PSU 98

Or, if "museum" sounds a little ambitious, how about a "gallery" or something?

I started thinking about this coming home from Indy Bash, via the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. I would like to think that the Camaro has at least a fraction of the history and significance of "America's Sports Car." I'm talking about the FIVE generations of F-Bodies, including the new Camaro concept and production models; COPO cars and special editions from GM, Yenko, Berger, Nickey, Baldwin-Motion, Dick Harrell, and GMMG; purpose-built racers from the likes of Grumpy Jenkins, Fred Gibb, Mark Donahue, and Paul Nichter; famous cars like Knight Rider's KITT, the Bandit Trans Am, the Yenko Camaro from Fast and the Furious 2, or Bumblebee from Transformers; Indy Pace Cars from '67, '69, '80, '82, '89, '93, and all those beautiful Brickyard and Daytona Pace Cars that came out for the event. Yes, I'm sure I missed a lot! It would be great to have a place dedicated to these cars where F-Body owners (those "Camaro comrades and Firebird friends") could celebrate the last 40+ years of production, rather than simply riding on the coattails of the NCM.

CTK1

It would be a special place, but with the state of GM's finances its only a dream. We should be happy we are even getting the car back.

Pruettfan

The Corvette Museum operates as a non-profit and while it gets some support from GM the corportation does not pay their bills. I guess the question for a Camaro museum would be where to put it. Bowling Green is cool because the Corvette has been built there for so long. The Camaro has been a bit of a vagabond.

91BigRedz28

I did my architectural thesis on a muscle-car museum! (of sorts)

Museum though, to me, represents the acknowledgement of a death, a passing, or the end of an era... Gallery is more appropriate. I don't think, however, Camaro alone is worthy. Look overseas though - this idea is getting pretty popular. BMW and Mercedes-Benz recently completed buildings to showcase their histories. Coop Himmelb(l)au did the newest BMW gallery in Munich, followed by Zaha Hadid's plant/gallery in Stuttgart, and unStudio's Mercedes gallery is amazing.

If GM is looking for an architect...

ChrisL

the biggest problem isnt where... its who is paying for it. Corvette Nation has much deeper pockets than FCar Nation.

Wicked1

f-body museum would be sweet, too bad nobodies got the cash to invest

JasonD

Been discussed quite a bit, usually after the Bowling Green events at the Corvette Museum.

The money is the key. It is amazing how expensive it can be to run something like that.

PSU 98

I realize cost would be the main obstacle. Now, this site alone has almost 80,000 members -- what if everyone averaged just a $5 donation (about the cost of a gallon of gas!)? The NCM is incredible and as I said, if that's too lofty a goal, how about a "gallery" or "showcase" of vehicles? The NCM raises monetary donations in various ways (it's hard not to notice the brick walkway at the entrance), through the sales of merchandise, and of course admission fees. Many of the cars displayed at the NCM are donations themselves -- "on loan" from the private collections of proud owners.

JasonD

A good theory, and it works for Corvette owners but as mentioned, they are their own breed and may not work the same for Camaro owners.

Let me put this into perspective for you...

The profits from the entire Indy Event went to the Riley Children's Hospital. We wanted to do our part to help so at the CamaroZ28.Com Summit, we had a box on the freebie table for donations. There were over 100 people at the Summit. Most of the freebies had been taken. We reminded people about the donation box more than once over the PA system. Care to guess how much was in the donation box at the end of the night?

$44.20.

$10 of that was put in by one site member who was probably too loaded to remember that I pretty much told him to throw a few bucks in. Tell someone that something is free, they show up. Tell them they have to pay a dollar, they lose interest very quickly. I am not saying that is the rule, but it may be the exception and enough of them make ends not meet easily.

Regardless, I still think it is a terrific idea and I would gladly be interested in dedicating my career to it should it get started.

2010_5thgen

its not so much if you have the cash to invest, you got to figure out where the hell your going to get all these cars from. i dont think chevy or pontiac will just say to someone "sure you can keep all of our historical collectable cars in a wharehouse and show them off." not gonna happen . it would have to be gm that did it.

JasonD

Getting cars is not as big of a problem. I can think of a few people off the top of my head that can donate more than one museum quality Camaro. GM actually has (or had) too many cars and not enough space. They have warehouses full of cars that are just sitting there. May Camaros are still in storage, possibly like the John Moss ZL-1, the 302 Camaro, surely a few pace cars and one-offs that have been removed from the show circuit, etc.

Fbodfather

I know enough to be dangerous.

IF -- and that's a big IF -- you could get all 80,000 members to give you $5 each -- that would keep the doors open for 10 months -- MAYBE.

That does not include the cost to buy property -- hire architects and builders -- build, furnish, and build displays for a gallery.

A museum is wonderful -- but it's also a very large black hole that you put money into. The NCM nearly went bankrupt the first two years in existence -- Wendel Strode came in -- took over -- and started raising funds. The Corvette community has embraced the museum -- but they still have to constantly raise funds to keep it up - and to add to it.

There have been many discussions about a Camaro museum -- even perhaps on the grounds of the NCM -- but until someone can establish a fund.......


(I hope it does happen -- I will donate all of my "Camaroabilia to it....)

Fbodfather

GM has no financial interest in the National Corvette Museum. WE display many of our historic properties and cars there -- but the museum is a separate entity.

If done correctly, I'm quite certain GM would display their Camaros in a national Camaro museum.

2010_5thgen

well then, that would be a good start if they have a few cars they would throw in it. if anyone is interested in starting a camaro museum....i would love to be a partner in it.

detltu

Count me in for a donation if we could get this thing started. I think I could do a monthly donation. $10 per month from half the members on this site would be a pretty good start.