Known by the moniker Blue Devil, the 2009 ZR1 was the first of eight Corvettes to disappear beneath the museum floor. Three weeks later, it was pulled out of the 45- by 60-foot hole.
The five-fathom drop severely damaged the car, however museum staff were able to fire up the engine and drive it out of the building after a crane removed it from the hole.
The sinkhole incident quickly attracted throngs of visitors, inspiring the museum to leave the Blue Devil and other damaged cars on display for several months before restoration.
The General Motors Heritage Center team then spent six weeks repairing the cracked carbon-fiber ground effects, a broken rocker panel, damaged fenders, cracked doors, bent suspension components, smashed glass and cracked oil lines, among other smashed bits.
The one-millionth Corvette and a 1962 example are next on the list to fix, while the other five Corvettes will be left in their as-recovered state for a future display dedicated to the sinkhole.
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