For more than half a century, the Chevrolet Corvette has defined the American sports car.
For 32 of those 51 years, the Bloomington Gold show has been the ultimate Corvette enthusiasts' gathering (without factory sponsorship), with thousands of Corvettes on display each year. Now second to Carlisle, Pa., it still has awards for originality that other shows emulate. This year's show, held in June, was no different.
Bloomington Gold started in 1973, when a group of enthusiasts decided to hold a car show and swap meet for 'Vettes only. The event, then called the Corvette Corral, was held at the old fairgrounds in Bloomington, Ill. There were 112 Corvettes on display for 1,500 enthusiasts.
By 1977, the Bloomington Corral was the biggest Corvette-only event in the country. From a one-day show, it had grown to three days and 1,200 Corvettes.
The following year, a new type of prize was introduced. Instead of car-against-car, competition would be for authenticity. A Corvette was certified as authentic if it was within 95-100 percent of its condition when it came off the assembly line. Perfection was not required because many Corvettes were not perfect when new. Judges, acknowledged experts on Corvette history and restoration, formed the National Corvette Certification Board. Their award for authenticity was Gold Certification®.
Their guidelines became the model for judging all types of original and restored vehicles.
In 1990, a new category was added. Survivor® awards were given to un-restored Corvettes, "worn-in, but not worn-out." Survivors must be at least 20 years old, and should be able to serve as a guide to others who want to restore Corvettes. The cars are judged on exterior, interior, engine compartment and chassis, and must complete a 40-mile road test.
Moving Up
By 1993, the show had outgrown facilities in Bloomington. It moved to the Illinois State Fairgrounds for five years. Then it went back to Bloomington, to an all-new Fairgrounds across town from the old one. In 2002, the 30th annual Bloomington Gold moved to the Pheasant Run Resort and Spa in St. Charles, Ill., where it has been ever since, filling all the parking lots and lining the fairways of Pheasant Run's 18-hole championship golf course.
In St. Charles, a new category was added. Benchmark® cars are the ultimate in appearance and originality. They must be un-restored, yet still be in showroom-new condition.
Dennis Hakim, Santa Monica, Calif., restores Corvettes for a living. He was there this year with his personal favorite, a C-2 (second generation) all-original 327 CID/365 hp 'Vette. It was the car of his dreams when a neighbor first bought it new in 1965. Ken had the chance to buy it in 1990, two years after attending his first Bloomington Gold. He entered it in the Survivor class.
Rick Aleshire brought his rare '63 split-window Z-06 coupe from Severn, Md. Rather than competing, he joined more than 2,000 other Corvettes lining the resort's fairways.
"I love to display it for enthusiasts from all over the country. I get to meet some very interesting people, and all of us love Corvettes,"
