CKCA Road Trip:
• The Garage Automotive Museum •
Salina, Kansas
October 21, 2023
• Hosted by Darwin and Nadine Henry •
• Group Drive from Hutch to Salina led by Wayne and Marcia Strawder •
"October 21, 2023 is the Corvette Club Cruise-in Challenge sponsored by The Garage Auto Museum in Salina. This will be a roughly organized “car show” put together for our group by Darwin and Nadine Henry. Wayne and Marcia Strawder will lead the group to Salina. Meet at 8:15 a.m. at the Kwik Shop at Atwoods and leave at 8:30 a.m. Darwin will meet us at 9:30 a.m. at the State Street exit off 135 and lead us to parking at The Garage. The museum price of $12 is good for all day. Lunch is up to each person. There are restaurants in walking distance from The Garage, or may come and go depending on parking. Awards are at 3:30 p.m., and a Salina cruise at 4:00 p.m."
– CKCA Membership Director/Communications Liaison Greg Gordon
– CKCA Membership Director/Communications Liaison Greg Gordon
On Saturday, October 21, 2023 Denise and I drove up to Salina, KS with many other CKCA members to take in The Garage (aka "SEAMA" - Salina Educational Automotive Museum of America) and their rotating exhibit entitled "Corvette - 70 Years of America's Sports Car." This was one of our first formal CKCA events since joining the club in September, and was a great way to jump headlong back into the world of Corvettes and Corvette People.
The morning dawned clear and warm in Hutch, and it was so fun to cruise again amongst a pack of gleaming Corvettes (it's been over 40 years since my last Corvette). Thank you Wayne and Marcia Strawder for setting the pace! We met Darwin and Nadine Henry in Salina right at the appointed time, and they led us into town and to The Garage. In very short order, the place was packed!
This was our first time to The Garage, and it is spectacular. In this case, room after room after room of breathtaking Corvettes! To say we were impressed would be an understatement. What a treat to be able to come face-to-face with so many gorgeous (and in some cases, truly historic) Corvettes. The Garage even has a self-serve craft beer and wine dispenser just off the grand lobby. Did not suck! There wasn't really anything particularly organized CKCA-wise for the rest of the day, which worked out great - everyone was free to do their own thing.
Saturday afternoon there was an organized Corvette cruise up and down Santa Fe Boulevard, which was a ton of fun, especially seeing all the spectators - adults and kids alike - lining the route. (While we were stopped briefly at a stop sign, a young kid hollered out from the sidewalk, "Hey mister, will that thing do a burnout?" I answered truthfully: "I'm not sure!" Well, in the interest of not attracting too much undue attention, we let out only just enough anger from the tires to scratch his itch. Great fun!
Rather than make the drive home Saturday evening, we grabbed a 5-star-rated Airbnb 'basement suite' on the south edge of town (a steal at only $70), and after checking in and cleaning up, we headed back to the 'Fe' and let our collective hair down for several more hours. There are plenty of places in downtown Salina to eat, drink and be merry on a weekend, we discovered, several of which include live music.
We headed back to The Garage early Sunday morning for one last photo op: our Corvette, parked directly in front of their entrance, with Denise happily 'saving the wave'!
Below are some photographs we took on the day. The photos are clickable, and are captioned. I've also included copies of The Garage's flyer for the event, along with their 'itinerary' for the day and their 'Cruisin' the Fe' map (these two images are clickable).
I've also included photographs that The Garage posted-up on their Facebook page a few days after the event.
I have also highlighted our favorite Corvette in The Garage's lineup that day: the stunning 1989 'DR-1' convertible, built for, and formerly owned by, GM Vice-President of Engineering Don Runkle, now owned by Robert Tyler of Winfield, KS. This car (and its history) is amazing. Mr. Tyler purchased the DR-1 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona in January 2009 for $286,000.
[EDIT 06/05/2024: I've also added a podcast from CORVETTE TODAY/Steve Garrett that was published on YouTube on June 3rd, 2024 entitled "Who is Corvette Legend Don Runkle?" – see below]
Posted at the bottom of this page are several YouTube videos from the event, the first one produced by KSN-TV from Wichita, KS, featuring Matt Miller-Wells, Director of Education/The Garage, and many of the Corvettes on display at the museum. Of particular note, CKCA members Randy and Susan Puls' 1986 C4 Corvette Custom - aka 'Kool" - is seen at 2:36 in the video.
