Volo Museum’s Bumblebee to be part of Illinois Camaro display at Chicago Auto Show

CHICAGO – At first glance, the bedraggled ’77 might look out of place alongside the more pedigreed models on display at the Illinois Camaro booth at the Chicago Auto Show.

Spectators’ attitudes surely will sway when they realize the Z28 is none other than fan-favorite Bumblebee of the 2007 Michael Bay film “Transformers.” And Illinois Camaro members are thrilled the Volo Museum car – a promotional model Paramount used to tout the film – is part of their exhibit through Feb. 20 at McCormick Place.

Those stopping by will be able to see the “BeaterBee” along with five other Camaros. Attendees can scan a QR code to enter a Volo Museum Winter Weekend Getaway contest. The winner will receive overnight lodging at the Hampton Inn in McHenry, a $50 gift card for D.C. Cobb’s-McHenry, a $50 gift card to The Vixen in McHenry and two combo passes good for entry to the Volo Museum and Jurassic Gardens, each worth $31.95 and good for two consecutive days.

”It’s going to be super exciting,” said Becky Rhoads, founder and CEO of Illinois Camaro, a club with about 2,000 online members who have formed a community around their shared love of the iconic car. “Having Volo’s Bumblebee in the mix at our display will be so much fun.”

This isn’t the first collaboration between Illinois Camaro and the Volo Museum, said Rhoads and Jim Wojdyla, the museum’s marketing director. During a car show on the museum grounds last fall, Illinois Camaro members raised $4,000 for The 100 Club of Illinois, an organization that supports first responders, as well as families of first responders killed in the line of duty.

Along with Bumblebee, those stopping by Illinois Camaro’s booth at the Chicago Auto Show will see a 1967 Camaro that in 2020 won the Presidential Award at the Gilmore Car Museum in Michigan, 1992 and 2002 B4C highway patrol models, a 2011 SS that pushes out 1,100 horsepower tuned by Speed Inc. of Schaumburg, and a 2017 50th anniversary edition that became a NicKey high-performance car.

To learn more about Illinois Camaro, visit www.illinois camaro.net. For information about the Chicago Auto Show, visit www.chicagoautoshow.com, where tickets and show floor maps are available.

The Volo Museum Winter Weekend Getaway contest winner must be at least 18 and will be selected at random from entries received. The winner will be announced Feb. 21, Wojdyla said, and must use the hotel stay by the last weekend of winter, March 18-19.

The Volo Museum is located at 27582 Volo Village Road in Volo. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $19.95 an adult, $17.95 for a senior, $16.95 for military, $12.95 for children ages 5 to 12 and free for children 4 and younger. Separate admission to the Jurassic Gardens dinosaur park is $15.95 each. It is free for children 4 and younger.

For information, visit volofun.com or call 815-385-3644.