It’s the stuff that car collectors’ dreams are made of – a long forgotten garage full of classic Corvettes. The neglected Corvette collection is made up of 36 cars ranging from 1953 to 1989. So what happened? How did the cars get there and what was their fate? The tale is interesting, to be sure. Sometimes truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
Our story begins in 1989 when a gentleman by the name of Dennis Amodeo entered a contest that was organized by the music network VH1. The contest required people to call into a toll line that cost $2 per entry. The winner would receive a Chevrolet Corvette collection; one Vette for each year, starting in 1953 and ending in 1989. The entire collection was worth an estimated $600,000, which was a nice chunk of change, especially for a car collection, in 1989. At the time the contest was the largest prize giveaway ever done. Thousands of people entered to snag this sweet prize, but there was only one winner, Amodeo.
VH1 staged the dramatic hand off by having one of the Beach Boys present Amodeo with a bag containing keys to all of the cars. He also enjoyed his 15 minutes of fame while VH1 plastered his face on every piece of advertising over the next few weeks. Eventually, though, things died down and reality set in. He began entertaining offers to purchase the collection, one such being New York photographer, Peter Max.
Max wanted the cars for an art project. A deal was struck and the collection changed hands. Amodeo made out OK with $250,000 cash up front and $250,000 of Max’s art and potential profits that may be earned later. It wasn’t what the collection was worth, but off they went.
Over the next 25 years, Max kept his Vettes stored in different garages with plans to display the collection or have an art show of some type. Nothing every materialized, though, and eventually the cars became ghosts in a forgotten garage. As the years got the best of them they slowly slipped into disrepair, dust covered their once lustrous paint, and their glory began to fade. It didn’t look like they would ever see the light of day – and then they found a new home.
A man approached Max with a proposition. He and his partners wanted to buy the entire collection from Max. Max agreed and the cars found a new home and began getting some much needed attention. Life is being breathed into many of the cars as they are being restored to their original magnificence. A few didn’t make it, their value was less than what it would cost to do the resto, but most made the cut and the bulk of the collection is being resurrected. Don’t you love happy endings?
Your story can have a happy ending too – you can get a classic Corvette all your own and Woodside Credit can help make it happen.