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The Astro-Vette concept also debuted in 1968, showing the direction the C3 Corvette would be taking as the model came into the 1970s. A lot of the styling would become production when the C3 was introduced later that year.
One of the newest (planned) additions to the museum is the racetrack that opened in the summer of last year. The 3 mile road course has four different configurations, with a few corners taken straight from the LeMans race course in France. There is also a large area for autocrossing or skidpad testing. In its first year, the track is hosting both SCCA and World Racing league events, as well as HPDE courses and private track days. They are hoping to expand their schedule. Once I get my 240SX down here you can bet I’ll be signing up for a track day or two!
The last major exhibit is the Toy Box. All of these cars were once owned by Donald Messner, a Corvette collector who gifted his entire collection to the museum when he passed away. Don’s cars were all low mileage and many are limited edition models.
This is one of the rarer cars in the Toy Box collection: a 1996 Grand Sport, of which only 1000 were made. The Grand Sports of 1996 were used to mark the end of the C4’s production. All came with the high performance LT4 engine, making 330 hp (up from the 300 of the LT1 normally fitted) and all were blue with the white center stripe and red flank stripes.
These cars represent the Toy Box: 11 Corvettes spanning from 1965 to 2013. This is what hardcore car fandom looks like.
Also on display in the same room (but not part of the Toy Box), was this Guldstrand GS90 Vette. Only 6 of these coachbuilt cars were ever constructed. Underneath the custom fiberglass body is a C4ZR1 chassis with upgraded sway bars and springs. The body is better braced, making this one of the nimbler C4s available in the 90s. They cost over $200,000 new and while Dick Guldstrand wanted to build more, GM cancelled the project after just 6 cars were built.