The second video was produced by 1993 Corvette ZR-1 owner/enthusiast Dave Noble from Raymore, Missouri. Several of our CKCA members and their cars are seen during this video. I've posted three time stamps: 1) museum 'tour,' 2) shots of every Corvette in attendance that day, and 3) Corvettes 'Cruisin' the Fe' that afternoon.
The third video is actually a high-quality photographic 'slide show,' produced by Rick & Deb's Awesome Adventures, featuring many of the Corvettes in attendance that day, both in the museum and parked outside.
Enjoy!
– Contributed by CKCA Members Gerald and Denise Haughton
The morning dawned clear and warm in Hutch, and it was so fun to cruise again amongst a pack of gleaming Corvettes (it's been over 40 years since my last Corvette). Thank you Wayne and Marcia Strawder for setting the pace! We met Darwin and Nadine Henry in Salina right at the appointed time, and they led us into town and to The Garage. In very short order, the place was packed!
This was our first time to The Garage, and it is spectacular. In this case, room after room after room of breathtaking Corvettes! To say we were impressed would be an understatement. What a treat to be able to come face-to-face with so many gorgeous (and in some cases, truly historic) Corvettes. The Garage even has a self-serve craft beer and wine dispenser just off the grand lobby. Did not suck! There wasn't really anything particularly organized CKCA-wise for the rest of the day, which worked out great - everyone was free to do their own thing.
Saturday afternoon there was an organized Corvette cruise up and down Santa Fe Boulevard, which was a ton of fun, especially seeing all the spectators - adults and kids alike - lining the route. (While we were stopped briefly at a stop sign, a young kid hollered out from the sidewalk, "Hey mister, will that thing do a burnout?" I answered truthfully: "I'm not sure!" Well, in the interest of not attracting too much undue attention, we let out only just enough anger from the tires to scratch his itch. Great fun!
Rather than make the drive home Saturday evening, we grabbed a 5-star-rated Airbnb 'basement suite' on the south edge of town (a steal at only $70), and after checking in and cleaning up, we headed back to the 'Fe' and let our collective hair down for several more hours. There are plenty of places in downtown Salina to eat, drink and be merry on a weekend, we discovered, several of which include live music.
We headed back to The Garage early Sunday morning for one last photo op: our Corvette, parked directly in front of their entrance, with Denise happily 'saving the wave'!
Below are some photographs we took on the day. The photos are clickable, and are captioned. I've also included copies of The Garage's flyer for the event, along with their 'itinerary' for the day and their 'Cruisin' the Fe' map (these two images are clickable).
I've also included photographs that The Garage posted-up on their Facebook page a few days after the event.
I have also highlighted our favorite Corvette in The Garage's lineup that day: the stunning 1989 'DR-1' convertible, built for, and formerly owned by, GM Vice-President of Engineering Don Runkle, now owned by Robert Tyler of Winfield, KS. This car (and its history) is amazing. Mr. Tyler purchased the DR-1 at the Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale, Arizona in January 2009 for $286,000.
[EDIT 06/05/2024: I've also added a podcast from CORVETTE TODAY/Steve Garrett that was published on YouTube on June 3rd, 2024 entitled "Who is Corvette Legend Don Runkle?" – see below]
Posted at the bottom of this page are several YouTube videos from the event, the first one produced by KSN-TV from Wichita, KS, featuring Matt Miller-Wells, Director of Education/The Garage, and many of the Corvettes on display at the museum. Of particular note, CKCA members Randy and Susan Puls' 1986 C4 Corvette Custom - aka 'Kool" - is seen at 2:36 in the video.
The second video was produced by 1993 Corvette ZR-1 owner/enthusiast Dave Noble from Raymore, Missouri. Several of our CKCA members and their cars are seen during this video. I've posted three time stamps: 1) museum 'tour,' 2) shots of every Corvette in attendance that day, and 3) Corvettes 'Cruisin' the Fe' that afternoon.
The third video is actually a high-quality photographic 'slide show,' produced by Rick & Deb's Awesome Adventures, featuring many of the Corvettes in attendance that day, both in the museum and parked outside.
Enjoy!
– Contributed by CKCA Members Gerald and Denise Haughton
NOTE: Click on the photos below to open a larger version.
