Wednesday, April 21st

    For us, the Birthday Bash starts with a party we've thrown for years at our home in Atlanta.  The idea is to catch locals and those caravanning from Florida and other points south.  We have the party on the Wednesday evening prior to the Bash and then caravan up to Bowling Green on Thursday morning. 

    This year was no different.  We had about twenty folks accept our invitation (fewer than in prior years) but we're into "quality"!!

    This year we had overnight guests, Barbara and Paul Eggermann who live in New Jersey but who were returning from Florida.  They stopped with us at the Cone B&B on their way to the BB@BG:

    A fairly grand time (we're told) was had by all:


    (I wonder why they don't look happier?)

    Thursday, April 22nd

    Next morning I put on my sexiest red bra:

    ..and we all drove to the "jumping-off" point.  We were expecting eleven cars but left with only ten since one of our number (Matt Parker) had shoulder surgery and wasn't up to the drive (feel better, Matt!  Hey!  You coulda just let Ingrid drive...).

    I assumed my usual position at the tail end of the caravan and off we roared.

    Roman & Marilyn Sabadaszka led in their Andy Pilgrim Edition Z06 while the rest of us tried to keep up. We stopped near Chattanooga for a bio break and I took a shot of each car:

     

     

     

     

    Someone noted how unusual it was to have a ten-car caravan, all different colors.

    About fifty miles south of Nashville we heard that there were several huge wrecks with fatalities on most of the Interstates in Nashville.  The most serious for us was on on I-65 North that had the highway completely closed.  Since this is the "way to Bowling Green" we quickly evolved another plan.  A call to Buzz Nielsen (known for his "bypass Nashville" shortcut) gave us the alternate route.  It's a bit longer but it allowed us to completely escape the traffic woes of Nashville. 

    We arrived in Bowling Green about 3pm and headed on over to the Museum.  It had started to rain as we neared Bowling Green and we dashed for cover inside the Museum.  Met up with a bunch of old friends (since the Museum was pretty much packed with people due to the rain). 

    There were several C6s in the SkyDome but they were covered and wouldn't be unveiled until tomorrow morning.  After chewing the fat with other Registry members, I went to dinner with Barbara & Paul and Bill & Mick Harris and then headed back to the hotel where I collapsed into bed. 

    Friday, April 23rd

    Up bright and early today (7:30a wake-up call; gotta get a good parking place) and it was raining even more heavily than yesterday.  Jumped into the car and headed for the NCM.  I got a good spot (there are advantages to a handicap permit) and stood around under the overhang.  The rain stopped at about 9am and they decided to move the C6 unveiling outside into the traditional space for such things, in the circle just in front of the Museum. 

    Wil Cooksey (Corvette Plant Manager) drove up early in a Precision Red C6 Coupe:

    He parked in front of the Museum well before the formal unveiling (kinda stealing Dave Hill's thunder)..  But a crowd quickly gathered around it and exclamations of approval filled the air.  Here's my first good look at a C6 since the unveiling at the NAIAS in Detroit in January!  Are you ready?!?!?:

    Wow!  Is that ever stunning!?!

    What?  You can't see it?  OK.  Is this better?:

    Did I mention that the rain didn't keep many home? That was as close as I could get at the moment; I had a camera and everything...  A bit later:

    There was the usual milling about until the sound system could be moved outside and the dignitaries rounded up. 

    After appropriate welcoming words from Wendell Strode (Director of the National Corvette Musuem) he directed our attention to the north side of the Museum and here came two Lemans Blue C6s, one Coupe and one Convertible driven by Dave Hill, Rick Baldick, Harlan Charles and Wil Cooksey. 

    Dave, Rick, Harlan and Wil spoke as the crowd hungrily scanned the new cars.

    The cars were instantly surrounded and doors, hoods and hatches were opened and closed:

    I was watching as they opened the (quite wet) hatch on the Coupe.  When I do that on my C5, water runs into the compartment right atop my rear speakers.  But the re-designed C6 hatch worked perfectly; rainwater ran into a gutter and into the drain holes just as it should.

    This Convertible did NOT have the power top.  The trunk looked just about the same size as the trunk on the C5 Convertible -- but without the center storage bin. The two smaller bins are there with lockable hinged covers but the space that used to be occupied by the large compartment now houses the mufflers so it's a flat bottom there now.

    A number of BB attendees were drawn at random for rides in the new C6s.  They returned pretty much thrilled with the experience. 

