Massive sinkhole swallows priceless Corvettes

A massive sinkhole in western Kentucky opened up early Wednesday morning below the National Corvette Museum, swallowing eight rare and historic Chevrolet Corvettes that were on display to the public, the Los Angeles Times reported.

No one was hurt in the incident, which was recorded at 5:44 a.m. by motion sensors at the museum in Bowling Green, just miles from the General Motors plant that builds new Corvettes. Six of the cars had been donated to the museum by enthusiasts, while two were on long-term loan from GM.

“It’s just kind of a sad day in the Corvette mecca of the world,” said Wendell Strode, executive director of the museum, which is home to roughly 80 Corvettes in total and attracts about 150,000 visitors a year.

The sinkhole measured about 40 feet across and 25 to 30 feet deep, the museum said in a statement, citing local fire department personnel on the scene. The museum is closed for the day as engineers assess the safety and stability of the ground and other structures on the property.

The eight Corvettes were among 25 to 30 cars on display in the Skydome, a cone-shaped building on the museum’s property that measures 140 feet in diameter and features a 100-foot-high glass ceiling. The remaining cars in the Skydome have all been removed, Strode said.

It’s too early to tell the extent of damage the sinkhole caused the vehicles, but Strode wasn’t feeling optimistic. “It’s not looking good,” he said. “There were a lot of tears this morning as [employees] were having to deal with what’s in there.”

The six affected cars the museum owned were a black 1962 Corvette, a 1984 custom pace car from the IndyCar World Series, the 1 millionth Corvette and 1.5 millionth Corvette ever built, a 1993 Ruby Red 40th anniversary Corvette, and a 2001 Mallett Hammer Z06 Corvette.

The museum is in the process of reaching out to the people who donated the cars.

“They were all very special cars to those individuals,” Strode said, the weight of Wednesday’s loss evident in his voice. “Each had a unique story and each had a unique place in their hearts.”