– Photos contributed by CKCA members Gerald and Denise Haughton
NOTE: Click on the images below to open a larger version.
NOTE: Click on the photos below to open a larger version.
– Above photos and captions from The Garage Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=359251799836063&set=pcb.359257226502187
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=359251799836063&set=pcb.359257226502187
GM Heritage Fleet: C4 Dreams and C5 Mules
By Tom Glatch, Sports Car Market - January 2009
General Motors captured the spotlight at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction from January 11–18, 2009, when it released 252 cars from its Heritage Fleet for no-reserve sale. (The Heritage Fleet must be differentiated from GM’s Heritage Collection; the former are surplus or less important cars, the latter are the milestone cars that represent GM’s 100 years of contribution to automotive history.) While many came with a scrap title (odd when you think who’s selling the car), that was related to federal regulations, which don’t have much to do with making a car work well. In the past, most of these vehicles would have been crushed, including 34 Corvettes, which provided a fascinating insight into dreams and ideas (good and otherwise) that surround the launch of a new model—in this case the C4 and C5. You’ll have to do your own research on the blown big-block 1987 Chevrolet Sprint, the 1999 two-millionth Saturn, and the 2001 Pontiac Aztek Daytona 500 Pace Car (we are not making this up). Here we analyze ten of the most important Corvettes from the fleet that came under the hammer.
#1: 1989 Corvette DR-1 Convertible - Lot 1218 - Sold for $286,000 on Saturday, January 17, 2009
While Chevrolet never sold a ZR-1 convertible, the possibility was investigated. Two ZR-1 coupes were converted into convertibles by Lotus and Chevrolet for evaluation. Also, a standard 1989 L98 convertible with an LT5 engine installed was built for engineering executive Don Runkle, which became known as the DR-1. While hardly as well known as the Snake Skinners or the Big Doggie, the Ice Blue DR-1 was the highest selling Heritage Fleet Corvette. Why? No one has ever said auction results were the least bit logical, and this is one of those results. Besides, think of the bragging rights the new owner has.
– Source, more: https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/gm-heritage-fleet-c4-dreams-and-c5-mules
By Tom Glatch, Sports Car Market - January 2009
General Motors captured the spotlight at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction from January 11–18, 2009, when it released 252 cars from its Heritage Fleet for no-reserve sale. (The Heritage Fleet must be differentiated from GM’s Heritage Collection; the former are surplus or less important cars, the latter are the milestone cars that represent GM’s 100 years of contribution to automotive history.) While many came with a scrap title (odd when you think who’s selling the car), that was related to federal regulations, which don’t have much to do with making a car work well. In the past, most of these vehicles would have been crushed, including 34 Corvettes, which provided a fascinating insight into dreams and ideas (good and otherwise) that surround the launch of a new model—in this case the C4 and C5. You’ll have to do your own research on the blown big-block 1987 Chevrolet Sprint, the 1999 two-millionth Saturn, and the 2001 Pontiac Aztek Daytona 500 Pace Car (we are not making this up). Here we analyze ten of the most important Corvettes from the fleet that came under the hammer.
#1: 1989 Corvette DR-1 Convertible - Lot 1218 - Sold for $286,000 on Saturday, January 17, 2009
While Chevrolet never sold a ZR-1 convertible, the possibility was investigated. Two ZR-1 coupes were converted into convertibles by Lotus and Chevrolet for evaluation. Also, a standard 1989 L98 convertible with an LT5 engine installed was built for engineering executive Don Runkle, which became known as the DR-1. While hardly as well known as the Snake Skinners or the Big Doggie, the Ice Blue DR-1 was the highest selling Heritage Fleet Corvette. Why? No one has ever said auction results were the least bit logical, and this is one of those results. Besides, think of the bragging rights the new owner has.
– Source, more: https://www.sportscarmarket.com/profile/gm-heritage-fleet-c4-dreams-and-c5-mules
• CORVETTE TODAY #216 - Meet Corvette Legend, Don Runkle
Produced by CORVETTE TODAY/Steve Garrett
June 3, 2024
– YouTube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T7ohNjfj7Zo
NOTE: Click on the photos below to open a larger version.
