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GM Media Press Release

FOR RELEASE:  April 10, 2002
CONTACT:  Chevrolet Communications
PHONE:  1-800-CHEVY-MI

Corvette 50^th Anniversary Events Abound

Corvette50th.com Web site Offers Information on All Major Activities

DETROIT, MI – When the first Chevrolet Corvette rolled off a makeshift assembly line in Flint, Mich., in June 1953, the Corvette "enthusiast" had not been born. Over the following decades, however, there has been a Corvette revolution.

In 2003, Corvette will celebrate its golden anniversary. From June 26 to 28, 2003, Chevrolet is throwing the celebration of a lifetime — the official Corvette 50^th Anniversary Celebration — in Nashville, Tenn., to thank owners, enthusiasts, club members, restorers and admirers for 50 years of sustained loyalty. It’s not just celebrating the Corvette as a vehicle, but a 50-year relationship between man and machine.

That relationship is a sacred one, and Corvette owners made it loud and clear that a major celebration was in order. In fact, it was more of a demand. That’s why this special event will celebrate Chevrolet’s relationship with the owners and enthusiasts, celebrate what’s been accomplished together and thank them for the effort they’ve put into Corvette.

"There’s nothing to compare with the devotion of the Corvette community," said Rick Baldick, Corvette brand manager. "That’s why Chevrolet is answering the call for a major blowout. You name something Corvette; we’ve got it. A 50^th Anniversary only happens once, and we’re determined to make Corvette’s one to remember."

From June 26–28, all roads lead to Nashville. Corvette enthusiasts from around the world will gather in Tennessee and Kentucky for a look back at Corvette’s first 50 years and a look ahead to the next 50. For three days, Nashville will transform into Corvette-ville, with cars, activities, displays, concerts, parades, club functions, clinics and more to keep visitors busy. And if that isn’t enough, the National Corvette Museum (NCM) in Bowling Green, Ky., will be offering special events and tours throughout the weekend.

Corvette50th.com is the exclusive home to all things Anniversary related, including event registration and hotel reservations for the Nashville event. The site is also the one-stop source for the latest celebration activities news, stories and Anniversary Road Tour dates and information. The Corvette50th.com splash page is currently live, and features a high-level overview of the Corvette 50^th Anniversary Celebration. The full site will go live in late-April, with event registration beginning in June.

In addition to the Nashville event, there are numerous other events planned around the country aimed at celebrating Corvette’s golden anniversary:

• The Historic Motorama presented by the National Corvette Museum from June 24–28, 2002, honors the more than 1.2 million Corvettes that have been built since 1953. Consisting of one example from each production year, the Motorama will begin at Corvette’s first assembly site — Flint, Mich. — then drive to General Motors’ Technical Center in Warren, before making its way to the sport car’s second manufacturing location in St. Louis, Missouri.

• The Corvette celebration hits the road in late June 2002 for an entire year with the Anniversary Road Tour, stopping at special events throughout the country. The intent of the Road Tour is to inform and excite Corvette owners and enthusiasts about the 50^th Anniversary Celebration in Nashville. Among the stops currently on the schedule in 2002 are the National Council of Corvette Clubs’ (NCCC) Convention in Indianapolis (July 6–7), Hot August Nights in Reno, Nevada., (Aug. 6–11), the Woodward Dream Cruise in suburban Detroit (Aug. 17), and Corvettes at Carlisle in Carlisle, Pennsylvania., (Aug. 23–25). Further information on these and other Road Tour events can be found on the Corvette50th.com Web site.

• Corvette will also be the honored marque at the Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races Aug. 16–18, 2002, at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, Calif. Now in its 29^th year, this event is a celebration of motor racing history, historic automobiles and the people who made them. Each year more than 375 historic race and sports cars are entered in 14 race groups than span nearly every era of motorsports history. Considered to be one the world’s pre-eminent historic automobile races, a wide variety of Corvettes will add to the weekend’s color and excitement. More information on the event can be found at www.montereyhistoric.com.

• Owners of America’s favorite sports car are also beginning to make plans for the National Corvette Caravan June 20–26, 2003. Similar to the two previous caravans presented by the National Corvette Museum, next year’s activities are anticipated to be the biggest yet. Starting in more than a dozen locations across the country, smaller caravans will eventually merge until they converge on Bowling Green and then Nashville for the official 50^th Anniversary Celebration. To find out more about the Caravan activities, visit the www.nationalcorvettecaravan.com website.

Corvette owners and enthusiasts take pride not only in the vehicle but also in what they wear, display and use. In anticipation of strong demand for a wide selection of commemorative merchandise, Corvette50thStore.com offers a wide variety of officially licensed Corvette 50^th Anniversary products including apparel, desktop displays, notebooks, clocks and other quality products.