The Last Sinkhole Corvette Has Been Recovered, And It Ain't Pretty

Remember the National Corvette Museum sinkhole that ate those precious Corvettes? Well, it's finally been cleared and the extent of the damage to all eight of the irreplaceable cars is now known.

Unlike the lucky 2009 ZR1 Blue Devil prototype that fell on top of the pile (and started after it was recovered), the last two cars to be pulled out of the rubble - the 1.5 Millionth Corvette and 2001 Mallet Hammer Z06 - look as though they'll require far more than a quick wash and wax before they find themselves back to museum spec.

The 1.5 Millionth car was barely recognisable with just a small amount of the white bodywork clinging to a flattened chassis, but it's the Z06 that'll really get the guy tears flowing as anything that could bend has been bent by the tons of earth and rocks that engulfed it.

Worth about $125,000 before the incident, the Z06 had clearly taken the full brunt of the fall into the sinkhole, meaning restoring this car is nigh-on-impossible. But General Motors is keen to salvage whatever it can, with the American car giant suggesting it'd find another 2009 car and switch over parts from the 1.5 Millionth, keeping the car's VIN number - though that may prove a few steps too far if it's still to be called 'original.'

Classic fans will be relieved to see the 1962 black Corvette looks to be a relatively easy restoration job, and is joined by the other recoverable cars at GM for work. The Museum confirmed that despite being total wrecks, even the most damaged cars will continue to be displayed - so be sure to pack the man-sized tissues next time you plan on visiting.

All pictures courtesy of National Corvette Museum