    There were the usual seminars; I attended one where Wil Cooksey and his staff described the cutover process and the challenges of building two entirely different cars on the same assembly line at the same time.  This challenge was even greater when they decided that they needed a different tow sled for the chassis of the C6 compared to the C5.  In addition to having to ensure that the proper panels arrive in the right colors at the right station, they have to kick out a tow sled and substitute a C6 tow sled for each C6 they build.  Wil said they'd built about forty C6s so far.  There are about 100 less parts in the C6 than in the C5 but the additional electronics in the C6 makes assembly challenging.

    The last C5s will roll off the line at the end of June.  The plant closes for two weeks (first two weeks of July) and then opens mid-July producing 100% C6s.  They estimate that the first cars will reach the dealers in August -- but Wil posted a caveat that if the plant is not 100% satisfied with the quality, the shipment to dealers will be delayed.

    I attended Dave Hill's seminar as well.  It was standing-room only and Dave presented a set of interesting slides.  It's clear that he and his team tried to answer every complaint ANYONE ever had about the C5.  He has some great charts showing an index computed by multiplying horsepower times miles-per-gallon. Not surprisingly the C6 Corvette has the highest rating of just about any car in the world.  He's confident (and I am, too) that the C6 will turn out to be the "perfect" Corvette.

    The rain continued off and on until about 5:15pm.  I decided to leave for the hotel about 3:00PM; just as I was getting into my car, someone drove up in a C6 Precision Red Convertible:


    (Thanks to Dean Smith for retouching out the floodlight and lamp poles)

    After taking my best photo of the day I left the NCM to come to the hotel and get writing.  More tomorrow...

    Saturday, April 24th

    Up at the crack of dawn again today (gotta get a good parking place).  Got one:

    Was it only yesterday that I couldn't get near the Precision Red C6?

    ..and today here's the Daytona Sunset Orange C6:


    (I really like this color; more copper than orange to me)

    Yesterday, GM graciously offered rides in the C6 based on a random drawing.  That plan continued today.  You could ride in the blue Coupe or Blue Convertible.  Everyone who returned from the ride (if they weren't already sold) were sold on the car.


    (This is the XM radio antenna position for the C6 Coupe)

    At Tom Peters' design seminar, Tom and Kirk Bennion (sp?)

    ..  told us how the C6 was designed inside and out.  We learned that wind tunnel testing and racing influence were the tie breakers on design decisions.

    While I was in the Design seminar, Chuck Mallett:

    ..picked my 53CE as a Celebrity Choice Winner!

    I saw some really interesting things at this Birthday Bash:

    For one thing:

    For another, this looks like a C5 Hardtop.  And, it is -- sorta.

    But what it is, really, is a retractable hardtop! For a reasonable amount of money, Larry Moran can convert your coupe or convertible to a retractable hardtop! Here it is in action:

    Want one? Here's the company who does it:

    Paul Adams:

    ..  of VetteQuest brought a couple of examples of his nifty C5 travel trailer:

    These weren't the only clever travel trailers for the Corvette that were displayed at the Bash.  Look at these:

    Want one? They're built by TailGunner Trailers.

    I found this kinda funny.  I went up to this food vendor:

    ..whose trailer pretty clearly said that they sold bratwurst:

    ..and asked for a "brat".  The lady told me that they didn't have bratwurst; that they recently bought the trailer and the prior owner sold bratwursts -- but they didn't.  I scanned what they did sell and found that they sold polish sausage.  I told her that I thought that polish sausage was so similar to bratwurst as to be nearly indistinguishable.

    She was surprised to learn that and had been turning bratwurst requests away for two days.  I bought a polish sausage and it was pretty darned good.  Gotta love retail..  :)

    Here's Dan Adovasio (co-founder of the C5 Registry) working the C5 Registry table:

    ..and Jake Drennon (co-founder of the C5 Registry) with Wil Cooksey:

    Here are Shirley and Ed Duprey of Great Lakes Trophies and Engraving with some of their new full-color sublimation products for the Corvette community:

    This is Jack and Raye Jett of Jettco Automotive with their Travel Buddy cup holders and Comfort Covers:

    Old friend Ben Labaree with the Corvettes Conquer Cancer Tour raised nearly $2,500 for the American Cancer Society:

    Here are Diane Everse (and husband) of Car Art Work.  They were just inside the door at the NCM:

    They make laser-cut steel silhouettes of any Corvette.  When I pointed out (last year in Nashville at the 50th Celebration) that I had a relatively unique one (the 53CE) they made a custom one for me:

    So cool!

    Tonight's banquet at the Sloan Convention Center was very good:

    As you can see, nearly everyone came:

    Wendell welcomed everyone, Dave Hill and Wil Cooksey spoke and the auction raised a bundle for the NCM Building Fund.  Another great Birthday Bash entered the history books!

    ..