First 1981 Corvette Built at Bowling Green Assembly Plant
From the following auction listing:
Barrett-Jackson Lot: 441
Scottsdale, Arizona
January 17 - 23, 2011
In 1953, the first 300 Corvettes were built by hand in Flint, MI, just after General Motors unveiled the Corvette as a "dream car" in the Motorama show in New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. The following year, production moved to St. Louis where it remained for 28 years. In June of 1981, Corvette production transferred from St. Louis to Bowling Green, KY. However, for two months the cars were built simultaneously in both plants. The last Corvette rolled off the St. Louis assembly line on July 31, 1981. The first Kentucky built Corvette rolled off the Bowling Green line on June 1, 1981.
Previously a Chrysler air conditioning factory, the Bowling Green facility was completely renovated into a modern automotive facility twice the size of the previous structure. It took approximately 14 months to convert it to the sophisticated technical operation it is today.
This is the very car that Kentucky Governor John Y. Brown drove off the end of the assembly line to commemorate the first ever Corvette produced at Bowling Green. Earl Harper, plant manager for the new Bowling Green facility, handed the keys to the landmark car to local Chevrolet dealer Jimmy Greenway, who had sold Chevrolets in Bowling Green for a quarter of a century. A group of Bowling Green business people bought the car for a Christmas Eve raffle to benefit the Bowling Green Women's Club, Boy's Club, Girl's Club and the Capitol Arts Theater. Connie Ferrell, from Clarksville, TN won the raffle for this one-of-a-kind piece of Corvette history. Bill and Kevin Adams purchased this pristine Corvette from the original owner. It was an important part of their Corvette collection, stored since purchased exactly as it rolled out of the factory. The Ralph Braun Foundation purchased this Corvette from them in 2010. Only 14 original miles. **ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT THE RALPH BRAUN FOUNDATION** **SOLD AS PAIR WITH LOT 441.1**
Related Photos: First 1981 Corvette Built at Bowling Green Assembly Plant
 |