4 BGA Bash Tours Will Be Available, Though Under Some Very Specific Conditions

[John]

Want to see BGA in action during the BASH? Note four big considerations for your consideration. First,, that only C7’s will be visible being assembled while you are on the tour; second, that you would need to be a Lifetime or Spire member of the Museum; third, it would require you to make a $500 contribution to the Museum (though that contribution would count toward your annual contribution and your donation achievement level, and be tax deductible); and, fourth, you would need to be one of the first 20 to register on line for each of the four tour times.

Or, if you wish to save your $500, and/or do not meet the other criteria listed above, and wish to have a fantastic “second option,” for free you could instead watch this wonderful video created by jagamajajan , e.g., found within this thread.

https://www.midenginecorvetteforum.c...ant-tour-video

NCM Offering Exclusive Tours of the Corvette Assembly Plant During the NCM Bash

By
Keith Cornett
-
Mar 21, 2019


It’s been almost two years since Corvette enthusiasts were last able to tour the Bowling Green Assembly Plant to see new Corvettes being built. The tours were shut down just before the plant underwent a three-month refurbishment that started in August 2017. So far, GM and the NCM have been vague on when tours will restart for the public but most believe that tours would resume once the C8 Corvette starts production.

The good news is that it does look like things may be progressing back to the tours restarting, at least during major events at the Museum.

An email from the NCM addressed to Lifetime and ‘Spire Society’ members were sent out this morning offering the unique opportunity to take a tour of the Corvette Assembly Plant during the NCM Bash on Wednesday, April 24 – Thursday, April 25th. The NCM will allow 100 VIP guests to get a sneak peek of the new plant layout as well as process improvements and efficiency changes that have been implemented. During the tour, guests will see the 7th generation Corvettes being assembled.

“We at General Motors recognize that the customer is at the center of everything we do,” said Kai Spande, Plant Manager. “The culture of Chevrolet Corvette is based around the relationships we have with our customers. We truly value the many up-close, one-on-one communication opportunities we have to interact and solicit feedback from them.”


The VIP tours are 75 minutes long and will be limited to 20 guests per tour. The tours will be offered on Wednesday, April 24 at 12pm (noon), 12:30pm and 1pm CT, and on Thursday, April 25 at 9am CT. The cost to tour the Corvette Assembly Plant can be secured for a $500 tax-deductible donation per person.

The National Corvette Museum will open the Registration Page for the exclusive Assembly Plant tour on Monday, March 25th at 9am CT.

“We want the loyal supporters of Corvette to be the first to see the changes at the plant. While they will see 2019 7th generation Corvettes being assembled, the experience is best for those who have toured the plant in the past, as the focus of the tour is not the build of the car but rather the improvements that have been made to the processes. These changes have secured the highest quality Corvette to-date, and we’re excited to show off what we’ve done to improve our car for our customers,” added Kai.


Source:
National Corvette Museum

Might this, as suggested by CorvetteBlogger, be very positive news that at some point this year regular BGA tours resume —maybe during the 25th NCM Anniversary Celebration (at the end of August’s National Corvette Caravan), and perhaps at the typical $10/tour price?

[Corvette Ruth]

So wondering what the plant is bringing to the Bash? I heard 8 corvettes...

[John]

Thanks Corvette Ruth. I had not heard a number for the amount of Corvettes displayed there. If so, it would be eight 2019 C7’s. One or more of those could be one of the revealed in January, four new GS Drivers Specials — which very few of us have ever seen in person.

There will not be a 2020 C7 Corvette. For verification, there are no “new product walkarounds nor seminars” which are always scheduled and listed at the Bash agenda’s long in advance. Even today’s announcement of four special plant tours made it clear that all we would be seeing at the plant would all be 2019 C7’s. On the many page Bash agenda for next month, we do not see the numbers “2020” even once, yet in every one of the Bash agendas for the last five years, we have always seen listed the following year’s C7 model year car as part of a “new product presentation.”

Additionally there will, IMO, be absolutely nothing verbally shared about the C8. It will not even be mentioned, and just like the Corvette Corral at Sebring last week, when questions about the C8 are raised by those attending, they will be deftly brushed aside without being answered.

My wife and I are still very excited about going to the Bash as we do annually, for driving 2,500 miles each way on a road trip and then visiting fellow Corvette friends is always BIG FUN!

Still much looking forward to the BASH in spite of no new product, and especially looking forward to meeting MECF members who I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting in person!

[MidEngine]

For those fortunate to be able to go on the BGA tour, they will find a plant radically different that the rest of us remember. I wonder if the tour gets inside any part of the new paint shop building.

[John]

BGA tour attendees next month:

The tour sign ups came and went quickly. I was told by some that they were unable to sign up, that the 80 or 100 total slots went super fast even though they were limited to Spire and Lifetime NCM members.

Unlike most tours which are led by NCM staff under the leadership of Ron Best, these are going to be run exclusively by BGA staff. I talked to Ron yesterday and not even he has been in the Plant since it closed in August, 2017. Exception: those who purchased the Engine Build Option came in through the admin building to the Powertrain Build Center; however, the walls of the PBC were, and maybe still are, covered with black vinyl, so they did not see the typical assembly part of the plant).

Here’s who I know will be on the tours:

Thursday, 9:00 AM:

Keith Cornett, Mike Furman, Brad66, Jeremy Welborn (aka “jagamajajaran”) and me.

Any others fortunate enough to get a place on one of the tours before they closed?

[brad66]

I just went to the web site to see what was available (I'm already in for Thursday) and it looks like there are still spots available on Wednesday.

[John]

Thanks for that. I wrongly assumed they were talking about not being able to get in one Wednesday tours Appreciate the correction Brad, and glad that there are some Wednesday tours still available.

[Corvette Ruth]

John, hope to meet you at the Bash. I don’t remember if you’re on Facebook as a friend, or your last name. I know my bad. Busy Facebook group is my best excuse 😁 thanks, Ruth Wooldridge