 of the cars, which include: the 1984 Corvette PPG Pace Par; a 1993 40th Anniversary Corvette; a one-owner 1962 Corvette; the one-millionth Corvette, 1992 model; a 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette; and the 1.5-millionth Corvette, 2009 model. The remaining two are on loan from General Motors: a 1993 ZR-1 Spyder and a 2009 ZR1 “Blue Devil.”
Museum staff were allowed by emergency crews to move one extremely rare car away from the sinkhole before it was drawn into the yawning abyss. It was the one-of-a-kind 1983 Corvette — the sole surviving prototype from the year Corvette took a break from manufacturing due to quality control. This 1983 model was lucky it survived to see another day (better luck next time, sinkhole!)
Museum spokespeople said that insurance will cover the cost of any damage done to the cars. The National Corvette Museum will be open again for business Thursday (except for the Skydome of course). Maybe the National Corvette Museum could ask Superman to turn back time again since he has a proven track record of reversing the effects of natural disasters (especially earthquakes). Although, we don’t know if the Man of Steel would be quite as upset over sports cars as he was about his special lady-friend, the always tenaciously lovely Lois Lane. But maybe he can relate to these Corvettes since they’re built to thrill at top speeds, and old Supes can fly faster than a speeding bullet. Perhaps they should give him a call.
Corvette Sinkhole Videos:
Check out the slightly terrifying security & aftermath videos for yourself: