NORMAL, Ill. - Imagine the extraordinary site of a 1950-60's era
automobile looking today exactly as it did when it first rolled off the
assembly line. A well-preserved masterpiece like that, without touch-up
paint on the engine block or replacement parts, is a rarity that deserves its
recognition in automotive history.
Now Bloomington Gold has created an award to distinguish these incredibly
preserved vehicles and the owners who have so carefully taken care of them.
Known as The ZZenith(tm), this award recognizes vehicles that are at least 40
years old and have maintained originality and condition levels within 90-95% of
the way they appeared factory new.
The ZZenith Award(tm) will be launched during the 2009 SURVIVOR(r) Collector
Car event - America's only car event devoted exclusively to un-restored
original collector cars of all makes and models - and can be presented to any
car that qualifies, creating no limit to the number of ZZenith winners.
SURVIVOR Collector Car is presented by Bloomington Gold on Sunday, June 28,
2009, at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, Ill.
In addition to the coveted honor of ZZenith Awards, an expert board of judges
will inspect all registered cars to present a large variety of recognition
awards, including Freeze Frame(tm), Limited(tm), Mark of History(tm) and more.
Members of the 2009 ZZenith Board are:
* Mike Ardito
* John Ballard
* Colin Comer
* Ken Dover
* Marty Fowler
* McKeel Hagerty
* Dennis Hakim
* Paul Kirwan
* Richard Lentinello
* Bob Perkins
* Chris Piscitello
* Rob Sass
* Steve Shauger
* Jonathan Stein
* Tim Thorpe
* Dave Walters
"Achieving a ZZenith Award will mean our highly credible board has
declared your vehicle to have been preserved 'nearly new' with less than 10%
deterioration, restoration or replacement parts from when it was brand new - an
extraordinary feat," said David Burroughs, CEO of Bloomington Gold.
"This level of preservation is highly unusual to find among most
un-restored automobiles of this vintage and older."
Cars receiving the ZZenith Award will be driven to a special display location
on the Pheasant Run golf course and the owners will be presented with printed
certificates that can be kept with the vehicle's documentation. According
to Burroughs, this prestigious award will likely become the standard by which
collector cars are evaluated in the future, with enthusiasts asking "Does
it have a ZZenith Award?"
For more than 30 years, Burroughs has recognized the need to reward car owners
who strove to preserve their car's originality. In 1978, he introduced
the GoldCertified(r) standard by which expert judges assess a (restored or
un-restored) Corvette's authenticity and condition. It is GoldCertified
if it appears to remain within 95% of what it looked like on the day it left
the factory: no better, no worse, no different. To give owners an
incentive not to restore or recondition vehicles that didn't need it, Burroughs
developed a new judging process in 1989 that awarded SURVIVOR(r) status to
un-restored Corvettes that could meet a national standard for un-restored cars.
They needed to be at least 20 years old, pass a 20-mile road test, remain less
than 50% restored or refinished, and retain over 50% of their original factory
finishes in nearly new condition.
In 2008, the first SURVIVOR Collector Car event kicked off with 128 amazing
cars of all makes and models parked on the beautiful fairways of Pheasant Run
golf course - possibly the largest collection of un-restored collector cars
assembled in history.
The 2009 SURVIVOR Collector Car event will also feature an extended display
area for owners to showcase their un-restored vehicles as well as a buy/sell
area next to the awards field to give enthusiasts the opportunity to buy and
sell un-restored collector cars at the show. To learn more, including how
to become a judge and vehicle eligibility/certification standards, call
309.888.2588 or visit SurvivorCollectorCar.com.
About Bloomington Gold
The Bloomington Gold Corvettes USA show is America's
original and longest running Corvette show. The annual event, first held
in 1973, takes place on the last full weekend in June at Pheasant Run Resort in
St. Charles, Ill. and offers enthusiasts an unrivaled opportunity to partake in
the finer aspects of Corvette culture - from the historically significant
Special Collection(r) to GoldCertified(r) judging to the SURVIVOR(r) Collector
Car event. Contact Bloomington Gold at 309.888.4477 or visit
BloomingtonGold.com or SurvivorCollectorCar.com.
Vette Vues Magazine, P.O. Box 511874, Punta Gorda, FL 33951-1874
386-775-2512 Fax: 386-267-3150
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