By Bill Thorpe
A national car show called Bloomington Gold Corvettes USA was launched in Illinois in 1974. By 1977 it was the largest gathering in the country for Corvette enthusiasts.
The show has moved around the Midwest as ownership has exchanged hands over the years. Bloomington, Springfield and St. Charles, all in Illinois, have been home to the event at one time or another.
In 2015 the show made its debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where it drew a huge crowd over the weekend.
The event supports hundreds of vendors selling new and used parts for all years of ’Vettes. There is a dedicated field of Corvettes only for sale. Chevrolet displays current models with test rides available.
The Spring Mountain Corvette School has a booth full of information with demos and presentations about its program in Nevada. Judging events are conducted to certify a ’Vette as a “survivor,” a “benchmark” or “gold” with a written document that can add thousands of dollars to the car’s value.
A popular happening is the annual road tour, which typically features more than 2,000 Corvettes on a 40-mile romp through the local countryside under police escort. At previous shows the jaunt made “The Guinness Book of World Records” for the longest continuous line of Corvettes.
There was also an all-Corvette Mecum auction Saturday night to cap off the many activities. Bloomington Gold usually draws 50,000 people over the three-day show.
Until next time, happy cruisin’!
A national car show called Bloomington Gold Corvettes USA was launched in Illinois in 1974. By 1977 it was the largest gathering in the country for Corvette enthusiasts.
The show has moved around the Midwest as ownership has exchanged hands over the years. Bloomington, Springfield and St. Charles, all in Illinois, have been home to the event at one time or another.
In 2015 the show made its debut at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where it drew a huge crowd over the weekend.
The event supports hundreds of vendors selling new and used parts for all years of ’Vettes. There is a dedicated field of Corvettes only for sale. Chevrolet displays current models with test rides available.
The Spring Mountain Corvette School has a booth full of information with demos and presentations about its program in Nevada. Judging events are conducted to certify a ’Vette as a “survivor,” a “benchmark” or “gold” with a written document that can add thousands of dollars to the car’s value.
A popular happening is the annual road tour, which typically features more than 2,000 Corvettes on a 40-mile romp through the local countryside under police escort. At previous shows the jaunt made “The Guinness Book of World Records” for the longest continuous line of Corvettes.
There was also an all-Corvette Mecum auction Saturday night to cap off the many activities. Bloomington Gold usually draws 50,000 people over the three-day show.
Until next time, happy cruisin’!
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