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That's an interesting story. The Bowling Green was orginality built by Chrysler for manufacturing A/C parts, GM acquired it after Chrysler stopped using the plant. The C-4 was long overdue. St.Louis had a Lot of issues for GM at that time and also inspired that move. There were plans for a midengine Corvette in 74, which was too bad that didn't happen, I wanted one. So the C-4 was a big welcome change for that time. If you ever get the chance, do an assembly plant tour,

 

The Corvette club I belonged to at the time in the mid-70s, took a day trip to St Louis to tour the plant there. The conditions in that plant compared to today were atrocious. Apparently before they started building Corvettes there, it was a GM truck factory.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago when I did a museum pick up of my 2023 HTC and did the plant tour. No comparison could be made that would describe the difference between then and now.

I agree that the plant tour at Bowling Green is definitely worth it. Also the museum delivery option is well worth it.

 

I watched this one video where they were building the 53 bodies by hand with white coveralls on but with bare hands, laying the fiberglass and resin with no gloves that I could see. Corvettes have come a long way. They had a deal a few years back where you could drive a late model Corvette around there track at the plant for like 300 dollars for 2 laps with a chaperone not sure if that still exists, it would be fun. I see there are no tours at this time due assembly line upgrades.

 

You'd have to check at the museum but they still have lots of different kinds of driving events that you can participate in for varying degrees of cash. Besides the major road course they have on site, they also have a really neat go-cart track.

 

I think I saw that video of them building the '53 models up in Michigan.

​​​​​​I remember my first thoughts when I test drove a 1984 was that it handled like a go-kart. Unfortunately it also rode like one. That was something they fixed over the ensuing years however.

 

The last tour I took was in June 016, the plant expansion was erected and they called the expansion an extension to the paint facility. I asked the tour guides if it was built for the new C-8 and they wouldn't comment on that. Every time I'm in that part of the country I try to take the tour, In July 023 I was close to the plant but tours were suspended at that time. There's a rumor that the Corvette SUV will be built there in a year or two also, A long side of the C-9 Should be insteresting.