REPORT - 2023 Corvette Nationals

Words & Photos: Mike Ryan

With 2023 marking 70 years since Chevrolet’s introduction of the Corvette, it’s no surprise that this year’s Corvette Nationals was a big one, with entrants coming from all over Australia, while their vehicles covered the breadth of production for the All-American sports car.

Hosted by Corvettes of Melbourne, Surf Coast Corvettes and Vic Vettes, the first Corvette Nationals to be held since 2019 was centred on Ballarat. And as the central Victorian city was at the heart of the state’s gold rush era in the early 1850s, the ‘Gold Rush’ tag for the 2023 Nationals was more than appropriate!

More than two and a half years in the making, with stellar efforts from the organising committee and club members more broadly, the Gold Rush Corvette Nationals saw GMSV (General Motors Special Vehicles) came on board as the major sponsor, with support from Corvette Clinic, Corvette Central, The Mag Wheel Centre, Covers For Car Lovers, Meguiar’s, Rare Spares, the City of Ballarat and several others.

After three years’ absence, the hunger for a Nationals amongst the Corvette community saw the event booked out in advance and an estimated 200+ Corvettes turn up for the public Show ‘n’ Shine day on Saturday, 25 March, where the photos shown here were taken.

Allocated display space on the western shore of Lake Wendouree was filled by the 136 registered entrants, while an overflow space for late arrivals and roll-ups attracted close to 100 additional Corvettes.

Corvette Bonanza

Amongst the all-Vette gathering in Ballarat, every generation from C1 to C8 was represented, and while the abundance of C3 and C4 Corvettes was expected amongst the 200+ cars on show, the quantity of C8 Corvettes was a surprise - plenty of examples of the all-new, mid-engined machine were on show.

C8s, along with older Corvettes, travelled from all over the country to be a part of the 2023 Gold Rush Corvette Nationals, with WA, SA and Queensland plates spotted amongst the display cars.

There were some noticeable custom builds, too, including restomods, units with customised cabins, engine swaps and some wacky modified bodies and interiors.

Perhaps the wackiest inclusion was a Corvette speedboat. No, Chevrolet didn’t build a Corvette boat, but Malibu did in 2008. Powered by a GM LS7 V8 (as used in the C2008 Corvette Z06) and bearing Corvette features inside and outside, as a well as a Corvette-themed trailer, this limited-edition watercraft was for sale at the Nationals, too.

The JUST CARS team picked out some of their highlights amongst the display vehicles, but what’s shown here only scratches the surface of what was on show in Ballarat.

Additional Attractions

The Gold Rush Corvette Nationals was much more than just a car show, with a Meet & Greet evening at the Mercure Ballarat, night show for registered entrants at the Sovereign Hill historic theme park, a cruise through the region, presentation of Show ‘n’ Shine awards at nearby Creswick, partners’ events and opportunities to relax, shop. There was also an opportunity to catch up with fellow Corvette owners – for the first time since the last Nationals in 2019 for many.

On Sunday, 26 March, the event wrapped up with the ‘Goldfever Dinner’ at the Mercure Ballarat, where entrants decked themselves out in golden apparel and were entertained with live music, a raffle, auction, additional trophy presentation and other activities.

As Corvettes of Melbourne President, Tony Asquith, declared; “If you missed the Gold Rush Corvette Nationals, you missed a FABULOUS event.”

Looking Ahead

At this stage, there is no Corvette Nationals in place for 2024, with NSW clubs pitching to host in 2025 instead, but the response to this year’s event may see the Victorian Corvette clubs unite again to host a scaled-down event (Asquith called it a “Clayton’s Corvette gathering”) sometime in early 2024.

If you’re a Corvette owner and would like to enjoy your car amongst like-minded Corvette owners and enthusiasts on cruises and at small-scale social events, as well as big events like the Nationals, Corvettes of Melbourne would love to have you on board, as new members are always welcome.

For more details, go to: corvettesofmelbourne.com