The NCM Showcases Corvette Design

The NCM’s “Driven By Design” Showcases Corvette’s Rich Design Heritage

Earlier this year, the National Corvette Museum (NCM) introduced its latest exhibit, “Driven by Design,” a 6,500-square-foot exhibit focused on the history of the Corvette’s design process.  It showcases some of the many designers and engineers responsible for the development of the most iconic sports car of all time.  This long-term exhibit is showcased in the Museum’s “Design and Engineering” gallery and was developed by the museum’s curatorial staff along with co-creator and retired GM Design Chief Tom Peters.  The exhibit features a variety of interactive elements, artifacts, hands-on objects and motion-activated content design to help guests gain a greater appreciation for the design history of the Corvette.

One of the more exciting aspects of the exhibit is its introduction of GM’s Vice Presidents of Design – beginning with Harley Earl, the Father of the Corvette, and culminating with Mike Simcoe, GM’s current VP of design today.  In addition to these two icons, the exhibit looks at many of the other famous and diverse talents in Corvette’s 70-year history, including Bill Mitchell, Larry Shinoda, and many more.

Bob Bubnis, the Corvette Museum’s Curator of Collections and Exhibits Manager, explains the importance of the Corvette’s design diversity: “This exhibit reveals the significance of individuals like Larry Shinoda, an Asian-American designer, and Tony Lapine from Germany, who both worked together on Corvette not long after World War II – during a very challenging time in America. This exhibit also shares the history of women in design, from the ‘Damsels of Design’ in Corvette’s early days to GM Creative Designer Darby Barber, working on the cars of tomorrow. Corvette’s story is truly the story of America – where innovation and ingenuity are not bound by any societal construct.”