Robert Tyler's 1989 Corvette DR-1 Roadster,
displayed at the National Corvette Museum (top row), and Corvettes at Carlisle (bottom row)
displayed at the National Corvette Museum (top row), and Corvettes at Carlisle (bottom row)
Produced by KSN-TV Wichita, KS - September 22, 2023
• Featuring Matthew Miller-Wells, Director of Education/The Garage
• Time stamp: CKCA members Randy and Susan Puls' 1986 Corvette Custom - aka 'Kool' - at 2:36
• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/Iz8mx7EIQ4Q
• Featuring Matthew Miller-Wells, Director of Education/The Garage
• Time stamp: CKCA members Randy and Susan Puls' 1986 Corvette Custom - aka 'Kool' - at 2:36
• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/Iz8mx7EIQ4Q
33 Corvettes On Display at ‘The Garage’ in Salina
By: Jason Lamb, KSN.com
Posted: Sep 22, 2023 / 05:18 PM CDT
Updated: Sep 25, 2023 / 08:48 AM CDT
SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) -- Americans love cars. For many, one iconic sports car has captured hearts for 70 years.
The Garage Automotive Museum in Salina is celebrating the Corvette. Here, 33 Corvettes represent 70 years and eight design generations. Every generation of this dream car is represented in the North Hall of The Garage, but only for a short time.
Matthew Miller-Wells, the director of education at The Garage, gave KSN’s Jason Lamb a tour of the display. It’s called simply “Corvettes: A Celebration of 70 Years of Evolution”. Two Corvettes (an original from 1953 and a current 2023 model) are displayed at the entrance of the exhibit.
“The first year for Corvette production was 1953. They only made 300 of them as kind of a test for an American sports car to combat some of the British sports cars coming over. And this one’s number 201 and lives out of Manhattan, Kansas at the Midwest Dream Car Collection,” said Miller-Wells. “Opposite of the ’53, that’s a 2023. It’s a 70th anniversary, specifically ordered in a nonmetallic white with red interior to match the ’53’s polar white with red interior.”
Almost all of the Corvettes on display are on loan from owners within the state.
“Each show that we do is a little bit different. So, this one right now might be a lot of Corvettes in and around Kansas,” explained Miller-Wells. “Yes, it’s surprising. Central Kansas, in general, but specifically Salina, is really bizarre and auto-centric. You know, we try to look outside of Salina as best we can to pull in people from all over, you know, Wichita, Great Bend, Hays, etc.”
The sports cars in the collection are roped off and are to remain untouched, except for one. The photo opp display car is a pink 1998 “Barbie” Corvette. It’s proven to be the most popular, probably because children are invited to open the driver’s door and get inside.
“I think for most people, it’s the ‘Barbie’ Corvette. The bright pink Corvette that helps that that’s a photo op car that people can actually get in and sit in with the fluffy seat, the fluffy steering wheel.”
It seems Americans have always had a love affair with the Corvette.
“The Corvette, it’s America’s sports car. For a lot of people, if you have a Corvette, for lack of better terms, you’ve made it. It’s speed. It’s power. It’s lightweight. It’s big V-8s, you know. It’s Beach Boys. It’s truly, innately America. There is nothing else like it. There’s nothing else meant to be like it,” said Miller-Wells.
For the most part, the Corvette collection is laid out in the gallery from the earliest models to the latest.
“There are a couple odd ones here and there, but for the most part, you do follow the generations, C1 to C8. And what’s fun about that is you actually get to see all the little changes over the years. So, when you look at the ’53 and then the 2023 in the lobby, it’s a really stark comparison. But then, as you walk through each decade’s generation, you see what’s been carried over. What’s been new in the trends,” said Miller-Wells.
The Corvettes will be on display at The Garage now until Dec. 31.
“Tying car people and non-car people together. I think that’s what makes the museum so fun is that we don’t cater to just the die-hard car enthusiast. We try to make it a fun place for people that don’t know a lick about cars either.”
The Garage is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. General admission is $15 and $12 for seniors, students, military members, and veterans.
The Garage is also planning to host a Corvette Car Club Cruise-In Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 21, in its parking lots. Corvette clubs and owners from across the state can show off their rides and check out the museum. Various awards will be presented.
– Source: https://www.ksn.com/news/local/33-corvettes-on-display-at-the-garage-in-salina/
By: Jason Lamb, KSN.com
Posted: Sep 22, 2023 / 05:18 PM CDT
Updated: Sep 25, 2023 / 08:48 AM CDT
SALINA, Kan. (KSNW) -- Americans love cars. For many, one iconic sports car has captured hearts for 70 years.
