Final Corvette freed from museum sinkhole, and it ain't pretty

At last, our long national nightmare is over: All eight Corvettes sucked into the Bowling Green, Ky., National Corvette Museum sinkhole back in February are back at ground level. And there's a lot to be happy about. First and foremost, we're thankful no one was hurt in the incident, which happened in the early morning hours of Feb. 12. Considering the magnitude of the disaster, we're also thrilled that some of the 'Vettes -- like the 2009 "Blue Devil" ZR1 -- should be roadworthy again in no time.

Then there's the 2001 Mallett Hammer Corvette Z06. The last Corvette to be extracted, it was buried under dirt and rubble -- and it shows. There's not much of the car left; if it weren't for the wheels in the photos, we're not sure we would even know what we were looking at.

GM has offered to restore the Corvettes after a period of public display, but this one might be beyond saving. Any restoration would see nearly all body panels and mechanical parts replaced, and Mallett Hammer-modified C5 Corvettes just aren't that valuable. It might make sense simply to buy another one (they go for less than $50,000) and leave this one as a testament to the sinkhole.

Head to the National Corvette Museum website for more information.

National Corvette Museum
The Mallett Hammer Corvette Z06 leaves the sinkhole.

By Graham Kozak