HASTINGS, Neb. – Collectors have countless different things they collect, but no one in the state, or country can say they have as big of a collection of Chevrolet Corvairs as Chris Shade.

Hastings is the home to Shade’s Classic Corvairs, and now the Corvair Museum of America.

The museum started off as a Corvair dealership, and still is, but it’s now undertaken a different role.

"We are a business, but for years people have come in and seen our cars on our showroom floor, and said 'Wow, this is a museum!" said Shade's Classics Corvairs Owner Chris Shade. "It's actually inventory, but it does represent the Corvair well historically."

About 75 Corvairs, including one of about 70 remaining Yenko Stingers, call the space in Hastings home.

With increased interest from car enthusiasts from all over the country, Shade is looking to expand.

The museum is looking to raise around $6 million over two phases to buy the property adjacent to their current building, and to build an 18,000 square foot Corvair Museum.

The first phase is aiming to raise around $500,000 to purchase the property and to pay for other start-up costs.

"Since we've been operating for a little over a year as the Corvair Museum of America, we've probably quadrupled our visitation from all over the country," said Shade." They're on road trips, going coast-to-coast. They drop down off I-80, come in, and we give tours and answer questions."

The museum has the blueprints for the expansion all figured out. It’s just finding the support to raise money for their campaign, which the organization is trying to find continued support for at the national and local level.

"In addition to internet promotion and promoting across the country, we've done a lot of local promotion of the museum," said Museum Board Member Eric Elliott. "We put on a car show in conjunction with Jerry Spady earlier this year, which raised money for not only the museum, but we also raised money for Special Scoops in Hastings." 

A new addition to the current property is the 'Corv-AIR BnB,' a 2-bedroom house rental available for rent on AirBnB. 

Shade and the museum are still looking to finalize the purchase of the building next door, but Shade is hopeful that, and enough money to begin the renovation process will happen sometime in 2025. 

"Our visitors come in, and they really see the whole nine yards," said Shade. "They really don't miss any flavor of Corvair because they're all here and represented."