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General Motors Media Press Release

FOR RELEASE:  April 25, 1997
CONTACT:  Janine Fruehan
Phone:  (810) 492-1929

Corvette Plant Doubles as a Tourist Attraction

WARREN, Mich. — General Motors’ Chevrolet Corvette assembly plant in Bowling Green, Ky., has opened its doors once again to the public as plant tours resumed.

Tours were temporarily suspended last year because of renovation required to convert production to the redesigned 5th generation model. The guided walking tours are offered five days a week at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Reservations are not required unless a group consists of more than ten people. Arrangements for large groups can be made by calling (502) 745-8287.

All tours begin with a brief discussion on plant safety, followed by an orientation about the plant and its product, then a guided walking tour of the body shop and general assembly areas. The entire visit takes approximately one hour.

Plant tours can be made part of a package that includes a visit to the nearby National Corvette Museum, which is dedicated to the car’s rich history.

The first Corvette rolled off an assembly line in Flint, Mich., in 1953. Production shifted from Flint to St. Louis, Mo., in December 1953, where Corvettes were built for the next 28 years. In 1979, plans were finalized to move production of the Corvette to its current home in Bowling Green, Ky., where production began in 1981. The Bowling Green plant features computerized manufacturing techniques and one of GM’s finest paint processes.

Over 1,090,000 Corvettes have been produced to date.