The Garage Automotive Museum in Salina is celebrating the Corvette. Here, 33 Corvettes represent 70 years and eight design generations. Every generation of this dream car is represented in the North Hall of The Garage, but only for a short time.
Matthew Miller-Wells, the director of education at The Garage, gave KSN’s Jason Lamb a tour of the display. It’s called simply “Corvettes: A Celebration of 70 Years of Evolution”. Two Corvettes (an original from 1953 and a current 2023 model) are displayed at the entrance of the exhibit.
“The first year for Corvette production was 1953. They only made 300 of them as kind of a test for an American sports car to combat some of the British sports cars coming over. And this one’s number 201 and lives out of Manhattan, Kansas at the Midwest Dream Car Collection,” said Miller-Wells. “Opposite of the ’53, that’s a 2023. It’s a 70th anniversary, specifically ordered in a nonmetallic white with red interior to match the ’53’s polar white with red interior.”
Almost all of the Corvettes on display are on loan from owners within the state.
“Each show that we do is a little bit different. So, this one right now might be a lot of Corvettes in and around Kansas,” explained Miller-Wells. “Yes, it’s surprising. Central Kansas, in general, but specifically Salina, is really bizarre and auto-centric. You know, we try to look outside of Salina as best we can to pull in people from all over, you know, Wichita, Great Bend, Hays, etc.”
The sports cars in the collection are roped off and are to remain untouched, except for one. The photo opp display car is a pink 1998 “Barbie” Corvette. It’s proven to be the most popular, probably because children are invited to open the driver’s door and get inside.
“I think for most people, it’s the ‘Barbie’ Corvette. The bright pink Corvette that helps that that’s a photo op car that people can actually get in and sit in with the fluffy seat, the fluffy steering wheel.”
It seems Americans have always had a love affair with the Corvette.
“The Corvette, it’s America’s sports car. For a lot of people, if you have a Corvette, for lack of better terms, you’ve made it. It’s speed. It’s power. It’s lightweight. It’s big V-8s, you know. It’s Beach Boys. It’s truly, innately America. There is nothing else like it. There’s nothing else meant to be like it,” said Miller-Wells.
For the most part, the Corvette collection is laid out in the gallery from the earliest models to the latest.
“There are a couple odd ones here and there, but for the most part, you do follow the generations, C1 to C8. And what’s fun about that is you actually get to see all the little changes over the years. So, when you look at the ’53 and then the 2023 in the lobby, it’s a really stark comparison. But then, as you walk through each decade’s generation, you see what’s been carried over. What’s been new in the trends,” said Miller-Wells.
The Corvettes will be on display at The Garage now until Dec. 31.
“Tying car people and non-car people together. I think that’s what makes the museum so fun is that we don’t cater to just the die-hard car enthusiast. We try to make it a fun place for people that don’t know a lick about cars either.”
The Garage is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1-5 p.m. on Sundays. General admission is $15 and $12 for seniors, students, military members, and veterans.
The Garage is also planning to host a Corvette Car Club Cruise-In Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 21, in its parking lots. Corvette clubs and owners from across the state can show off their rides and check out the museum. Various awards will be presented.
– Source: https://www.ksn.com/news/local/33-corvettes-on-display-at-the-garage-in-salina/
Produced by Dave Noble, Raymore, MO - October 25, 2023
Time stamps:
• 0:00 to 13:26 -- Museum tour
• 13:26 - 26:44 -- Corvettes in attendance
• 26:44 - 28:57 -- Corvettes cruising Santa Fe Boulevard
• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/lQ_i2OP6Woc
Time stamps:
• 0:00 to 13:26 -- Museum tour
• 13:26 - 26:44 -- Corvettes in attendance
• 26:44 - 28:57 -- Corvettes cruising Santa Fe Boulevard
• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/lQ_i2OP6Woc
Produced by Rick & Deb's Awesome Adventures - September 29, 2023
• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/ehfTkZDdQJU
• YouTube link: https://youtu.be/ehfTkZDdQJU
Page last updated: 06/16/2025
© Central Kansas Corvette Association
Hutchinson, KS
© Central Kansas Corvette Association
Hutchinson, KS
