CLICK HERE FOR THE JUST RELEASED VIDEO OF THE CARS FALLING THROUGH THE FLOOR
Multiple sources are reporting that a large sinkhole has opened up inside the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green Kentucky this morning and eight cars have been swallowed into the (estimated) 20-foot deep pit. It has been reported that the hole opened up at roughly 5:30 this morning and the apparent motion of the cars triggered a security alarm causing guards to investigate the area. We honestly do not believe this story to be a hoax as multiple news-gathering organizations in the area are reporting on it. The hole is apparently about as large across as the pedestal area where the 8 cars were being displayed.
The sinkhole is located in the Sky Dome portion of the museum. We are going to update this story with more information as we gather it. Surely this is one of the most bizarre things we have ever heard of or reported on here at BangShift.
Photo credit: National Corvette Museum
UPDATE: Museum officials say that Corvettes may be used as “furniture” in a survivor exhibit. Again, this is not a joke.
LINK: Sinkhole Corvettes may be used as furniture
UPDATE: The jokesters are at it already. Check out this Craigslist ad
Here’s the text of the ad –
UPDATE: Museum officials were allowed to remove one car from the Sky Dome, which was the only 1983 Corvette ever produced.
Update: Here are the eight cars currently in the sinkhole – (this from a Corvette Museum statement) –
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.
Thanks to Haley for the tip!
I hate to say you’re welcome for the tip considering the cars that were damaged. Because the region is on top of caves (Lost River and Mammoth), this isn’t the first time we’ve had big sinkholes open up in town.
As we write there are Corvette lovers prepared to don spelunking gear to go after them. Now where did I put my safety gear…?
Are the cars just damaged or are they totaled? While I’m not a Chevy fan I hate to see automotive history destroyed. And some of these are a part of automotive history.
The definition of “totalled” means that it would cost more to fix the car than it’s worth. Considering the rarity and value of these cars, they could start out with an ID tag and rebuild the car completely, and still be ahead. I don’t foresee anyone giving up on retrieval of these very rare and valuable cars.
Maybe they can. but it wouldn’t be the same car that got destroyed.
I was going to share this with Twitter, but there’s only FB buttons. Twitter is a thing, please consider a tweet button 🙂
Takes only a couple of seconds to copy & paste link to twitter. 🙂
that’s a few seconds too long for tweeters!
You are just being lazy
I concur with this statement. Also G+, etc. Up your share game guys. We’ll make ya famous.
fill the hole with as many 75-95 models and then topcoat it with a little concrete. no worries
Should at least pull the 62′ out first.
Yeah! Get that 62 out first!!!!
75-95 Corvettes? Wow thats harsh 75 -95 Granadas Dusters Tauras’s a few Impalas yeah. but not any Corvettes.
1975-’95 Corvettes aren’t impressive unless you like the “Cross Fire Injection” crap to go along with your gold necklaces and your Corvette jackets.
Nothing you can’t fix with a four barrel or an LSx swap, depending on your preferences.
You probably drive a Prius
Effing hilarious
I bet u wouldn’t be laughing if it was your trailer or Toyota Prius in that hole…
Ahole
No no way you’re destrying any sharks! such beautifu cars maybe not fastest but what’s mr edelbrock of!
I agree, at least it wasn’t a real car like my 69 Z/28.
Diger
It seems like the Devil wanted his Vette back..
Ya got that RIGHT!
The big loss is the zo6 Mallett hammer, great cars
The biggest loss is the one millionth car, followed by the ZR-1 Spyder, then the 62.
Sad. It’s a great museum. Hopefully they can stabilize the situation before any more damage occurs.
Other than the 62 they were all junk. Not a big loss. And not particularly rare.
Kevin, I trust you were joking…but then again, I think perhaps not. Given your statement, you know little about Corvettes and Corvette history.
They really ain’t a big loss given they’re over priced Chevys. It’s the history that’s being lost that bugs me.
Hope the Vettes can be salvaged. Not a major Corvette fan, but I do appreciate them. Went to the Museum once about 4 years ago, was in the area for the races at Beech Bend Raceway. Worth the money and I hope they can re-open.
Not the Mallet Hammer noooooooooooooooo
Corvette fan or not, as a “Car Guy” it sucks for this to happen to any nice cars let alone irreplaceable ones. Sad day for Corvette lovers and a shitty day for the people involved. Luckily no one was hurt.
union or nounion bld
PLA contract for the dome and surrounding collection area. UNION only builders. HMMMM!
As a person who loves & has had 16 Corvettes this makes me sick.
Not a Corvette or Chevy guy but have been to the the old strip mall museum and this one twice,this is a sad day for all car guys.
Let me take a CRACK at driving one out and then I get to keep it.
Jennifer Wilburn needs to learn to hold her phone sideways when taking pictures. At least she didn’t put it through one of those Instagram filters.
In my opinion the 62 vette and the 84 PPG pacecar are the most important ones. If you don’t know what the ’84 is then google it. Its pretty radical.
Will the cars in the sinkhole be going to the next Barrett-Jackson auction?
Most likely, and some boy with ore dollars than scene will pay $1,000,000 for one.
Corvettes are all American, just like apple pie! We need to save them all 🙂
Those cars look like they should be stepped on mothra and Godzilla. They look awfully fake and the scene staged. Could it be an insurance thing? I see no damage to the vehicles composite bodies, no glass damage, and there is no concrete foundation whatsoever….very dubious.
watch the security video. They fell into the hole in slow motion, hence, they are not destroyed. The ground was never properly compacted around the dome, that’s why it caved in. my friend was a union operator on the project, and he said they screwed the pooch the whole time, and didn’t care about quality work at all!
they dont build foundations in the middle of a slab floor
Not surprising, most of the building work I saw in KT/TN was pretty shoddy aside from national chains that brought in their contractors from out of state.
No wire mesh or rebar in that floor? Or not enough? Looks like contractor rip off
I beleieve the fact its next to a storm water retention pond has more to do with it than anything
they might try to salvage everything of cars lost but the sinkhole has to be adressed big time
its realy awful that happend but usely when it falls out and its fixed later it falls out again since sink holes are cave openings
Leave cars as they apper when removed from the rubble.re-display them when the museum is rebuilt.any car can be restored no matter how battered and rotted out it is,why do that to these american icons.not everyday that 8 rare cars fall into such a disaster
I have a nice bridge in Brooklyn to sell anyone that actually believes this.
It is real I live here ,seen it with my own eyes !!